The Islamabad Foreign Women’s Association (IFWA) hosted its annual international food festival on Sunday, drawing culinary offerings from at least 28 countries and raising more than Rs2.5 million ($8,929) to support education and health initiatives for underprivileged women and children in Pakistan.
The event, held in collaboration with Serena Hotels, featured participation from 80 diplomatic missions. Now in its third consecutive year, the festival has become a signature fundraiser for IFWA, a non-political, non-profit organisation founded in 1995 by the spouses of ambassadors posted in Islamabad.
“It is our major fundraising event of the year to support the charities that IFWA supports here [in Pakistan], which are mostly focused on benefiting vulnerable communities of Pakistani society, especially women and children,” said IFWA President Dianne Hawkins, the wife of the Australian High Commissioner.
According to Hawkins, the proceeds will be directed toward initiatives primarily in the education and health sectors. Aziz Bolani, CEO of Serena Hotels, said the event not only raised funds but also served as a platform for cultural diplomacy.
Embassies showcased traditional dishes at their respective stalls, with Moroccan and Egyptian offerings drawing particularly large crowds.
“Today, we are serving Moroccan chicken, Moroccan salads, and one of the main traditional dishes of Morocco, that is typically served every Friday – couscous with vegetables,” Moroccan Ambassador Mohamed Karmoune said. Homemade Moroccan bread, sweets, and tea were also available.
Georg Steiner, the Swiss Ambassador to Pakistan, said he hoped the event would give locals a taste of Switzerland. “We brought along some Swiss food like Rösti [a potato dish], Zürich-style veal, and also some excellent cakes,” Steiner said, adding he had sampled many cuisines. “I think Pakistani food is always wonderful, be it biryani or something else.”
The festival, blending cultural exchange and charitable giving, continues to grow as a unique annual fixture in Islamabad’s diplomatic and philanthropic calendar.