India has a population of over 1 billion people, annually increasing by around 1.9% - or 19 million people per annum. 16% of the world’s population lives in India, although it has only 2.4% of the world’s land mass.
21.12% of the population lives under the poverty line. There are an estimated 110 million child labourers in the country, despite there being seven pieces of legislation that make the practice illegal. HIV infections are rapidly increasing with an estimated 5.1 million children and adults living with the disease in 2003.
The number of HIV cases in the country increased by an estimated 500,000 in 2003 alone. In 2001, the number of AIDS orphans in India was already estimated at 1.2 million.
Poverty rates in the southern state of Tamil Nadu are on a par with national figures. The first case of HIV infection in India was diagnosed among sex workers in Chennai, Tamil Nadu in 1986 and has been spreading rapidly since.
By mid 2003, 45% of India’s reported cases of HIV/AIDS were in Tamil Nadu, although it only has 6% of the country’s population. Research indicates that in this state the disease has spread from high risk groups to the general population and is considered to be a genuine epidemic.
In India the Foundation supports development and emergency relief projects conducted under the auspices of St Joseph's Development Trust, a multi-faceted Lasallian welfare and development agency, and other development and relief projects of the De La Salle Brothers Delegation of India, all based in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.
Meet one of the beneficiaries of a women's micro-credit scheme funded by the Foundation:
Project Spotlight
St Joseph’s Development Trust (SJDT) was established in 1974 with the creation of Boys Village, a home for orphaned, destitute and abandoned boys.
Since then, and particularly in the last 10 years, it has expanded its activities into a multi-faceted rural village development program, targeting the poorest and most in need.
The philosophy of SJDT is not to foster a traditional hand-out development mentality, but to empower villagers to create their own solutions, and maximise their own resources. The range of programs conducted include:-
• residential facilities for orphaned, destitute and abandoned children
• residential and rehabilitation centre for disabled chidren
• Balwadi child care centres for under 5's
• tuition centres for older children
• health programs in villages
• economic programs to assist villagers to build their own economic capacity, creation of
business. and job opportunities and family assets
• programs for street and working children
• micro-finance and political and social empowerment programs for women
• aged care programs
• assistance for physically and intellectually disabled children
SJDT's New Dawn program for special needs children has been recognised by the Tamil Nadu Government as a leading education and health initiative.
