Do you have the Power?

I have a friend that was born and raised in India.  She is now a physician, but frequently goes home to help and visit her family and friends.  She told me how she was poor, and had no toys.  Her father would not buy his children toys, because he was saving for their future.  The children would get sticks, rocks, and wood from outside and make figurines.  Those would be her toys.  She lived in a very small house and shared a bed with her siblings until leaving for college.  Based upon her experiences, I have always wondered what was the range of poverty in India.

Doing research about India I read about the following issues:

• 1.3 billion people around the world don't have a way of getting electricity (https://www.unicef.org/socialpolicy/files/Child_Poverty_Insights_TERI_June_2013.pdf). 

• Although 84.9% of villages have a electric line, only 46% of the rural homes have access to electricity (http://indianpowersector.com/home/about/)   

• Indian families use biomass cooking fuel as a way to cook food as a result of no electricity, kerosene, or other resources.  (The fumes generated as a result of burning cause acute respiratory infections, immune deficiencies and low birth weights.)

• Biomass cooking fumes caused around 177,000 deaths under 5 years old. 

So the logical question would be...  Why would you expose your family to the fumes and pollution if you knew that it could hurt you family?

I am guessing that their logical answer would be..... Hopefully eat today and worry about dying later.

Its hurtful to see a person suffer like that.  So I thought to myself, what can we do to help.

• Find charities that would help in sending the appropriate cooking mechanisms such as kerosene, candles, wood, etc.  

• Partner with the Minister of Power to fund projects to access power to the electric lines

• Educate communities on how to generate their own power 

I am out of ideas to eliminate the issue. However I do know that all it takes is one idea to start a ripple effect of change.  

Resources
https://www.unicef.org/socialpolicy/files/Child_Poverty_Insights_TERI_June_2013.pdf
http://indianpowersector.com/home/about/