India, a country of 1 billion people is soon to pass China in total population. It is
predominately a rural country,  with 70% living in villages. India has been a pioneer in family planning, with public reproductive health programs available since the 1950s.
Even so, its population has doubled in the last 30 years. Over 350 million people live in dire poverty and 400 million are illiterate. The average crop land per person has
shrunk by half since 1960. Rotary Districts 3160 (Guntakal, India) and 6910 (Georgia, USA) joined together on a
WCS Matching Grant project. Along with a Matching Grant from the Rotary Foundation, they funded a mobile medical van to:
- Provide primary health care to villages
- Show videos and perform street plays demonstrating the benefits of Family Planning
- Provide reproductive health care to over 2,000 families
This project has been successful. In addition to providing primary health care
services to the families of the area, the educational programs have allowed 2,000
families to work to improve their lives. Past District Governor Dr. Hari Reddy from D-3160 was directly involved in the project.
He has continued to implement Family Welfare projects in Guntakal. Two years ago,
with a Matching Grant from the Rotary Foundation, Drs. Hari and Indira Reddy (wife),
organized a series of Button Hole Tubectomy Camps in the areas surrounding Guntakal.
The project provided 2000 procedures, and was praised by local government officials and by the project beneficiaries alike.
Additional Tubectomy camps were organized. This time, ten of the Rotary clubs in the
area took on the job of organizing the Camps in their villages. Inner Wheel members
assisted in promoting the Camps among the village ladies and worked in the facilities during the procedures. This time, more than 2,000 procedures were completed in a
10-day period. Whether a poor family has 2 or 15 children has a significant bearing on their ability to be educated and healthy. Testimonial:
"I am Kousalaya Naik. I live by cutting bushes and selling them to brokers. I
was married when I was 12. I am now 20. My husband and I have 5 children. Rotarian Dr.
Hari Reddy and his wife come to us every week. He treats us and our children very well.
They told me and other ladies about an operation for not producing children. We were
invited to see the operation. We were all excited to see it, and accepted to get it done
voluntarily. Now we understand the importance of not having too many children. Dr.
Reddy started a small section of night school for all our ladies. Dr. Reddy asked us to
start studying in the night for one hour. A young man comes here and teaches us how to write and count, so we will not be cheated."
A "tubal ligation" (provided for Kousalaya Naik above) is the preferred method of
family planning in India. Condoms are free from the Indian government, but have less
than 10% use. Other methods are usually only accepted by the upper, educated class.
Poverty, illiteracy, and suspicion prevail among millions - even though there is little religious opposition or taboo connected with Family Planning.
This project is an excellent example of a WCS Project proposed and designed by local
Rotarians, that fits the religious and cultural values of the area, and is accepted by the local community. |
