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The New Heroes is a four-hour series, hosted by Robert Redford, which tells the dramatic stories of twelve social entrepreneurs who bring innovative, empowering solutions to the most intractable social problems around the world. Each story in this unique series illustrates the amazing changes that are possible when an innovative idea is coupled with optimism, a strategy for action, and a passionate belief in human potential.

The New Heroes: The Power of Knowledge

The final program looks at the new heroes who are working to improve lives by creating opportunities for education in societies that often leave children to fend for themselves. Among these are Sompop Jantraka, who has started a school for young Thai girls with the goal of saving them from entering into or being sold into prostitution, and Dina Abdel Wahab who has started schools in Egypt for that nation's often-neglected children with disabilities. And the program returns once more to India, this time to Calcutta, where Inderjit Khurana has set out to bring education to children who beg in the train stations - setting up a school right on the railway platforms. "These were kids who were surviving on their own. Making all decisions, all adult decisions and hardly leading a child's life. I wanted somehow to alter this if I could. Give them back a childhood and hold out hope for the future."

LEARN MORE:

You can learn more about The New Heroes at the Skoll Foundation website.

Read more about Sompop Jantraka in this Time Magazine profile.

Ashoka profiles Abdel Wahab and Inderjit Khurana.