Outreach Locations:
Our current projects are in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamilnadu in India, and Ciudad Victoria in Mexico.
About India
India is home to a population of 1.21 billion people, over 40% of whom live below the international poverty line (living on less than $1.25 per day). Of the current global population of 6.91 people, 1.1 billion people worldwide live in extreme poverty and India represents fully 1/3 of that staggering figure. With such a concentration of need, India marks an important focal point of High Hill’s outreach programs.
Poverty in India results in a range of socio-economic concerns which we at High Hills seek to address:
Neglect
Neglect, especially of children and women, occurs in varying forms. The total number of orphans in India is approximately 25 million. Yet only about 3,000 of these are adopted each year. Besides adoption there exists in India no form of government organized foster care, therefore orphanages maintained by non-government and religious organizations are crucial for giving care and education to these children.
Women have been traditionally regarded as inferior to men and so their status as individuals is often precarious. Widows and unmarried or deserted women are especially vulnerable and often made outcast and destitute.
Exploitation and Abuse
20 to 65 million men, women and children in India are forced into a perpetual status as bonded laborers. Children are frequently sold by poor parents into labor under exploitative owners of factories and farms, and the period of their virtual enslavement can last as long as a lifetime.
The number of people forced into prostitution in India is approximately 15 million, and about 20% of them are children. The children of sex workers are ostracized and most often forced to remain in the trade themselves.
Because of cultural institutions like dowry (the price for a husband) and social stigmas which prevent women from contributing to their households or the wider economy, women tend to be regarded as a liability. One result of this is the ongoing practice of female infanticide.
Disease
Poor living conditions result in a general lack of hygiene and nourishment for many people. HIV/AIDS affects all sections of the Indian population. Besides treatment and prevention, rehabilitation of the victims of disease is a crucial and sometimes complex need. AIDS victims particularly are stigmatized and frequently denied employment opportunities, making their total rehabilitation enormously difficult.
Unequal Economic Growth
Although India has made huge strides in economic development in recent years, the progress has not been equal, and the gap between rich and poor remains wide. While the standard of living has improved for many, especially among urban and educated sections of the population, each year millions of Indians who are less advantaged enter a work force which the country’s economy is still struggling to sustain. The growth of the labor force is 2.5% in a year, while growth of employment is 2.3% a year. Education and specific programs for vocational training therefore remain crucial needs in India.
