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Shrimati Pushpa Wati Loomba Memorial Foundation Profile

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Shrimati Pushpa Wati Loomba Memorial Foundation Profile SHRIMATI PUSHPA WATI LOOMBA MEMORIAL FOUNDATION PROFILE Founders: The Foundation was founded by Lord Raj Loomba CBE and his wife Veena, Lady Loomba. It was established in the UK by a charitable Trust Deed on 26 June 1997 and has sister charities registered in India and the USA. The inspiration came from Raj’s late mother, Shrimati Pushpa Wati Loomba, who became a widow at the early age of 37 and succeeded in educating her seven children single-handed. Shrimati Pushpa Wati Loomba . ......Inspiration Launches: The Foundation was officially launched in London on 25 March 1998 in the presence of the Prime Minister, The Rt. Hon. Tony Blair MP and his wife Cherie Blair. The Foundation also received the support of the Honourable Prime Minister of India, Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee, who inaugurated the Foundation in New Delhi on 31 March 1999, by lighting a ceremonial lamp at his residence. The ceremony was attended by Sir Rob Young GCMC, British High Commissioner. UK Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Tony Blair Shri Vajpayee launching the charity in India and Raj Loomba The Loomba Foundation was also officially launched in Scotland in 2003, in the USA in 2005, in South Africa in 2006, in Kenya and Rwanda in 2008 and Canada in 2009. Board of Trustees: Lord Raj Loomba CBE chairs: UK Board of Trustees, which includes Lord Dholakia PC OBE DL, Lady Pilar Brennan, Mrs. Shamin Lalji, Dr. Barry Humphreys, Lady Veena Loomba, Mrs. Reeta Sarkar, Ms. Roma Loomba and Mr. Rinku Loomba. USA Board of Trustees, which includes Mr. Jack Klinck, Dr. Peter Rajsingh, Dr. Narendra P. Loomba and Harjiv Singh. India Board of Trustees, which includes Mr. Lalit Mansingh, Lord Raj Loomba CBE Mr. K. M. Singh, Mr. S. S. Dhindsa MP, Mrs. Aruna Oswal, Harjiv Singh and Lady Veena Loomba. President of the Loomba Foundation: Cherie Blair CBE QC, wife of the former British Prime Minister, who became the first Patron of the Foundation in 1998, agreed to become the President and officially inaugurated Loomba House in London on 8 September 2004. Over the years, Cherie has continued to travel to various countries to attend the Foundation’s events in order to raise awareness of the plight of widows and their children around the Cherie Blair CBE QC world. Patron-in-Chief: Sir Richard Branson agreed to become Patron-in-Chief in 2004. He has attended the Foundation’s fundraising events in India and South Africa. He has also supported the Foundation by making an appeal on BBC Radio 4 in 2004 and he raised over £500,000 through three ‘Change for Children’ appeals on the Virgin Atlantic flights worldwide. Sir Richard Branson at the launch of the Loomba Foundation HIV orphans project in South Africa Patrons: The Loomba Foundation is honoured that it is supported by the UK Prime Minister Rt. Hon. David Cameron MP, Deputy Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Nick Clegg MP, Countess Mountbatten of Burma and Baroness Betty Boothroyd OM as Patrons, amongst many other senior politicians, dignitaries, celebrities and business leaders. Rt Hon David Cameron MP Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP Rt Hon Countess Rt Hon Baroness Prime Minister Deputy prime Minister Mountbatten of Burma Boothroyd OM Honourees: The Loomba Foundation has honoured the First Lady of USA, Mrs. Laura Bush, President of Rwanda, Mr. Paul Kagame, World renowned Beetle John Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono, UN Assistant General Secretary, Ms. Rachel Mayanja and Mrs. Indra Nooyi’ husband, Mr. Raj Nooyi at the International Widows Day events in New York, USA. Dr. N.P. Loomba. Lady Veena Loomba, Lord Loomba, First Lady Laura Bush, Cherie Blair CBE QC and Roma Loomba Objectives and Activities: The Foundation is constituted by Trust Deed and its objectives and aims are to promote the welfare and education of the children of poor widows, orphaned children, and children who have lost their mothers as a result of natural disaster and for other auxiliary purposes as the Trustees may determine. In accordance with its current grant- making policy, the Foundation currently makes grants to its sister charity in India, the Shrimati Pushpa Wati Loomba Foundation, to fulfil its aforesaid aims and the sister charity distributes funds which support widows and their children in India. Our Work: Education and Empowerment is at the heart of our work Educational Programmes: The Foundation Loomba Foundation beneficiaries – who are selected without regard to race, religion or gender – receive a scholarship for a complete education, with guaranteed funds for a period of five years. Today many Loomba Foundation scholars have completed their education and have moved on to skilled employment or further education. To date, The Foundation has educated over 9,000 children of poor widows and supported over 38,000 family members in their