National
Mandy Moore’s India visit: Assesses services for women in UP
Lucknow: Internationally known actor-singer Mandy Moore, who is currently in India for a cause, was in this Uttar Pradesh capital on Tuesday to assess the progress of family planning products and services for women in lower socio-economic segment of society, an official said on Wednesday.
The global health advocate, who is the global goodwill ambassador of Population Services International (PSI), is in the country to support the NGO’s Gender Based Violence (GBV) Programme Project Wajood.
“I’m here to meet women who lack access to quality family planning services, hear their stories and see what PSI and its partners are doing to provide them with information, counselling, and care necessary to make sound decisions that help them build the families they desire,” 31-year-old Moore said in a statement.
“When women have access to comprehensive health services, preventive care, and treatment, we get stronger families, communities, countries and economies,” added the actress, known for roles in movies such as “Saved”, “Tangled”, “A Walk to Remember” and “The Princess Dairies.
Moore joined PSI in 2008 as an ambassador for its child survival programmes.
Its Wajood programme reaches women and couples in Lucknow, Barabanki, Saharanpur, Bareilly, Varanasi, Mirzapur, Allahabad, Gorakhpur, Kanpur, Agra, Firozabad, Mathura, Aligarh and Bulandshahr.
Moore will spend the week in India to better understand how PSI and its partners are working to improve the health and rights of girls and women by providing comprehensive health solutions that range from access to toilets, screening for cervical cancer, improved access to contraception, and ensuring that women and girls can live lives free from gender-based violence.
Pritpal Marjara, managing director, PSI, India, said: “For more than 25 years, PSI has worked to further the cause of women and girls in India. Our long-standing partnership with the Ministry of Health and the National Health Mission has been central to scaling up our health impact in family planning and improving access.”
“We remain committed to working closely with government and other stakeholders to act as a market facilitator so that women of reproductive age in India can access high-quality family planning choices without financial hardship,” he added.
National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.