By Arvind Padmanabhan, IANS
New Delhi : Empowering widows and educating their children have been the life’s mission for Britain-based social entrepreneur Raj Loomba, who had lost his father early and endured hardship along with his mother and siblings.
Today, as the Pushpa Wati Loomba Trust in memory of his mother celebrates 10 years, his singular mission is to get the United Nations to recognise June 23 as the International Widows’ Day, in order to create awareness and ensure sustained action about their cause.
“Injustice against widows is a significant problem in many countries, including India that is home to some 35-40 million widows,” says 64-year-old Loomba whose trust educates 3,600 children of widows each year in all states of India.
“This year, as we marked the 10th anniversary of our trust, we also celebrated the third International Widows’ Day. I want the UN to recognise this and get a global focus on the plight of widows and their children,” Loomba, who immigrated to Britain in 1962, told IANS.
The soft-spoken entrepreneur – who made his fortune running Rinku Group Plc, a successful textile business in Britain that now has a presence in India and sources material from China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Indonesia – is not alone in the endeavour.
He has Cherie Booth, wife of former British prime minister Tony Blair, as the trust’s president and Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Atlantic, as a generous supporter.
These high-profile celebrities apart, London Mayor Ken Livingstone, whom Loomba accompanied as part of the official delegation to India this week, has also co-hosted some events like the Diwali fundraiser for the trust in London in 2006.
Livingstone, along with Booth and John Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono, had also supported a grand Bollywood concert at the Trafalgar Square last year, while Senator Hillary Clinton addressed a conference to mark the International Women’s Day.
A few months ago, the trust also held a fund-raising premiere of “Water”, a film by Deepa Mehta that explores India’s social and cultural relationship with its many million widows.
On Oct 17, a grand fund-raiser was organised at Mansion House in London that was attended by several celebrities, with Bollywood actor-director Dev Anand and London Metropolitan Police chief Sir Ian Blair as chief guests.
“I guess it is the cause,” says the soft-spoken entrepreneur, when asked how he manages to get so many celebrities to endorse the various activities of the Loomba Trust, as he prepares for another Diwali event, this time at the UN headquarters next week.
Along with Branson and his Virgin Change for Appeal and Virgin Unite charities, the Loomba Trust has also spread its wings to South Africa, where the initiatives include a programme to support 1,500 HIV/AIDS orphans.
Similarly, opportunities are being created for young widows and youths in Kenya, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in partnership with the Youth Business International, a charity of Prince Charles, explained Loomba.
In India, while the programme to educate 3,600 children of widows is now running well, Loomba is roping in an international organisation to support his next project – setting up toilets and improving hygiene for schoolgirls.
“Some of the girls who have benefited from our scholarships told us about the difficulties they have faced at their schools in terms of sanitation. So our effort is to address this cause,” Loomba said.
“But all this requires money and continued kindness and generosity of patrons. I wish more multinational companies and Indian corporate houses support socially relevant causes.”
(Arvind Padmanabhan can be reached at [email protected])