INDIACSR News Network
NEW DELHI: In a bid to raise awareness and help the underprivileged widows, The Loomba Foundation, the global NGO working for the cause of widows, which is accredited by the UN Department of Public Information (DPI) and the UN Department of Economic and Social Development (ECOSOC), will be organizing an annual charity dinner on Saturday, June 21, at the Taj Mansingh, New Delhi ahead of the UN-ratified International Widows Day (June 23).
The theme for this year’s fundraiser is ‘Justice for Widows – Corporate Social Responsibility’, which aims to encourage corporate India to channelize their mandatory 2% Corporate Social Responsibility provision in the Companies Act for the benefit of impoverished widows.
The dinner will be attended by approximately 200 high profile guests, including Dr. Kiran Bedi, who understand the needs and the plight of widows in India and are willing to extend a supporting hand for the cause. The Loomba Foundation has committed to empower 10,000 widows in India, who will each receive a sewing machine and training to make garments.
Sharing his expectations from the upcoming charity function, Founder and Chairman Trustee, Lord Raj Loomba CBE said, “Out of a total of 245 million worldwide, over 42 million widows are in India alone. Given that over 70% of India’s population lives in rural areas, most of these widows are poor and uneducated and are often abused physically, psychologically and even sexually.
The Loomba Foundation is committed to help them reclaim their rightful place in the society. India is the first country in the world to have legislated a mandatory CSR provision requiring companies to give 2% of their net profits to charity.
Through our effort, if we are able to channelize even a small portion of this to the cause of widows, I will consider the annual dinner a success. This year’s theme – Justice for Widows: Corporate Social Responsibility –is an appeal to all the corporates to come forth and contribute to the cause of widows who are one of the most ignored segments of our society. I will be personally indebted to any philanthropist who comes forward to help us in our endeavour.”
The Loomba Foundation has been actively bringing widows out of abject poverty in different parts of the world including India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Kenya, Rwanda, Malawi, South Africa, Syria, and Guatemala. In India alone, The Foundation has so far funded education scholarships for over 9,000 children, and positively impacted more than 50,000 family members of widows. The Foundation works at grassroots level by making widows economically self-sufficient by imparting skills for life, instilling confidence and inducing self worth.
The Loomba Foundation was instrumental in getting official recognition for 23rd June as International Widows Day from the United Nations General Assembly in 2010, five years after the Day was launched by the Foundation at the House of Lords.
