Cause to connect

The evening was perfect,as was the setting – wine,cheese,a carefully selected menu and Hari and Sukhmani’s mesmerizing music. The Jugnu Bazaar,People for Animals (PFA) effort to get NGOs together on a common platform and collectively ask for people’s involvement,began with a swish party at the Hotel Taj,one that attracted not only a good gathering,but also support from many. The two-day exhibition,held last month,was a big hit and will now be a regular feature in the city. “We need to cater to all sections of society,so our activities should be planned in an innovative manner so that more people get information and eventually we receive more support,’’ PFA Chandigarh’s Payal Sodhi talks about how a social event need not be limited to only a party,but a way to reach out to more people. Nods Adarsh Minocha,an NRI,who was involved with the entire concept,making sure that it was fun for everyone,yet inspiring for people to pitch in. People,according to Adarsh,need to get more involved in the social sector,so if they do not want to donate,then all that they need to do is shop from an NGO Bazaar,for an NGO needs support through manpower as well as funds. Candles,gift wrappings,envelopes,bags,lanterns,diaries,pens,decorative items…all eco-friendly and nattily designed were exhibited and according to Sangeeta Vardhan of Good Beginnings who put up a stall of items made by street children,not only were the sales good,but she received many queries from people for volunteer work as well. Corporate too,points Sodhi sponsored the event,for it had a commercial and social side to it. “We need to get more active commercially and give the best,be it in the area of products and service,’’ believes Payal.

Sumant Batra,an eminent lawyer,recently launched his book The Indians,at the Haryana Raj Bhavan. The event was presented by the Loomba Trust and saw Jenny Foy and Hannah,Chairman and Executive manger of the Trust talk about the 500 Club,which was launched in February 2009 to help raise awareness of widows’ plight and help educate the children of widows. Apart from an introduction to the book,the author also announced to donate the profits from the limited edition of his work to support poor widows and their children. The inspiration for the Loomba Trust came from Raj Loomba’s late mother,Pushpa Wati Loomba,who became a widow at the age of 37 and succeeded in educating her seven children single-handed. The 500 club is so called because all members pledge to donate just Rs 500 per month,per child,for a minimum period of one year to sponsor the schooling of a child of a poor widow. Every single rupee raised goes directly to the widow to enable her to break the cycle of deprivation and despair that so many currently suffer simply because their husbands have died. “It’s a cause I support and hope that many others will too be inspired,’’ said Sumant.

Since ‘99,every year in the month of May,Raj Kumar and Neeru Khattar organize Saurabh Khattar Memorial Snooker and Billiards Tournament at the Chandigarh Club in memory of their son,Saurabh,who passed away at the age of 21 due to a medical complication arising out of chicken pox. The tournament also encourages youngsters,especially those who can’t afford it to come forward and play the game and also take it up professionally. “He was a Haryana Snooker Champion and the game was so dear to his heart and it’s in his memory that we hold the tournament and also run a trust,which has immunization programmes for children in slums and also for higher education of poor children,’’ says Neeru Khattar,who wrote My God is Dead in his memory. The se programmes,hope the couple,will help give some a secure future. Hope floats…