Events & Personalities
WIT’s wealth
"If a girl child wakes up, the house wakes up. If the house wakes up the village gets up” and eventually the country gets going, said Ranjit Shahani, husband of the Women’s India Trust (WIT) governing body president Indu Shahani quoting the late prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. He was delivering the keynote address at the 45th sapphire anniversary dinner at the Taj Mahal Palace, Bombay on April 14, 2013 in the absence of his wife who was attending a "pressing” meet in Jakarta, Indonesia. He was punning on an earlier reference to women having to work and perform mundane household chores such as ironing. The posh, well-heeled gathering and other supporters raised money for the Trust founded by the late Kamila Tyabji to assist disadvantaged women.
WIT chairperson "Dolat Kotwal and her team deserve a big hand,” commented Shahani wondering if the committee members got their fund-raising energy from eating the jams and chutneys produced by the women assisted by the non-governmental organization (NGO)!
WIT chairperson "Dolat Kotwal and her team deserve a big hand,” commented Shahani wondering if the committee members got their fund-raising energy from eating the jams and chutneys produced by the women assisted by the non-governmental organization (NGO)!
(Seated): Abha Mundra, Dhanoo Khusrokhan, Perveez Aggarwal, Dolat Kotwal, Dinoo Parekh;
(standing) Shyamla Nath, Lyla Mehta, Kamal Mulla, Mehroo Kotval, Sabrina Fernandes,
Zinnia Khajotia, Deborah Pettingell, Annuradha Tashniwal, Kamal Mistry
Kotwal thanked all "the wonderful people” who sponsored the event and made donations making a special mention of entrepreneur Perveez Aggarwal who headed the fund-raising committee and had held a similar honorary position at WIT’s 40th ruby anniversary. The sponsors were the Taj Mahal Palace, HDFC Limited, ICICI Bank, the Pirojsha Godrej Foundation, Allcargo Logistics Limited and Black Dog.
The evening’s compere Vanita Bhandari spoke of how disadvantaged women first started to earn an income by stitching petticoats through Tyabji’s efforts. Today WIT has "a wide and varied range of activities.” WIT products are sold at over 40 outlets in Bombay (email: wit@yahoo.co.in). A short video presentation acquainted the gathering with the NGO’s work.
"WIT’s core values, which we must keep squarely in sight, continue, namely, giving women more than a fair chance to realize an education, vocational or livelihood training, home-based work and awareness programs, all designed to enable women achieve financial independence,” stated Kotwal and WIT’s vice chairwoman Dhanoo Khusrokhan in the function’s souvenir. "When half the population of the country, now largely excluded, is drawn into the economy consider the value added to the economic growth of the country…
"Women have in the process of learning and earning acquired greater self-confidence, have provided better nutrition and healthcare to their families and improved their quality of life. Abandoned women, single mothers, widows with no financial means, are encouraged into WIT’s embrace and given a second chance. Some women have started a tailoring business. One has started a successful flour grinding mill. Inevitably their first priority is to give their children a better quality of education, by moving them to private schools or ones where they can learn English too.
"In the intervening years from our 40th anniversary, many more beneficiaries have been included. Thus, apart from the course running at Panvel, a parallel teachers’ training program, in affiliation with the SNDT Women’s University, is in full flow at Ghatkopar with 25 students being funded by a sponsor. This course and our other courses like nursing are giving an opportunity to first-generation literates to start a career.
The evening’s compere Vanita Bhandari spoke of how disadvantaged women first started to earn an income by stitching petticoats through Tyabji’s efforts. Today WIT has "a wide and varied range of activities.” WIT products are sold at over 40 outlets in Bombay (email: wit@yahoo.co.in). A short video presentation acquainted the gathering with the NGO’s work.
"WIT’s core values, which we must keep squarely in sight, continue, namely, giving women more than a fair chance to realize an education, vocational or livelihood training, home-based work and awareness programs, all designed to enable women achieve financial independence,” stated Kotwal and WIT’s vice chairwoman Dhanoo Khusrokhan in the function’s souvenir. "When half the population of the country, now largely excluded, is drawn into the economy consider the value added to the economic growth of the country…
"Women have in the process of learning and earning acquired greater self-confidence, have provided better nutrition and healthcare to their families and improved their quality of life. Abandoned women, single mothers, widows with no financial means, are encouraged into WIT’s embrace and given a second chance. Some women have started a tailoring business. One has started a successful flour grinding mill. Inevitably their first priority is to give their children a better quality of education, by moving them to private schools or ones where they can learn English too.
"In the intervening years from our 40th anniversary, many more beneficiaries have been included. Thus, apart from the course running at Panvel, a parallel teachers’ training program, in affiliation with the SNDT Women’s University, is in full flow at Ghatkopar with 25 students being funded by a sponsor. This course and our other courses like nursing are giving an opportunity to first-generation literates to start a career.
Flamenco dance
"WIT has also improved its brand image for its renowned home linen and its high-quality marmalade, jams, chutneys, etc. Our food marketing team, supervised by a few board members, is attempting to work wonders. Income increases, but expenses to sustain all our activities increase due to inflation. The momentum of the work must continue as slowing down to control costs is not an option, when so much needs to be done.”
The evening’s entertainment program included Flamenco dances by Benaz Khusrokhan Bhandari, Neha Kulchadkar, Ridhi Chedha and Shehzeen Cassum. Crooners Sunny and Bernice were, at the request of the audience, joined by art aficionado Phiroza Godrej who sang Summer Wine and popular ABBA numbers.
audience
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