Celebrating International Widows Day and the Loomba Foundation’s 20th Anniversary
This has been the 20th Anniversary of the Loomba Foundation, and while we celebrated it with gala charity dinners in London and India, we have stayed focussed on India, and have been very happy with the outcome. On the day before this year’s International Widows Day, on the 22nd June, the charity organised an event at the Old Palace Yard, opposite to the House of Lords, where the famous actress Miss Joanna Lumley, a Patron of the Loomba Foundation launched a blimp, together with the President of the charity, Mrs. Cherie Blair CBE QC. The event was attended by Lord and Lady Loomba along with many patrons and supporters of the charity.
On the following evening, the Lord and Lady Loomba together with their family hosted the Loomba Foundation’s Annual Gala Dinner at the Dorchester in London. Presided over by the Foundation’s President, Mrs. Cherie Blair, the event was attended by Chief Guest, His Excellency Shri Y.K. Sinha, High Commissioner for India, Guest of Honour, Shri G.P. Hinduja, Co-Chairman of Hinduja Group and Special Guests, First Lady of Rwanda, Mrs Jeannette Kagame, Chairman of Rotary International Foundation Shri Kalyan Banerjee and the British Minister of State for Commonwealth, Rt. Hon. Lord Ahmad.
Attended by over 300 high profile guests, including Parliamentarians, Trustees, Patrons and Supporters, the event was an opportunity to raise vital funds for the work of the Loomba Foundation as well as highlight the Foundation’s work the charity has done to educate children of poor widows and empower their mothers in India and around the world.
The High Commissioner of India HE Shri Y.K. Sinha spoke about the important work that the charity and the Indian government is doing to help impoverished widows across the country.
At the Dorchester Gala Dinner, the Loomba Foundation signed an agreement with the Rotary India Literacy Mission to provide skills training to 30,000 impoverished widows – 1000 widows in each of the 30 states in India and educate 2000 children of poor widows. The agreement was signed by our President, Mrs. Cherie Blair CBE QC and Rotarian Shri Kalyan Banerjee, Chairman of Rotary International Foundation. The project will run over next five years and cost approximately £2 million.
Training will be provided in Beauty & Wellness, Healthcare & Care Giving, Security Industry, Telecom, Tourism & Hospitality, Handicraft, Textile & Apparel, Agriculture and Food Processing and Automotive Industry.