In addition to smart cards, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation also provides polo shots and vaccines to poor people in India. It's nice to see the richest man in American helping foreign countries with his money! Check out this Video.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Mobile Banking is a Big Hit In Rural Areas
I came across this video on mobile banking. Since there are many rural areas in India away from the major cities, people are at a great disadvantage as the pay more and are exploited by being out of "the know," if you will. So this company is giving them cell phones and introducing mobile banking to help them save and pay bills more efficiently. It's weird to see an Indian women in a small, make-shift shack talking on a cell phone! Check out this Video.
Sex Works Use Smart Cards
Through a project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation about 500 sex workers in Mysore now have chip-embedded smart cards. The smart cards can be used for discounts in certain hotels and shops. The smart cards even earn them loyalty points at the locations that can be utilized on later purchases. But that is not the only benefit to having a smart card. The cards also hold the medical record of the sex worker, who has agreed to get his or her health checked once every three months. If the sex worker fails to check their health then their smart card becomes inactive. Naturally, the sex workers are checked for STDs and are provided treatment if necessary.
The smart card initiative is being implemented by Ashodaya Women's Co-ordination Committee, Karnataka Health Promotion Trust (KHPT) and Pennant Consulting Services. KHPT reaches about 1.400 women sex workers and about 200 males in Mysore. The identified the smart card as more valuable then a regular health card because the most by products constantly to remain attractive for clients. To read this article in its entirety please click on this link.
The smart card initiative is being implemented by Ashodaya Women's Co-ordination Committee, Karnataka Health Promotion Trust (KHPT) and Pennant Consulting Services. KHPT reaches about 1.400 women sex workers and about 200 males in Mysore. The identified the smart card as more valuable then a regular health card because the most by products constantly to remain attractive for clients. To read this article in its entirety please click on this link.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Hindu Widows are the lowest of the low in India
Most of the population in India are Hindu and since India is a male dominated society widows are subjected to very harsh living conditions. Even young women are widows as arranged marriages of young women to old men are the norm in India. The conditions of widows include they can never remarry even though widowed men can, some of them have to shave their heads after their husband dies, they can not wear jewerly, and they fall deeper into proverty as they are viewed as a finicial burden to their families. Some centers have opened in India through the help of NGO's to offer sheter and health care for widows. But most widows travel to the city of Vrindavan to die because in the Hindu religion the city is thought to free them from the cycle of life and death. Click on this link to watch a video on Indian widows in Vrindavan or you can click on this link to read a full article!!!! If these women don't go to a program or Vrindavan they usually join the sex trade to make a living. Many of them make less then a dollar fifty because they are too old and they don't get very many customers.
Picture from CNN.COM
Picture from CNN.COM
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Facts and Info. About India
This is a report of the facts and background info on India created by the Frontline World Documentary. Check it out.
General Background
India is located in southern Asia and borders Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Burma. With a total landmass of 3,287,590 square miles, it is slightly more than one-third the size of the United States.
India is the birthplace of one of the world's oldest civilizations, the Indus Valley Civilization, which emerged more than 5,000 years ago. Since then, India has witnessed several waves of foreign invaders, including the Aryan tribes in 1500 b.c., the Arabs in the eighth century, the Turks in the 12th century, and European traders beginning in the 15th century.
India became a colony of Great Britain in the early 1800s and gained its independence in 1947. In 1948, the Indian subcontinent was divided into the secular state of India and the Muslim state of Pakistan.
New Delhi is India's capital. Located in northern India, flanking the Yamuna River, it is home to 13.8 million people.
Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, is India's industrial and financial capital, and also its largest city. Located in the central region of India's western coast, it has a population of approximately 18 million, making it the sixth-largest city in the world.
Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta, is India's cultural capital and home to 14 million people. It is located on India's eastern coast, along the Ganges River.
back to top
Population
By ethnicity, Indians are 72 percent Indo-Aryan, 25 percent Dravidian, and 3 percent Mongoloid and other.
By religion, Indians are 81.3 percent Hindu, 12 percent Muslim, 2.3 percent Christian and 1.9 percent Sikh. The other 2.5 percent of the population includes Buddhists, Jains and Parsis.
India's population surged 21 percent from 1991 to 2001, and as of 2003, it stands at more than 1 billion, making India the world's second-most populated country, after China. India grows by 16 million people every year (or 43,836 a day), just 2 million less than the entire population of Australia.
India is home to 40 percent of the world's poor, and 28 percent of its population lives below the poverty line. More than a third live on less than a dollar a day, and 80 percent live on less than two dollars a day.
India ranks 127th out of 175 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index.
Less than half of India's population has sustainable access to essential drugs, which is lower than the rate in Ethiopia. The average life expectancy is 60 years for men and 62 years for women. More than half of all children under the age of 4 are malnourished, and 30 percent of newborns are significantly underweight.
