100 million children of poor widows may be deprived of education

Stating this while talking to The Tribune here today, NRI entrepreneur and Chairman of the Loomba Trust, Mr Raj Loomba, said data complied by the trust revealed that there were 35 million widows in India whose children were affected. The objectives of the trust, established in 1997 in the United Kingdom and launched in India in 1999, are to promote the welfare and education of children of poor widows and orphaned children. Ms Cherie Blair, wife of the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair is the trust's president.

Born in Jalandhar and now settled in London, Mr Loomba is here to participate in the Parvasi Punjabi Diwas - 2006, a conclave of non-resident Indians from Punjab to discuss investment and business opportunities in the state.

He said in the preceding year the trust took up the education of 500 Indian children who had lost their fathers during the Tsunami disaster.

"Poverty," Mr Lomba said, "is a vicious cycle. Only education can break it as it rationalises thinking." He added that in the field of ensuring education for all, India is 100 years behind other countries like Japan and the United Kingdom

"The problem with widows," Mr Loomba said, "is not only confined to India, but also across the globe." Stating that never before have there been so many widows and wives of the missing of all ages in developing countries, he added that the unprecedented rise was caused by armed conflict, ethnic cleansing, AIDS and child marriage.

He said he was also appealing to governments, NGOs and corporates to help raise funds for scholarships given to children. In 2004, at a fund-raising event in Delhi where Ms Blair was also present, about Rs 4.5 crore were raised for the trust.