On Wednesday 28^th November 2012, the US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton

presented the Secretary of State's 2012 Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE) to

Sorwathé ltd amongst others. The ACE is an annual award that recognizes

U.S.-owned businesses that exhibit exemplary corporate citizenship, promote innovation,

and advance democratic principles around the world.

Sorwathé, a tea production company in Rwandan capital Kigali, won this year's award in the small-medium-size category. Sorwathé was honored for its efforts to support adult literacy, worker association and collectiv bargaining rights; undertake sustainable forestry and water management; and produce socially and environmentally responsible high quality tea, as described by State Department press release. Sorwathé distinguished itself by leading the charge for the eradication of child labor in Rwanda's tea sector.

The winners were chosen from 11 finalists. Others were: Chevron in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan; Esso Angola in Luanda, Angola; General Motors in Tashkent, Uzbekistan; Intel Corporation in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Microsoft in Bangkok, Thailand; Microsoft in Cairo, Egypt; Microsoft in New Delhi, India; Rosalie Bay in Dominica; and Sustainable Mahogany Industries Ltd. in Suva, Fiji