Anuradha Koirala Lights Up Diwali at The Savoy

One Family’s recent Diwali celebration at the Savoy Hotel was made all the more memorable with the attendance of Maiti Nepal’s inspirational founder, Anuradha Koirala.

Having flown in to London especially for the event, Anuradha joined us to help raise awareness and much-needed funds for our collaborative efforts in tackling human trafficking and sexual exploitation in Nepal.

One Family is delighted to be Maiti Nepal’s UK partner, and the evening saw us commemorate Anuradha’s remarkable personal legacy, which first saw her use her own savings to establish a home for trafficking victims. In the 25 years since, Maiti Nepal has gone from strength to strength, and now runs three prevention homes, eleven rescue homes, two hospices and a school. Anuradha’s tireless work has also led to her receiving several important honours, including a Mother Teresa Award, a CNN Heroes Award and India’s fourth highest civilian award, the Padma Shri.

On the night, Anuradha was presented to the audience by actress Laila Rouass and comedian Paul Chowdhry, and unsurprisingly she received a rapt reception from our supporters. Her poignant speech touched everyone in the room and served as a fitting reminder of our shared goal. “We all have this cause in our heart, which we will fight for,” Anuradha said. “My commitment and your commitment should remain the same – that one day we will make this world a society free of human trafficking.”

Other highlights of our Diwali event saw former Boxing Heavyweight Champion of the World David Haye back our trafficking cause and donate an exclusive one-to-one training session at his London gym in our prize auction. Meanwhile, artist and One Family friend San B also donated a spectacular piece to commemorate the 550th anniversary of the birth of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. Studded with 14,000 Swarovski crystals in 12 electrifying shades, the hotly-contested bidding process – led by auctioneer Jonny Gould – was deservedly won by philanthropist and entrepreneur Peter Virdee.

In addition to a delicious banquet prepared by Madhus, musical entertainment came in the form of qawwali and ghazals from Seven Eyes, with vocalist Tanya Wells and guitarist Paulo Vinícius captivating the audience with their eclectic sounds.

One Family wishes to extend heartfelt thanks and gratitude to our headline partners – Hemraj Goyal Foundation – and our event partners, including Aashni & Co, Athena Care Homes, the Amersi Foundation, Tekk Group, Enchanted By Syma, Madhus, Maisha Design and Hallmark Care Homes.

We look forward to celebrating Diwali with all of our friends again in 2020!

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