On a per-capita basis, India has one-fifth the number of doctors that the United States has, and one-tenth the number that Cuba has. The maternal mortality rate in India is 100 times greater than in the developed world.
Government
India is a secular democracy with a federal form of government. It is the world's largest democracy, with approximately 600 million voters.
Executive power is exercised by the Council of Ministers, a cabinet led by the office of the prime minister, who is elected every five years. India's current prime minister is Dr. Manmohan Singh, an Oxford-trained economist who is widely regarded as the architect of India's economic reform program. Appointed in May 2004, Singh is the first Sikh to hold this position.
India's bicameral parliament consists of a Lower House, known as the Rajya Sabha (Council of States), with 543 members, and an Upper House, known as the Lok Sabha (House of the People), with more than 250 members.
Economy
India's economy is driven by traditional village farming, modern agriculture and a wide range of modern industries, including textiles, cement, mining and software.
India's labor force is composed of 60 percent agricultural workers, 23 percent service workers and 17 percent industrial workers. Agriculture accounts for 25 percent of India's gross domestic product, industry 25 percent and services 50 percent.
In recent years, India has become a major exporter of software and software services. Software exports, which grew by 30 percent in 2003, now constitute 32 percent of India's total exports. Information technology has helped India's economy grow by roughly 6 percent a year since 1990. Financial analysts predict that software will account for 8 percent to 10 percent of India's gross domestic product by 2008.
India is also a major exporter of chemicals, leather and textile goods, and gems and jewelry. Its largest trading partners are the United States, Great Britain, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Germany and China.
India was the world's largest producer of mangoes, bananas and cauliflower for 2002-2003.
AIDS in India
More than 4.5 million people in India are infected with HIV, making it the second-largest HIV-positive population in the world, behind South Africa. Given India's large population, a rise of just 0.1 percent in the prevalence rate would increase the number of persons with AIDS by 500,000.
AIDS is most prevalent in the Indian states Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Manipur, Nagaland and Tamil Nadu, where the infection rate is higher than 1 percent. Heterosexual sex is responsible for 84 percent of new HIV infections in India.
The World Health Organization estimates that 330,000 new AIDS cases occur in India each year and predicts that by 2033, AIDS will account for 17 percent of all deaths in India and will be a factor in 40 percent of deaths from infectious disease.
Health experts say mobile workers are at particularly high risk for acquiring HIV and transmitting it to other people. For example, truckers in India are up to 10 times more likely to have HIV than are other workers. Truckers are away from their families up to 80 percent of the time, and more than half report having sex with prostitutes.
In a survey, 70 percent of commercial sex workers in India reported that their main reason for not using condoms was that their customers objected.
India has drafted a five-year nationwide intervention program to combat the spread of HIV infection. The government has allotted $320 million in funds for health, education and treatment programs.
Sources:
CIA Fact Book; Lonely Planet Guide: India; PBS; BBC; The Economist; India Times; UN AIDS; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_India; http://www.rediff.com/money/2004/apr/21india.htm
General Background
India is located in southern Asia and borders Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Burma. With a total landmass of 3,287,590 square miles, it is slightly more than one-third the size of the United States.
India is the birthplace of one of the world's oldest civilizations, the Indus Valley Civilization, which emerged more than 5,000 years ago. Since then, India has witnessed several waves of foreign invaders, including the Aryan tribes in 1500 b.c., the Arabs in the eighth century, the Turks in the 12th century, and European traders beginning in the 15th century.
India became a colony of Great Britain in the early 1800s and gained its independence in 1947. In 1948, the Indian subcontinent was divided into the secular state of India and the Muslim state of Pakistan.
New Delhi is India's capital. Located in northern India, flanking the Yamuna River, it is home to 13.8 million people.
Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, is India's industrial and financial capital, and also its largest city. Located in the central region of India's western coast, it has a population of approximately 18 million, making it the sixth-largest city in the world.
Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta, is India's cultural capital and home to 14 million people. It is located on India's eastern coast, along the Ganges River.
back to top
Population
By ethnicity, Indians are 72 percent Indo-Aryan, 25 percent Dravidian, and 3 percent Mongoloid and other.
By religion, Indians are 81.3 percent Hindu, 12 percent Muslim, 2.3 percent Christian and 1.9 percent Sikh. The other 2.5 percent of the population includes Buddhists, Jains and Parsis.
India's population surged 21 percent from 1991 to 2001, and as of 2003, it stands at more than 1 billion, making India the world's second-most populated country, after China. India grows by 16 million people every year (or 43,836 a day), just 2 million less than the entire population of Australia.
India is home to 40 percent of the world's poor, and 28 percent of its population lives below the poverty line. More than a third live on less than a dollar a day, and 80 percent live on less than two dollars a day.
