WiTR gives Hope to this year’s nominated charity
WiTR aims to raise US$16,000 to buy a bus to transport women and children at The Hope Foundation’s five homes in Kolkata
Women in Travel Retail (WiTR) has announced that its nominated charity for 2022 is The Hope Foundation, suggested by Aisling Walsh of Butlers Chocolates.
Since 1999, The Hope Foundation (www.hopefoundation.ie) has been committed to ensuring the protection of children living on the streets and in the slums of Kolkata, India, who are deprived of their basic human rights as advocated under the United Nations Convention on Rights of the Child.
Wherever possible, HOPE seeks to restore children to their families, but where home environments do not exist or still pose a threat, these vulnerable children are placed in HOPE protection homes under order of Kolkata’s Child Welfare Committee.
Its homes provide a safe and loving environment in all aspects of childcare, covering education, nutrition, healthcare, sports and recreation.
WiTR will raise funds to buy a bus to safely transport women and children at HOPE’s five homes in the city housing 100 children, and a Mother and Childcare Unit.
Costing about €15,000 (US$16,000), the bus will replace the current 15-year-old vehicle. It will enable the women in The Hope Foundation’s Mother and Childcare Unit to travel to vocational training centers, take children to school, and to sports clubs and parks.
Speaking about the WiTR nomination this year, Mairead Sorensen, Chair of Butlers Chocolates, said: “We are so thrilled to hear that The Hope Foundation is to receive funding from WiTR for our project this year. We and The Hope Foundation are utterly grateful and thankful to the members of WiTR for supporting this incredibly worthwhile project. It will improve and enhance the lives of women and children in this challenged area of the world.”
Added WiTR Chairman Sarah Branquinho: “As always, we received very worthwhile nominations this year and only wish that we could support them all. The Hope Foundation in particular resonated with members and met our ambition to support disadvantaged women and/or children, with funds required for a specific purpose.
“The impact of Covid-19 has seriously affected our ability to raise funds over the past two years and we are still unsure as to how best we can meet the goal – but rest assured, we will do everything we can to find that €15,000 for The Hope Foundation bus!”
Any companies or individuals wishing to donate to The Hope Foundation should contact WiTR at contactus@WomeninTR.com or aisling.walsh@butlers.ie
