Gujarat Plus - Gujarat on Web

Widows' kids get scholarship Wednesday, November 21, 2001

Source - TIMES NEWS NETWORK
AHMEDABAD: Governor Sunder Singh Bhandari gave away the Shrimati Pushpawati Loomba Trust scholarship to 100 children of widows here on Tuesday. The trust, run by Raj Loomba, a person of Indian origin living in the UK, supports children of widows in India whose monthly income is below Rs 1,500. The function was hosted by the British Council.

Speaking to reporters before the function, Indian chairman on the trust L M Singhvi said the scholarship was one of a kind as Indian families often fell deeper into poverty when the breadwinner died. They identified 50 children each from Ahmedabad and Bhuj to grant the scholarship.

Raj Loomba, after whose mother the trust has been named, said they have been running these scholarships in Orissa and Delhi for the past two years and added Gujarat this year. By January the same will be extended to Rajasthan and Punjab and a few months hence to Karnataka, Haryana and Maharashtra.

Speaking about its structure, Loomba said each recipient would get Rs 650 every month for five years. If the child dropped out, they would stop the funding, ensuring that recipients are monitored. "I have seen the kind of hardship our mother had to face after our father passed away," he said. "And we were financially well-off to afford an education. There are many in India who can't afford to provide education to their children. Our trust will cater to such families."

The trust was set up in 1997 with the first 100 children selected in 1999. The benefits were extended to the children of cyclone-ravaged state of Orissa in January this year.

British High Commissioner to India Rob Young and British Council's India director Edmund Marsden were attended the function.

News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]

 

This site is dedicated to our friend Younus M, who passed away on 28th Sept 00, and left on us an indelible memories ! - Team GujaratPlus.com

[P] Privacy Policy | © Copyright 2000-2006 |

Designed & Hosted by eZee Web Solutions