Lotus Petal Foundation celebrates inclusion and diversity with an empowering event to commemorate Pride Month 2023

New Delhi [India], July 1: Lotus Petal Foundation, a leading institution committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse community today hosted its highly anticipated event, ‘Celebrating Pride & Inclusivity’ at Lotus Petal Senior Secondary School at Dhunela (Gurugram), aimed at celebrating the spirit of inclusivity and diversity during Pride Month.

The event proved to be an enlightening and empowering experience for the 200+ workforce across all the verticals of Lotus Petal Foundation. This one-of-its-kind event was designed to honor and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, promoting awareness, understanding, and acceptance amongst the staff, and the wider school community. The panel discussion explored a range of topics, such as the importance of inclusive education, promoting acceptance, and the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in society.

Kushal Chakraborty, Founder, Lotus Petal Foundation shared, “In our journey of #Changinglives, One Child At A Time, through engaging in an open conversation, the institution aims to bridge gaps of understanding and nurturing a culture of acceptance and support at the workplace & all their campuses. Today was an inspiring and eye-opening conversation around the issues of the LGBTQ+ community. At Lotus Petal we work with all age groups from children, to teenagers, young adults, and adults. We will take affirmative action to make our entire organization more inclusive and be the change we wish to see in society”.

The esteemed panel was moderated by Co-Founder & Chief Transformation Officer, Saloni Bhardwaj, Key panelists included Maya Awasthy, Co-founder of Transgender Welfare Equity and Empowerment Trust (Tweet Foundation), Dr Kavita Arora, Co-Founder of Children First, a dedicated Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist & Kushal Chakravorty, Founder & Managing Trustee of Lotus Petal Foundation.

“For a school to take up this initiative is a big step. When the right to diversity & respect is introduced in children early with an intent to create equality, to respect there is no better place than school. Inclusion is not just about education, it’s in the minds of the individuals”, said Dr Kavita Arora, Co-Founder of Children First, a dedicated Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist while speaking at the forum.

Saloni Bhardwaj, Co-Founder & CTO, Lotus Petal Foundation added “To create a wholesome inclusive workplace it is very important for us to create awareness, as only after awareness will there be acceptance. Since we are a school it’s most important for us to create a sense of empathy in our teachers & academic staff where such cases can be identified. Lotus Petal Foundation believes in creating an all-encompassing, diverse & inclusive workplace”

Maya Awasthy, Co-founder of Transgender Welfare Equity and Empowerment Trust (Tweet Foundation), added “This has been a very innovative forum for me as it is for the first time I witnessed a campaign of this sort at a school level. This needs to be taken to various schools so that children can identify a safe space around them to come out in the open with the help of academic staff & counselors”.

The event created an empowering dialogue on How can schools effectively respond to instances of bullying or discrimination targeting LGBTQ+ students, what strategies can be employed to sensitize students, particularly those from underserved communities, about LGBTQ+ issues and foster acceptance in schools, How does an institution prepare, confront & promote inclusivity among students, How does an institution address bullying & harassment & take steps to prevent it and more.

Lotus Petal Sr. Secondary School promoted by Lotus Petal Foundation, India, is a non-profit organization founded in 2011 to provide equal opportunities for underprivileged children living in the urban slums of Gurugram, Haryana, India. The Foundation has over 10 years of grassroots-level expertise in handling challenges faced by underprivileged children and transforming their lives through education.