Last month we had the privilege of meeting Rahda and hearing her story. Each morning she rises and awakens her daughter so that they can both do their daily chores around her parents home.

Then Rahda jumps on her bicycle and rides her daughter to her school before riding 30 minutes to Bethel Community College. At 3:30 PM she rides back to her daughter’s school just in time to meet her as school ends for the day.

Next month Rahda will start her field work at a local hospital and in June will earn her degree as a nursing assistant. At that time she will have the opportunity to work at a hospital or local health clinic and earn up to 3 times as much as should could in the textile factory.

Watch her tell her amazing story of courage and determination here.

In this one small village where many baby girls are killed shortly after their birth The Rhema Project is implementing a short-term (Prenatal & Newborn Care/Foster Care) programs with long-term initiatives (Education/Economic Opportunity).

Our first step was to drill a bore-well. Not only did the well provide fresh, clean drinking water but it “took away” the excuse for parents not sending their daughters to the local school. If your daughter needs to walk to another village to fill a water jug she can not attend school. The village well simply allows her to complete her task in a few minutes instead of several hours – giving her time to attend school.

Recently we celebrated the graduation of 5 girls from the village school that provides education through the 5th standard (5th grade). These girls had two options. First, stop their formal education and probably be married in the next few years. Or, find a way to continue their education that was available in a nearby village approximately 5 miles away.

A brand new bicycle now only celebrates her achievements but encourages her to continue her education.

Education has both an intrinsic worth but a practical financial value. Education allows her to understand who she is and gives her skills that can be used in the marketplace. Every year a girl is able to attend school in India increases her annual earning power by 15 to 20%. Completing high school doubles her income.

She’s the Change We Wish to See in India!

Final prep day before the team jumps on a 24 hour plane ride to Chennai. One of the joys of traveling to India is experiencing the joy of the children. The laugh, sing, play and constantly want to engage you in conversation and play.

Most times their play toys are either a couple of sticks or a game of chase. They do not seem to see the hardships or obstacles they will face. They smile when they have not eaten all day. They sing when they hurt from loosing their closest friend. In some places little girls have no sisters – killed at birth because their families believe girls have no value.

Our mission is to bring life, value and opportunity to the Indian girl child. To be a catalyst that triggers a culture to change from within. Our prayer is the the joy of life seen in these kids from Kalavai will become the norm for all of their lives.

She was a girl who arrived when
everyone else was expecting a boy.
So since she was such a disappointment
to her parents,
to her immediate family,
to her tribe,
nobody thought of recording her birth.
She was so insignificant.
— Buchi Emecheta

Question? Could hydroponic gardening and aquaponic raising of fish be a solution to end female infanticide and feticide in India?

Two of the driving factors that cause families to make the decision to end the lives of their daughters is lack of enough food to feed their family causing a slow but sure starvation and the long-term belief their family will be subjugated to bonded labor when they borrow money for their daughter’s dowry.

In 2010 it has been estimated that it takes approximately $1.25 (USD) per day to purchase food needed to survive. In many villages in southern India a male day laborer will earn about $1.00 (USD) for a day’s work and a women will earn between 50 and 70% of this amount for similar work. So, what does a family of do when they do not earn enough money to feed themselves when a daughter is born?

If they do make the right but difficult decision to not kill their newborn daughter how can they save enough money to pay the bride price of up to 10 times their family’s annual income?

Hydroponics (growing of plants using mineral nutrient in solutions, in water, without the use of soil) has been an option since the early 1970′s and has provided viable solutions for areas where soil quality is limited.

Aquaponics is the simultaneous cultivation of plants and aquatic animals in a symbiotic environment where the animal effluents that accumulate in the water are used and filtered out by the plants as nutrients, after which the water is recirculated back to the animals.

Step in Russell, a successful farmer from Peru, Indiana. His interest is to raise Tilapia fish for a commercial sale.

Raising fish in the basement. Veggies on the main floor and add a greenhouse roof to keep the heat in so you could raise fish year round in Indiana.

Russell is more interested in raising fish for profit. The hydroponic side is primarily to filter, purify and oxidize the water so it will not become toxic and kill his cash crop. He has taken vertical farming to a whole new level.

So, what might happen if we could adapt this blend of hydroponic gardening and aquaponic fish raising to India? A village could not only provide its families with food to meet its own needs but it could become a viable business operation that could employ several village families. And then, hundreds of villages in southern India would be filled with the sounds of girls singing, laughing and living again.

I feel a plan coming together! Thanks Russell!!!

The Rhema Project funded scholarships for 20 women (aged 17 to 35) to earn a Nursing Assistant Degree at Bethel Community College. Two of the critical keys to eliminating female infanticide (killing girl baby after birth) and gender identification feticide (abortion in 3rd trimester because of sex of fetus) are education and economic opportunity. These 20 women are gaining both and it will change not only their lives but their family’s lives forever.

Once a student has completed the twelve month nurse training program each graduate is guaranteed a job at a local hospital. Their income will not only increase two and sometimes three fold but will be consistent and reliable thus allowing their family to break free from many of the factors that keep them impoverished.

I had the opportunity to talk with several of the students and hear their stories. On of the older students was a mother of two from a near by village. Her marriage was arranged when she was 15 and their family’s primary source was her husband’s wages as a day labor. Her youngest was now in school and because of the scholarship she was able to attend college.

She began to weep as soon as I asked her the value of this opportunity. Fearing that I had somehow offended her I asked the translator to explain what was happening. The translator simply shared that this poorest of the poor village mother had always dreamed but never believed that she could add value to her family. She believed she would always be a burden to her family but now she had hope that she could help provide a better life for her family and a role model for her community.

Research tells us that she will use her income to educate her children and care for her family. This new found income will allow her son and daughter to remain in school – to become better educated. This is one way how we at The Rhema Project will help change culture from within the culture so 1.5 million girl babies are not killed each year just because she was born female.