Philanthropist and businesswoman Rajashree ji , through her group, Aditya Birla Group, has just in the past made yet another gift of USS1 million to Rotary to help eradicate polio.
The gift brings her total contributions to the Rotary’s effort to more than US $16 Million .
This gift will be matched two-for-one by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, resulting in $3 million in new funding for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). Rotary is a leading partner in the GPEI, especially in advocating government and donor support, fundraising, and building awareness.
RajashreeJi’s generous gift is deeply appreciated and could not have come at a more opportune time in our fight to end polio once and for all. Her generosity no doubt will inspire other private donors to step up and help Rotary take full advantage of our innovative partnership with the Gates Foundation.
Birla’s gift underscores India’s commitment to remain polio free. India –which some experts believed would be the last nation to beat polio – hasn’t recorded a case of the disease since January 2011.
“Now we owe it to humanity to see that Afghanistan, and Pakistan also become polio free in near future,” says RajashreeJi.