Overcoming Obstacles to Education – Little Stars School
Although education in India is considered to be a right for all, schooling is still out of reach for many children from poor families throughout the country. This is the case for many children living in the slums in the city of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, which is found in the north of India. Poor families […]
The Millennium Development Goals – Heading towards 2015
In the year 2000, all the world’s countries came together and agreed to make a commitment to ending poverty and improving the well-being of the poor and marginalized around the world. They decided on a set of 8 goals, which they hoped would be achieved over 15 years, by 2015. These goals are: Goal 1: […]
India: 64 Years After Independence, Gandhi Still Inspires Peaceful Change
August 15th is Independence Day in India, a national holiday. This year, 2011, marked the 64th anniversary of the termination of British authority and the beginning of self-government for that country. The Indian Independence Act, which provided for Partition of India and Pakistan, was signed in August of 1947, with India and Pakistan becoming two […]
Why Partnership Matters
Save A Family Plan’s work in India is guided by the vision of “partnering with the poor for a just world”. This is really more than just a mission statement; it says a lot about the relationships that Save A Family Plan (SAFP) has with the recipients of its programs. Partnership implies that all the […]
Corruption – An Obstacle to India’s Development
Recent protests in India have brought attention to a serious issue that threatens the country’s potential for development – the problem of corruption. Corruption is a deeply rooted issue that penetrates all levels of government and directly affects a great number of people in India. On a large scale, there are reports of individuals and […]
Helping the Poorest
Micro-credit is hailed by many as a “magic bullet” with the potential to eradicate poverty and empower women, and providing the poor with access to affordable credit has become a central plank in development strategies. Important research is emerging, however, which suggests that the “poorest of the poor” are under-represented in micro-credit programs. For example, […]
Stories from the Field – A Visit to Kerala
Cavorting emus. Have you ever seen emus cavort? If you visit Aiswaryagram, SAFP India’s headquarters and agricultural training and research centre, and farm, you may. I did as I looked out my bedroom window one afternoon. You will see cows, pigs, horses, monkeys, chickens, ducks and nearly every farm animal you can think of, including […]
Sharing in Success – Our Tsunami Families
On December 26th, 2004, the south-east coast of India was hit by a killer tsunami. The massive waves, which were said to have been higher than the tops of the palm trees, took many people living in the costal areas completely by surprise and caused the loss of an estimated 18,000 lives in India. Of […]