British High Commissioner launches The Loomba Foundation’s Project withLions Club International to Empower 2600 Widows in Vrindavan
New Delhi, August 8, 2016: The Loomba Foundation, a global NGO accredited with the United Nations under DPI and ECOSOC, has announced a partnership project with the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) and Lions Clubs International British Isles and Ireland to provide dignified livelihoods to 2600 impoverished widows in and around India’s holy city of Vrindavan. Under this project, The Loomba Foundation will provide a two-months certificate-based skills training in garment stitching to poor widows, and a foot-operated sewing machine on successful completion of this course. The Loomba Foundation’s Global Widows Report, the most authoritative and comprehensive country-wise data source on the plight of widows, reveals that there are more than 259 million widows worldwide with over 584 million dependent children. At 46.5 million, India now has become the country with the highest number of widows globally.
Launching the sewing machine project, the Honourable Sir Dominic Asquith KCMG, British High Commissioner to India said, “The British High Commission in India congratulates The Loomba Foundation, the Lions Club International Foundation and the Lions Clubs International – British Isles & Ireland for their tireless efforts in support of this worthy cause.”
Lord Raj Loomba CBE, Founder and Chairman-Trustee of The Loomba Foundation, said, “I express my deep gratitude to the Honourable British High Commissioner, the Lions Clubs International and other dignitaries who have extended their support to make this project a reality. The ancient city of Vrindavan is also known as the ‘city of widows’ where women come after the death of their husbands, and are forced to live in deplorable conditions under abject poverty, neglect and abandonment. I also acknowledge India’s Women Development Minister Hon’ble Shrimati Maneka Gandhi for recently announcing India’s largest state-of-the-art widows’ home for providing better living conditions, vocational training and medical facilities to 1000 widows in Vrindavan. I also invite other organizations and people to come forward and support this cause of needy widows in India and other parts of the world.”
The launch event at the British High Commissioner’s residence was attended by several dignitaries, including the First Vice President of Lions Clubs International Foundation and The Loomba Foundation’s patrons Sir Mark Tully OBE and Padma Shri Vikramjit Singh Sahney; Trustees Mrs. Aruna Oswal, Mr. Balbir Singh Kakar, Mr. Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa. Lion Max Mongia, who played a critical role in forging this partnership project, travelled from London specially to attend the launch. The British High Commissioner felicitated all dignitaries.