Helena Ndume of Namibia and Jorge Sampaio of Portugal were awarded the first-ever Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize by the United Nations (UN) at the UN Headquarters in New York. Ndume, a female ophthalmologist, was awarded for treating blindness and eye-related illnesses in Namibia and throughout the developing world. While Jorge Sampaio, was awarded for his contribution to his country for his struggle for the restoration of democracy in Portugal.