Field Report – Impact of Vegetable Garden

I must admit there are days where it seems that we are not doing enough to help change a culture that accepts the killing of 2 to 3.5 million girl babies each year as “normal.”

Then I receive a field report from Rajendran – one of our key partners and a good friend. He and his dedicated staff are on the front line each day. They hear the stories. They witness the subtle changes that has caused this village to stop killing their daughters.

In February (2011) we installed a drip irrigation test garden on the school property. We wanted to see if we could introduce a new way of farming. To grow a few vegetables during a time a year (no rain) where no one was farming.

Most days the school children would only get a small portion of low quality rice and just enough curry to cover its bad taste. They would then choke down a cup of “salty” water.

Here are their stories of a new found hope. A vision for a better tomorrow.

Testimony by the cook Pandiammal:
I am working in the school for past 20 years. I have never cooked food for the children with this much vegetables. Many years back, correspondent (Late) Subburayar used to provide one free meal in a year to the villagers. Only on that day I have seen vegetables in the food. But now we are cooking the meal with lot of vegetables. Children are eagerly eating the meal. Previously everyone in the village used to scold us for providing substandard food, now they have stopped scolding us.

Assistant cook Pappa:
The government is giving only 32 cents every day to buy spices, wood and vegetables. It is not possible to cook good meal with this amount. Therefore we were forced to cook substandard food for the children even though we don’t want to do. Now because of your service to the school we are able to provide good food to the children.

Maripandi – student (class V)
Before I never used to eat rice more because the food won’t be tasty, and there will not be vegetables in the curry. Now because of the garden, plenty of vegetables are there in our meal. So the meal is tasty and I am eating fully, therefore when I am not hungry anymore. I have good strength to play games after school.

Azhakarsami – student (Class IV)
Previously we used drink dirty water from the open tank and eat unhealthy food, so I used to be sick often. Sometimes there will not be any water, and then we used to go to the neighboring village to wash our plates and drink water. Now because of you we have clean water and good food. Thank you.

Navetha –Student (Class III)
I am eating the noon meal so much now because they are putting lot of vegetables in our meal. My mother is asking me to bring some vegetables from the garden, as it has so much.

Ramar – head master, Kethuvarpatti school:
Previously whenever we had function in the school, since we don’t have electricity in our school, we used take from neighbor’s motor room. They used to scold us for this. Now through your project, we have electricity in our school. You have lightened our life. The kitchen building, garden and bore has immensely helped our children. Thank you so much for what you do.

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. (James 1:27 NTL)

Two years ago Phillip decided to start a church in his home town and resigned his position with World Relief. This meant leaving a good and reliable income that provide for his family to a calling that gave him no income or security. But Phillip knew he needed to reach his family, friends and neighbor and share his faith with them. He learned about an organization called Life Mission India that was helping teach and equip men and women to how to start and lead churches. He was accepted into their training program.

Last spring I was talking with Raj of Aroma Ministries and founder of Life Mission India if he knew of someone that could help us oversee or initiatives in Rhema’s village. He shared that he knew of a man in a nearby village that had recently completed the first module of training and knew he had worked at World Vision.

Unlike America most India pastors are bi-vocational. Many work another job during the day so that they can share their faith during the evenings and on the weekends.

So, we hired him to help lead and oversee our efforts in Rhema’s village. Each morning, Phillip jumps on his motorcycle and travels the 10 kilometers to this village. Twelve months ago before Phillip arrive the lives of 35 and 50 baby girls were lost each year. Today that number is almost zero!

Phillip has lead the way with our water projects, our school and kitchen renovations, our prenatal and newborn care initiatives, taking our village census and leading the discussion on how we will use agricultural development to not only stabilize this village financially but so that the village can own the cultural change that values the lives of females.

It is no coincidence that Phillip is from the same caste as most families from Rhema’s village. Phillip understands how they think and they respect him immensely. Our job is not done yet but Phillip is clicking off metrics at a speed that is amazing to watch.

Pastor Phillip’s home church continues to grow and thrive. Hopefully, in part because he is able to live out the gospel each day not only in his home town but a small village just 10 kilometers down a dusty road.

I believe there are people just like Phillip all over South India and they are the key to how we are going to bring value, hope and opportunity to the girl child and end the practice of female infanticide.

