- The partnership was launched in the presence of Smt Smriti Irani, Union Minister of Women & Child Development and other distinguished guests like Nandita Bakhshi, President and CEO, Bank of the West and Shri Rajeev Chandrashekhar, Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
New Delhi, 20 October 2022: The Loomba Foundation, an international UN accredited NGO dedicated to improving the lives of widows in partnership with the US India Strategic Forum’s philanthropic Foundation – The US India Friendship Alliance (USIFA) launched a project today to empower 5000 widows and their children in India. The beneficiaries will be provided skills training by the implementing partner Lok Bharti.
Among the distinguished attendees were Shiv Nadar, Founder of HCL Technologies; Raj Subramaniam, CEO of FedEx; Tim Roemer, former US Ambassador to India; Veena Reddy, USAID India Chief; and Scott Nathan, US Development Finance Corporation CEO.
The reception discussed how The Loomba Foundation and USISPF will jointly work to create an ecosystem that allows widows in India an opportunity to sustain themselves as well as become empowered and self-sufficient financially. The Loomba Foundation and USIFA announced the funding amount of USD 400000 to benefit the widows in India, which will be distributed over a period of two years, 2023 and 2024.
Lord Raj Loomba, CBE, Founder and Chairman Trustee of The Loomba Foundation, said: “With rising awareness, we have seen increased efforts from the government as well as the public to tackle the various challenges faced by widows. It gives us great pride to see how far we have come in the journey of empowering them towards an independent life. We look forward to the continued support from our partners and supporters as we progress on our mission to transform the lives of widows.”
Dr Mukesh Aghi, President & CEO, USISPF, added: “We are proud to be partnering today with The Loomba Foundation to contribute to this important cause and empower the lives of widows in need of assistance through financial support and skill training. We believe that for the success of the Prime Minister’s vision of achieving a USD five trillion economy by 2030, women will play a driving role in the workforce.
The Loomba Foundation and USISPF also addressed the poverty, injustice and complete lack of opportunities for millions of widows across the globe at this reception. This event was intended to contribute towards raising awareness of the plight of widows in India whose struggle for daily means and survival is a big question on the society at large. Therefore, this Indo-US partnership initiative is an effort towards empowering the widows of India financially, mentally and socially.
About The Loomba Foundation
The Loomba Foundation, a non-profit, UN accredited global NGO, was established in the UK in 1997 by Lord Raj Loomba. CBE and his wife Lady Veena Loomba, in memory of Lord Loomba’s mother who became a widow at the age of 37 and succeeded in educating her seven children single-handed.
The foundation has sister charities in the USA and India and is committed to empowering widows and to educating their children in India and around the world. The Loomba Foundation to date has educated over 10,000 children of poor widows In India and over 20,000 widows in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Malawi, Guatemala and Chile would have benefited from The Loomba Foundation empowerment programmes, breaking the cycle of deprivation and transforming their prospects.
The foundation is honoured and privileged that its Varanasi project to empower 5,000 widows was launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, in 2016. It is also proud to have worked in partnerships with the Youth Business International - HRH Prince Charles’ charity, Virgin Unite - Sir Richard Branson’s charity, OXFAM (GB) and UN Women.
In 2005, the Loomba Foundation launched International Widows’ Day at the House of Lords in the UK as an effective day of action for widows and their children around the world. After a tireless campaign for five years, the UN adopted 23rd June as the UN International Widows Day at its 65th UN General Assembly in 2010.
About US India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF):
The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) is committed to creating the most powerful partnership between the United States and India. As the only independent not- for-profit institution dedicated to strengthening the U.S.-India partnership in Washington, D.C., and in New Delhi, USISPF is the trusted partner for businesses, non- profit organizations, the diaspora and the governments of India and the United States.
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