It is with great pleasure that Veuve Clicquot announces that Janne Ritskes of the Tabitha Foundation* will be the recipient of a 2012 Veuve Clicquot Initiative for Economic Development Award.  She will be presented this award during the American Women Group in Paris gala dinner on February 11, 2012. Janne is recognized for her successful efforts to tra nsform the health and economic lives of impoverished populations in Cambodia by helping them gain access to clean water, become self-sufficient and invest in their futures. This award is particularly exciting for the American Women’s Group in Paris who nominated Janne for this award and recently raised $15,000 for the FAWCO Target Water Project - Tabitha, Wells for Clean Water in Cambodia.  AWG Paris invites FAWCO members to attend the AWG gala in Paris, meet this amazing woman and congratulate her.  Please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if you would like to attend the February 11, 2012 event.

The Veuve Clicquot champagne house was created in 1772, and taken over by Madame Clicquot, age 27, in 1805, upon a premature widowhood (Veuve, in French). During the subsequent 40 years, she ran and expanded her business, created new processes to stabilize the explosive wine, conquered markets, and all with tremendous success. People still call her “La Grande Dame de la Champagne”, as she really invented and developed a business model which remains the same two centuries later.

During this exceptional period of breakthroughs, inventions and conquests, she never forgot to work hard and be nice to people, and considerably helped the development of her community.  To celebrate her exceptional qualities of audacity, innovation, creativity and also social responsibility, Veuve Clicquot celebrates women of influence.
This year is particularly important as it commemorates the 40th anniversary of the first Veuve Clicquot award honoring women.

Veuve Clicquot is very proud to count Janne Ritskes among their winners for this year.  Janne will also be invited to participate in Veuve Clicquot’s annual forum in Champagne, France on September 10 and 11, where she will meet other equally gifted women and be introduced to Veuve Clicquot’s formidable network of laureates.
Veuve Clicquot has chosen Janne Ritskes to receive one of these awards for her successful efforts to transform the health and economic lives of impoverished populations in Cambodia by helping them gain access to clean water, become self-sufficient and invest in their futures.

This award is particularly exciting for the American Women’s Group in Paris who nominated Janne for this award and recently raised $15,000 for the FAWCO Target Water Project - Tabitha, Wells for Clean Water in Cambodia. Thank you to all who have supported this project.

AWG invites FAWCO and FAWCO foundation board members to attend the AWG gala in Paris, meet this amazing woman and congratulate her.  Please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if you would like to attend the February 11, 2012 event.

*The Tabitha Foundation is a benevolent trust, founded in 1994 to support aid efforts begun and organized by Janne Ritskes.