India, much like Kenya, has a disproportionate percent of children living in extreme poverty. Despite the economic growth India has experienced, the divide between the ‘haves and have nots’ is vast:
- 44% of Indian children under the age of 5 are malnourished
- 34% of the population lives on less than $1 a day
- Only 50% of secondary school-aged girls and 63% of boys are enrolled in secondary school
- Children under 14 constitute around 3.6% of the total labour force in India.
For many years, Free The Children has been building schools and economic sustainability in the Udaipur district in the northern state of Rajasthan, which suffers from many economic and social crisis.
Building sustainability through
the Adopt-a-Village program
Artbound will focus on helping build sustainability in Rajasthan, India through the 4 pillars of Free The Children’s Adopt a Village model.
ACADEMIC & ARTS EDUCATION
Gender inequality in India is a major hurdle. Young girls are limited in their opportunities by being denied access to education and given lower wages for work. The goal is to build schools and provide a full academic and arts education to children who would not otherwise have access.
CLEAN WATER & SANITATION
Lack of safe water and proper sanitation contributes to an increase of preventable diseases and malnutrition. The focus is to drill wells and construct water storage tanks, washing stations and latrines, as well as recharge ground water.
Malnutrition, infant mortality, TB and other common illnesses are widespread. The focus is to leverage both Ayurvedic (ancient Indian medical tradition) and Allopathic (western medical tradition) to provide reactionary and preventative healthcare.
Much is needed that provide women with sustainable programs that break down gender disparity. The focus is to provide productive resources or loans to start a micro- business, hold financial and literacy classes, business skills training, and gender equality work shops for women.