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Where we do it > India
| Population: |
1.08 billion |
| Capital city: |
New Delhi |
| GDP per capita: |
$3,139 |
| HDI ranking: |
126 out of 177 countries * |
| Life expectancy: |
63 |
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* The UNDP Human Development Index (HDI) measures a country's achievements
in terms of life expectancy, educational attainment and adjusted real income.
Country backgroundVSO India volunteers work in the areas of disability, HIV and AIDS, and participation and governance, mainly in the Eastern states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal and in the administrative centres of Delhi and Chennai.
Most of India's 70 million disabled people suffer unequal access to education, employment, and justice and are often excluded from the political processes. For example, although the average national enrolment rate is 56%, only 8% of India’s disabled children are in full-time education, and unemployment for disabled people is over 99%, compared to the national average of 8%. VSO volunteers are working with organisations run by and for disabled people to raise awareness of their rights and the issues affecting them, and advocating for necessary changes in access to public services.
In comparison to Africa rates of HIV & AIDS infection in India are still low, below 1%. However, the actual numbers of women and men living with HIV and AIDS is estimated to be in the region of 5 million, a figure that ranks India the highest in the world. Although vulnerable groups such as sex workers and intravenous drug users still make up the majority of known infections, HIV and AIDS is now spreading among the general population. Discrimination is a significant issue in India and there are many reports of children being refused entrance to school, adults being dismissed from jobs, and people being disowned by their family and communities or refused proper medical care. Fear of discrimination is one of biggest barriers to controlling the spread of HIV because it deters women and men from finding out or declaring their status or seeking suitable care and treatment. Volunteers are working with organisations that raise awareness, campaign for the rights of people living with HIV and AIDS, and offer appropriate care and treatment.
Caste remains an important issue in India, greatly influencing people’s access to education and employment. The children of dalits (the lowest caste) and adivasis (tribal people) are much less likely to go to school than others and often comprise the majority of those in child labour. The low status of women in India is reflected in a literacy rate of 46% for females compared to 69% for males.
Volunteers working in participation and governance are working with Panchayati Raj Institutions (Panchayati Raj is the traditional form of self governance for villages and gained constitutional status in 1993) and civil society organisations to support them in representing and being accessible to people from all sections of the communities that they represent.
Volunteers in India typically fall into two broad categories: the majority are organisational development professionals and management advisers, with a few specialist health roles. Placements focussing on organisational development include: strategic planning; research; management advice; human resource development; establishment of administrative systems; financial planning, management and accounting; communications and advocacy. Specialist health activities includes rehabilitation roles such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy and community-based rehabilitation advice for organisations working with disabled people, as well as care and treatment and support services such as counselling for organisations working for people living with HIV &AIDS.
Since 2004 VSO has been recruiting professionals from India to volunteer in other developing countries through its partner iVolunteer.
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India: Programme Summaries |
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