A selection of ladies from the 10,000+ strong group called Indian Ladies in UK, braved the weather and their fears to jump out of a plane at 13,000 feet. All in the name of giving, one of the key pillars that has made ILU so strong and successful in such a short space of time.
And for what? To raise money for Indian farmers and to help empower Indian women to stand on their own two feet.
The National Crime Records Bureau in India reports a total of 5,650 farmers committed suicide in 2014, with the highest proportion being in the state of Maharashtra with 2568. NCRB highlights that major causes for these suicides are bankruptcy and indebtedness, family problems and failure of crops. Public figures like Nana Patekar have made it their aim to ensure the issue is highlighted.
50% of the money raised will to help Indian farmers and the rest will help community projects such as Hindi teaching classes, promoting Indian culture in the UK and helping ILU’s own ladies who have become victims of domestic violence or become destitute.
ILU was invited to be part of the Dowry enquiry at the Parliament headed by the Labour MP Virendra Sharma.
The skydiving challenge has even inspired hundreds of ladies from the group who had a fear of heights to raise money on the ground, by organising charity walks, coffee meetings and potlucks.
Through its fundraising page and with some ladies collecting money through these coffee meets and charity walks, and with a month to go, they have already reached their target and nothing seems to be stopping them.
Speaking to the founder of ILU, Poonam Joshi, she said: ‘It was an immensely fun day for some of our members but the good times masked a very noble cause that of helping our fellow country men and women back home in India and first generation migrant women here in the UK. This was a very small step for our organisation in a very long journey which we hope will make a small change to the world we live in.’
Indian Ladies in UK CIC
Indian Ladies in the UK is an Indian women-only organisation that represents mainly first generation Migrant women from India living in the UK. Indian Ladies in UK is now 10,000 members strong and has connected thousands of members throughout the UK. We have helped hundreds of women that needed assistance or became victims of domestic violence.We are raising funds for Indian farmers & for ILUK’s community projects. ILU was given CIC status earlier this year.
Puja Teli 
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