India

Located in South Asia on the Indian subcontinent, India is the second most populous nation in the world. Proud of its ability to maintain unity amid diversity, this country is home to more than 300 tribes speaking some 1,600 languages and dialects. While the official language is Hindi, English is dominant in the courts and government.

Today India ranks among the top 10 industrial nations in the world. Yet because its population is growing as fast as the economy, the Indian people have one of the world's lowest per-capita incomes.

Approximately 70 percent of Indians depend on agriculture to earn a living, but drought or a poor harvest can lead farmers from home in search of other opportunities.

India also suffers from a low rate of literacy—especially among its female population. Approximately one in three adult females in India is literate, and only 40 percent of secondary school-age girls are enrolled in formal education.

If your sponsored child is a boy, he may continue to live with his parents after he gets married. Girls, however, go to live with their husbands’ families. By law, women cannot wed until they are 21, but in rural communities marriages are often arranged while the children are quite young.

The Himalayas, the tallest mountains in the world, run along India’s northern border. Fertile plains cover most of the northern region of the country, while a rolling plateau covers the southern peninsula.

During the summer months, March through May, temperatures in central India commonly reach 125 degrees. Heavy rains follow from June to September, and in October the weather turns cool and dry with the northeastern monsoon. Usually this is the most pleasant time of the year. However, when the monsoon fails to bring rain, India faces drought, sometimes accompanied by undernourishment that can lead to the starvation of its people.

Some of the most important work in India concerns the status of female children. Although the effects of poverty in India are widespread, girls often suffer the most. Traditionally the father gets first choice of the food, then his sons. The leftovers go to his wife and daughters.

Girls often miss out on education, immunizations, health care, and other benefits. If your sponsored child is a girl, be assured that your sponsorship is providing her with the same life-changing benefits that sponsored boys receive.

• Pray that your sponsored child might respond to God’s love and grace.
• Ask God to guide your sponsored child as he or she learns, grows, and moves toward a future full of hope and possibilities.
• Pray for God to protect the health of your sponsored child and his or her family.