Friends, it is going to happen and I am asking you to be a part of it! Link to “How Can I Help” and be a part of something worthy of your time and effort.

Last month we were given the opportunity to help construct a hostel for pastors attending Life Mission India’s pastor training program. In the last 7 years under the leadership of Rajendran director of Life Mission India nearly 1,000 pastors have been trained on how to start and grow a church throughout southern India. Each quarter pastors return to learn how they can become better equipped on how to not only grow their church but become an agent for change within their village or community.

Over 100 of these pastors come from the Salem and Madurai districts where the highest concentration of female infanticide and gender identification feticide is occurring within the Hindu communities in all of Tamil Nadu, India.

Because of the teachings in the Bible and the Koran both Christians and Muslims do not practice the killing of their girl babies – Hindu teaching is somewhat silent about the life a girl child causing the vast majority of killings to occur within these communities. However, faith is only one of the many factors that leads to the death of between 1.5 and 3.5 million girl babies in India each year.

Consequently, these pastors when educated and equipped can become the agents of change within their neighborhoods, villages and cities – to become missional in their message by teaching their neighbors the value of the girl child, by bringing pre- and post natal care to Hindu women, by equipping their church families to become foster parents to unwanted girl babies, by being the church 24/7 not just on Sunday afternoon for a few hours.

Two years ago we wandered into a small village and celebrated the life of a newborn baby girl with the name Rhema and a small financial gift of less than $8.00 USD. It was the spark the ignited this cause. It is our hope and prayer that through this small financial gift of a borewell, kitchen and hostel will light a fire in hundreds of villages in Tamil Nadu that will directly lead to the rescue of thousands of girl babies and the changing of a cultural attitude toward the girl child.

Earlier this week we were able to spend several days in a small village outside Madurai, India. The Rhema Project partnered with Aroma Ministries to dig a new 400 foot deep bore-well that will provide fresh drinking water to the school and villagers. A new school kitchen was also build and the renovation took place at the school.
Kethuvarpatti School Girls Dancing

It amazes me to see the talent and abilities of these children. The teacher told me that they had only practiced a couple of times before the performance. I always come away with the belief that OPPORTUNITY is most times the only real thing they lack to make a better life for themselves. Their passion for learning is inspiring to me.

Better days are ahead of the people of Kethuvarpatti. Because we were willing to help the village president wanted to partner with The Rhema Project and gave us a piece of land (for future micro business) and a building for a community center. Next week Pastors Phillip and Malar with be visiting each family to take a survey of how together we can make a difference in the lives of these 120 families as well as their unborn daughters. By building economic opportunities and educating the families on the value of the girl child, female infanticide could become a past memory in this village where Rhema was born!

Early this week we were in the village of Athipatti where The Rhema Project had drilled a bore-well that would provide fresh drinking water to the people of this village. The pastor of Athipatti organized a ribbon cutting celebration that included music, hot chai and biscuits (wafer cookies). After the ceremony ended we began to walk through the village and the mother of these two girls came up to us and begged me to take her daughters with me to America.

She kept telling us that “she had no food, no opportunity, no hope her two daughters would have a life worth living – please, please take them!” My head tells me I can’t even consider her request. Even if it was legal, they have no passport, no birth certificate, no ID. My heart screams “you have two spare bedrooms that you never ever really use – each bigger than their entire house. You have 20 people right now that you could call in America that would also provide them a loving home.” But you can’t.

The discrimination of the India girl child does not end if she is lucky enough not to be aborted in the third trimester (feticide) or killed shortly after birth (infanticide). In many parts of India it will follow her the rest of her life and then she will have daughters and the cycle will continue.

Education, economic opportunity and faith are their only hope of a better tomorrow. For about $30 (USD) per month we can break this cycle in one girl’s life. For about $25,000 the support system can be built to transform an entire village. We have a team already in place in India (Philip, Malar, Prema, Raj and Pastor John). When we launch small micro businesses the cost even goes lower because now they have a source of income.

As we walked to the car to leave my two friends and their mother followed us. They were ready to leave and their mother was ready to say good bye to them forever. Again we had to tell them they could not go but had to stay. What were they thinking? My prayer is that somehow they will know hope is on its way to Athipatti. My hope is that people will hear their story and be moved beyond head knowledge.

