Our work in India

Overview

While India is listed among the middle-income countries of the world, it is common to see sprawling slum dwellings near wealthy residential and business centres. India actually has one of the highest levels of poverty in South Asia (based on income, education, health and a number of other factors). Social divisions, frequent disasters and a lack of sustainable income opportunities add to a growing problem of income disparity.

India is highly susceptible to natural disasters like earthquakes and floods and it is one of the countries most affected by climate change.

Our work in India

Our local partners are working with communities to help them develop sustainable sources of food and income. Farmers are trained in new skills to help them adapt to changing weather patterns and the effects of climate change and disasters. This means that people have access to sufficient nutritious food all year round, even in times of crisis.

Thousands of people have benefited from joining small scale community savings groups known as self-help groups. These groups reduce dependency on moneylenders and enable people to overcome poverty and hunger. The groups encourage members to set up small businesses and link them to local markets to help them sell their produce.

Through our local partners, we have helped set up disaster management committees within disaster-prone villages across various states in the country. These committees improve the community’s capacity to respond and recover when disasters like earthquakes or floods strike.

Tearfund is committed to reducing child trafficking and is working with a local partner organisation and a network of other agencies to do so. Communities have been equipped to resist the advances of traffickers through raising awareness of the dangers, the formation of vigilance groups, and economic empowerment.