Grameen Vikas Santhsa
Location: Uttar Pradesh, India
Spokesperson: Hakum
About the project
Grameen Vikas Santhsa was established in 1989, and has been part of Sponsor a Grandparent since 1998, It aims to bring about a lasting improvement in the living standards of those older people, people with disabilities, women and children, through its education, welfare and development projects.
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Who it helps
Many of the older people who benefit from this project have been abandoned or mistreated as they posed a financial burden to their families. Those who do live with a relative, may still not have enough to eat or sufficient money to live on. Many of the grandparents are uneducated and unskilled, having spent their years working as farmers or labourers. A job their aging bodies are no longer able to tolerate.
This project currently directly helps 50 older people but indirectly benefits many more. Aid to a grandparent has been shown to help their children and grandchildren who may also be struggling.
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How it helps
The project initially meets the grandparents’ most immediate needs, by providing food, clothing, shelter and medical help. On a long term basis it looks to invest in more sustainable income generation programmes, such as goat rearing. Goats provide milk which improves nutrition and offspring that can be sold to provide income. The project also provides small loans, community farming programmes and a day centre where older people can meet.
A key part of this project is to integrate older people within their wider community to involve them in key decision making. This helps to restore their dignity and earn the respect from the younger generation.
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Project spokesperson
Hakum grew up in Uttar Pradesh in abject poverty. He was born with club feet, or Talipes, a disability which meant he was unable to walk without assistance. He was neglected and abused by most of his family and was not sent to school. In spite of this, he took his own initiative and became a tailor at the age of fourteen. With this trade and the assistance of his brother, he was able to get by. But as he aged, he struggled in competition of other tailors and continued suffered harassment from people within the community. His life became increasing difficult.
After the death of his brother, Hakum only had Sponsor a Grandparent to rely on. The programme provided him with basic necessities such as food and medicine, but also with a new sewing machine that has allowed him to restart his business and reestablish himself. Hakum is now earning an income and his business has grown so much he has taken on an apprentice.
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Country information
Country: India
Size: 3.2 million km2
Population: 1.1 billion
Capital: New Delhi
Language: There are 15 official languages and hundreds of regional dialects, but Hindi is the most widely spoken language.
Climate: The climate here is harshly diverse. The poor can die of extreme cold in winter and the overwhelming heat in summer. More vulnerable regions also suffer from drought and floods.
Religion: Officially India is secular with the majority of the population being Hindi but with many Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists and Christians.
Literacy: In India just 61% of adults are literate compared with 99% in the UK. Only 48% of Indian women are literate compared with 73% of men.
Older people in India
In 2002, over 81 million people were over the age of 60. This number is expected to go up to 324 million by the year 2050. Currently one third of these people live below the poverty line and the amount of older people living in poverty is expected to rise.
Poverty
India still has the world’s largest number of poor people in a single country. With a population of over a billion, it’s estimated that 350-400 million are below the poverty line. 75% of these people live in rural areas, where they have little chance of escaping poverty. Life is particularly hard for impoverished older women, particularly those who are widows. Given their low rank in society, their inability to work can mean they have little chance of surviving on their own.
Health
Life for older people becomes increasingly worse with age as they become plagued by chronic health problems. Unfortunately, there is no equivalent to the comprehensive British National Health Service in India, and older people are often excluded from basic health care services because of their age. Those living in rural areas have little or no access to health services and the risk of severe illness in India is high. Bacterial diarrhoea, hepatitis A and E, typhoid fever, dengue fever, malaria, rabies and Japanese encephalitis are rife in many locations and their healthcare system just can’t cope with such chronic diseases. Life expectancy for Indians is between 60 and 61 years, and only 4% of the population is over the age of 65.
Disaster
Monsoon season lasts from June to September in South Asia, and this regularly brings flooding. But 2007 has witnessed some of the worst floods in living memory. Millions of people in India were affected and thousands more were killed as the heavy rains and flooding took their toll. Entire villages were left either marooned or completely under water - and it was reported that younger people fled, leaving the older family members to their fate. Hospitals were inundated with victims suffering serious waterborne diseases, such as diarrhoea, dysentery, fever and cholera. While hospitals rapidly filled up and as houses were literally washed away, the homeless were forced to set up makeshift tarpaulin shelters on higher ground. Prior to the floods, the 2004 tsunami ravaged coastal communities and killed thousands. Once again, older people were the most vulnerable, and were forgotten or left behind in plans for recovery and rehabilitation.
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