India bound on Thursday. We are working with Aroma Ministries in southern India near Madurai. The families in this village practice female infanticide. Each year 35 to 45 girl babies are not given the chance to live. Sadly, this is not an isolated incident and occurs village after village to approximately 1.5 million each year!

When I think of the magnitude of this issue I think back to when President Kennedy challenged not only the nation but each of us when he shared his vision to have an American be the first to step on the moon. To a young boy this was exciting to dream about but could it even be possible? Then, several years later I remember watching a fuzzy, black and white image of Neil Armstrong taking a step on the moon and uttering these words “One Small Step for Man… One Giant Step for Mankind!”

Two years ago when I first was confronted with the magnitude of this problem I had no clue how to even begin. Then it happened.

1. We visited this village, named a newborn baby girl (Rhema) and celebrated her birth with a small financial gift (about $8).
2. We emersed ourselves into learning more.
3. We partnered with people who knew more and had a closer connection (Aroma Ministries).
4. We determined the best next step was to drill a well and fix a school.
5. We told others. They gave.
6. The day the well was being drilled two baby girls were born. The parents did not know why but felt compelled not to kill their daughters even though they believed they did not have the means to care for them.
7. They brought the girls to the workers who called the pastor that was overseeing the work. Foster homes were found.
8. We know this village must “own” and partner if we have any hope in changing its culture. Micro business is a key but we have little money (micro credit) and no land or building.
9. Village President gave us a field for micro business and building for community center/medical clinic.
10. Next week I have a chance to spend 5 days in this village to celebrate the few steps we have taken and to dream about the future.

Most days I still need to squint to see if what I am seeing is real. Our dream to end female infanticide seems so far away from reality.

But just like President Kennedy believed it was possible that man could walk on the moon, I believe that someday soon no little girl’s life will end just because she was born female. She will be given the chance to live – to grow – to thrive… to one day possibly even lead her nation as India’s Ambassador to America, or maybe, the Prime Minister or President of India. Is it even possible?

Time to wake up. Time to stop dreaming and start doing. Time to take our next step.

I encourage you to follow along.

This is a well meaning question posed often to me as The Rhema Project continues to fund the drilling of new wells or the filtration of existing ones to provide reliable, fresh, clean drinking water to villages and field partners in India.

I believe they are really asking this – “How does good drinking water stop the killing of 1.2 million baby girls each year in India?” It is a great question, especially coming from a western worldview that water is essentially a commodity. Turn on the tap in your kitchen and most of us our set.

People can survive 3 to 8 days without water but in rural India, especially in southern India where daytime temperatures can reach over 120 degrees and access to any water is limited at best, a reliable water source is essential for all life.

So from a macro viewpoint, drilling a 500 foot bore well in a village provides TRP with;

1. Immediate creditability within the entire village.
2. Families quickly move from daily survival to a sustaining attitude.
3. Improved health standards for the entire village – including the girls.

From a young girls perspective, a well immediately removes the “domino effect” that causes her to loose hope of finding self-worth or be given any value as a person. A village well provides her with;

1. A Chance for Life. While still in her mother’s womb if her mother has adequate and good drinking water the baby girl’s chance for surviving her birth increases significantly.
2. A Chance for Health. The majority of deaths of young girls is the direct result of preventable water-born illnesses that are typically left untreated when you are a girl child. So, if a girl survives her first few years she has;
3. A Chance for Education. Since she does not need to walk 2 to 5 miles to carry water back home she can stay in school.
4. A Chance for Economic Opportunity. Every year a girl is able to stay in school past the 6th standard her income earning potential will increase by 25%, the age she will be married is delayed and the number of children she will have will decrease by nearly 30%.
5. A Chance to Change Culture. When a woman is given an opportunity to earn an income she will reinvest her earnings back into the care and education of her children giving them a greater opportunity and raising the value of both her sons and daughters.

Cultural beliefs, habits and patterns are difficult to change. Many times, any small hurdle becomes a virtual road block to change. A reliable bore well in a rural village that provides good drinking water eliminates many of the reasons “not to change.”

So when I share that an investment of $1500 to $2000 USD to drill a 500 ft. bore well in villages in southern India will provide an entire village with reliable, fresh drinking water, many friends now share “Why Not Water!”