Our mission is to end female gendercide in all of India. Nearly 3 million Indian baby girls “go missing” in India each year because of female infanticide (killing of a baby girl after her birth), gender identification abortion, and extreme neglect of a baby girl after her birth so she will perish.The first time I heard this number, I found it overwhelming and hard to believe. It’s a challenge to learn the actual number because of under-reporting by families as well as government agencies. But when you study the sex ratios of living Indian children under three years of age, this is the true number of baby girls missing each year.The driving factor is Indian girls are not valued by many Indian families. They are considered a burden. This thinking is primarily driven by the dowry demand (along with social, economic and religious factors) expected by the husband’s family. On average, it can be 7 to 10 times a family’s annual income.This impacts all Indian families regardless of social or economic status and has been practiced for centuries.So, how do you change this attitude?You need to go to the root of the problem and begin to change the perceived and real economic issues facing many Indian families. This is what our advocate team is presently doing in 50 villages in a district (county) in Tamil Nadu, India. The Rhema Project focuses on prenatal and newborn care issues and builds partnerships with other NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations), hospitals, schools and government agencies to change the cultural mindset of Indian families.We are experiencing amazing results. Within 3 to 5 years we can see a transformation where ALL BABIES regardless of gender are valued. By focusing on our Prenatal & Newborn Care initiative and partnering with others, our cost per village is between $1,200 and $1,500.
We are also teaching and equipping our Community College nursing students to become their respected Prenatal & Newborn Care advocate in their family village. This will allow us to expand our efforts by 25 to 30 additional villages each year!
Here is our plan. Create enough success that others will want to come and see. Openly share our strategies and outcomes with them. Let them take what they want and encourage them to replicate in other parts of India.
To learn more, ask for our White Paper – Prenatal & Newborn Care initiative.
To be part of the solution, we need your financial support. Regardless of the size of your contribution, it will have significant and lasting impact.
Peace!
Dan Blacketor,
Founding Director