Natasha Poonawalla to chair BAT's Children's Protection Fund for India

(L-R) American Pop-Singer Katy Perry, His Royal Highness Prince Charles of Wales, with Natasha Poonawalla, Executive Director, Serum Institute of India at the Royal Annual Dinner of British Asian Trust

Indian Philanthropist Natasha Poonawalla has been announced as the Chair of the British Asian Trust's Children's Protection Fund for India, by His Royal Highness Prince Charles of Wales in a recently held event at London. Helmed by the British Asian Trust's India Advisory Council, the Children's Protection Fund for India will work with Sir Chris Hohn and the Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), to develop South Asia's largest anti-trafficking fund.

Founded in 2007 by Royal Patron, Prince Charles in collaboration with eminent British Asian business leaders, The British Asian Trust Fund has been instrumental in combatting child-trafficking, improving livelihoods, and education across the South Asian diaspora.

The British Asian Trust's actionable efforts has aided in yielding astonishing results for 4.8 million children working in forced labour in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Their Child Labour Free Jaipur Initiative has been successful in removing child labour from supply chains and has continuously encouraged child labour free products in markets. The initiative's partnership with the Freedom Fund and the Children's Investment Fund Foundation led to the first three life sentence convictions for child labour offenders in Jaipur.

Announcing its plan for the next five years, The British Asian Trust aims to substantially reduce child trafficking and abuse across India.

Natasha Poonawalla, supporter of the British Asian Trust and Chair of its Children's Protection Fund for India, said, "Last year the British Asian Trust made great progress through their Child Labour Free Jaipur programme. I am pleased to be supporting their ambitious plans for the British Asian Trust Children Protection Fund for India which will serve as another tool in the fight against child trafficking."

The event saw the presence of prominent supporters of the Trust, senior cabinet ministers, global business leaders, Trust Ambassador Katy Perry, The Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP, Secretary of State for Health; His Excellency Mohammad Nafees Zakaria, High Commissioner for Pakistan and Her Excellency Saida Muna Tasneem, High Commissioner for Bangladesh amongst others.

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