households in India. More than 2,000 children are currently being educated by the Foundation in 15 states in India. All donations received for the education of these children are applied wholly to the cost of their education. Empowerment Projects: In 2012, the Loomba Foundation launched a new project to empower 10,000 impoverished widows in India, each of them will receive a sewing machine and training to make garments. They can earn money, be independent, educate their children, support their family members and lead a life of dignity. The impact of this project would be that not only 10,000 widows will be economically empowered, but also they will educate about 30,000 children assuming that they have three children on average and they will also support 60,000 of their family members assuming there are around six family members in each household. Therefore, 100,000 people stand to benefit from this project. As part of our global work, the Loomba Foundation has supported a community-based project for HIV orphans in South Africa in partnership with Virgin Unite, a charity of Sir Richard Branson. We have empowered young widows in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Syria, Kenya and Uganda in association with HRH Prince’s charity, Youth Business International. We have also set up an agricultural project to empower 300 genocide widows in Rwanda in partnership with OXFAM GB. Our Flagship, International Widows Day: The Loomba Foundation launched International Widows Day, which takes place each year on 23 June to highlight the plight of widows and their children all over the world and to provide a focus for effective action. The date of 23 June was chosen because it was on this day that Raj’s mother, Shrimati Pushpa Wati Left, Lord Dholakia, Cherie Blair and Lord Loomba, Loomba, the inspiration for the Foundation, became International Widows Day Launch in London, 2005 a widow. This flagship of the Foundation was announced at the House of Lords in the UK on 26 May 2005, which was followed by launches in India on 7 September 2005 and the USA on 21 October 2005, respectively. The US launch was attended by Kofi Annan. The Loomba Foundation is proud that through its tireless campaign over the next five years that followed, the United Nations declared 23rd June as International Widows th Day at the 65 General Assembly in Lord Loomba, Cherie Blair and Lady Veena Loomba with UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, at the launch of the UN of Loomba 2010. The first UN recognised Foundation and International Widows Day, 23 June 2005 International Widows day was marked on 23rd June 2011 by the United Nations at its Head Quarters in New York and chaired by Madame Ban Soon, wife of the Lord Loomba launching the Loomba Foundation and International Widows Day at the UN in 2005 UN General Secretary, His Excellency Ban Ki Moon. The second UN recognised International Widows Day was marked on 23rd June 2012 at No. 10 Downing Street in London by the Deputy Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Nick Clegg MP and his wife Ms. Durantez. Accreditation by the United Nations: The Loomba Foundation was approved for association with the Department of Public Information (DPI) of the United Nations on 30th June 2008. Through the United Nations accreditation, the Loomba Foundation is committed to raising public awareness about the purpose, and activities of the United Nations and issues of global concern, especially on the plight of widows and their children who are suffering through poverty, illiteracy, diseases such as HIV/AIDS and Malaria, conflict and violence and social injustice. The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations recommended the Loomba Foundation for Special Consultative Status in 2011 and granted it in 2012. “Special Consultative Status” is conferred upon those non-governmental organizations that demonstrate a special competence in a select field of concern. This designation will allow the Foundation to send official representatives to participate in events and conferences at the United Nations. Research and Publications Invisible, Forgotten Sufferers: The Plight of Widows Around the World’ – In 2010, the Loomba Foundation published a Comprehensive Research Study Book, which was researched by Risto Harma and written by Vijay Dutt. The research revealed that there are 245 million widows and 500 million children around the world, who suffer injustice in silence. The first edition was presented to the UN Secretary General, H.E. Ban Ki Moon by the President of the Foundation, Cherie Blair, and Founder and Chairman, Lord Loomba CBE. The book was subsequently presented to the Honourable President of India and the US Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton. Ban Ki Moon receiving the book Hilary Clinton receiving the book ‘A Hidden Calamity: The Plight of Widows’ – The Loomba Foundation has also published a book of oil and acrylic paintings highlighting the plight of widows around the world by the Trustee and Artist Reeta Sarkar.
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