LONDON, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page has received the Order of the British Empire award from Queen Elizabeth for his work on behalf of Brazilian street children.
Page, 61, has been working more than 10 years to help the children who live in ghettos called favelas in Rio de Janeiro.
Page told ITV he was promoting an album in Brazil when street gangs started warring.
"At that time in Rio the sun wasn't shining. The army was going into the favelas and I heard about the plight of the street children," Page said after collecting his honor at Buckingham Palace.
Page and the British charity Task Brazil built a safe house providing food, clothing, medical supplies and job training for the orphans. The safe house has had more than 300 children pass through its doors.
"The queen actually said it was very important work and that it was a horrible problem for the street children," Page said.