India ranks 127th out of 175 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index.
Less than half of India's population has sustainable access to essential drugs, which is lower than the rate in Ethiopia. The average life expectancy is 60 years for men and 62 years for women. More than half of all children under the age of 4 are malnourished, and 30 percent of newborns are significantly underweight.
On a per-capita basis, India has one-fifth the number of doctors that the United States has, and one-tenth the number that Cuba has. The maternal mortality rate in India is 100 times greater than in the developed world.
Government
India is a secular democracy with a federal form of government. It is the world's largest democracy, with approximately 600 million voters.
Executive power is exercised by the Council of Ministers, a cabinet led by the office of the prime minister, who is elected every five years. India's current prime minister is Dr. Manmohan Singh, an Oxford-trained economist who is widely regarded as the architect of India's economic reform program. Appointed in May 2004, Singh is the first Sikh to hold this position.
India's bicameral parliament consists of a Lower House, known as the Rajya Sabha (Council of States), with 543 members, and an Upper House, known as the Lok Sabha (House of the People), with more than 250 members.
Economy
India's economy is driven by traditional village farming, modern agriculture and a wide range of modern industries, including textiles, cement, mining and software.
India's labor force is composed of 60 percent agricultural workers, 23 percent service workers and 17 percent industrial workers. Agriculture accounts for 25 percent of India's gross domestic product, industry 25 percent and services 50 percent.
In recent years, India has become a major exporter of software and software services. Software exports, which grew by 30 percent in 2003, now constitute 32 percent of India's total exports. Information technology has helped India's economy grow by roughly 6 percent a year since 1990. Financial analysts predict that software will account for 8 percent to 10 percent of India's gross domestic product by 2008.
India is also a major exporter of chemicals, leather and textile goods, and gems and jewelry. Its largest trading partners are the United States, Great Britain, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Germany and China.
India was the world's largest producer of mangoes, bananas and cauliflower for 2002-2003.
AIDS in India
More than 4.5 million people in India are infected with HIV, making it the second-largest HIV-positive population in the world, behind South Africa. Given India's large population, a rise of just 0.1 percent in the prevalence rate would increase the number of persons with AIDS by 500,000.
AIDS is most prevalent in the Indian states Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Manipur, Nagaland and Tamil Nadu, where the infection rate is higher than 1 percent. Heterosexual sex is responsible for 84 percent of new HIV infections in India.
The World Health Organization estimates that 330,000 new AIDS cases occur in India each year and predicts that by 2033, AIDS will account for 17 percent of all deaths in India and will be a factor in 40 percent of deaths from infectious disease.
Health experts say mobile workers are at particularly high risk for acquiring HIV and transmitting it to other people. For example, truckers in India are up to 10 times more likely to have HIV than are other workers. Truckers are away from their families up to 80 percent of the time, and more than half report having sex with prostitutes.
In a survey, 70 percent of commercial sex workers in India reported that their main reason for not using condoms was that their customers objected.
India has drafted a five-year nationwide intervention program to combat the spread of HIV infection. The government has allotted $320 million in funds for health, education and treatment programs.
Sources:
CIA Fact Book; Lonely Planet Guide: India; PBS; BBC; The Economist; India Times; UN AIDS; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_India; http://www.rediff.com/money/2004/apr/21india.htm
Mud Wrestling Oldest Pasttime in India
Mud wrestling is one of the oldest pasttimes in India. There are wrestling schools in almost every major city in the country. The men sign on for a strict training schedule each week and they are forbidden to drink and even get married!!! Check out this video to see how serious wrestling is in India...it is not like or WFF Smack down. LOL. Just click on this link.
Frontline Video on The Sex Trade In India
I ran across this video today it is from Frontline/ World. In 2004 one of their correspondents, Raney Aronson went to Kamathipura, one of the country's poorest districts and also its largest red light district, home to more than 60,000 sex workers. Kamathipura is located in Mumbai, India. This video explores the health and economic conditions of these women who HAVE SEX FOR $1.50 ON A GOOD NIGHT!!!! CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO BY CLICKING ON THIS LINK!
Friday, April 10, 2009
Condom Ringtone Is A Hit In India
A ringtone that sings "condom, condom, condom" has attracted over 270,000 downloads since it hit the market in September of 2008. The song, which was created by the Indian duo, Rupert Fernandes and Vijay Prakash is being heavily utilized in India to promote safe sex to those with mobile phones in the country and aboard. The single "Condom a Capella" is a ring-tone that has the word "condom" sung in many overlapping melodies. Since 2.4 million people live in India with Aids, BBC World Service Trust, which helped fund the song, is hopeful that it will help condoms be seen as an important health measure by more Indian people. The website,www.condomcondom.org, where the song is available has over 2 million hits. So Click on the link and check out the condom song!!!! Hey, Remeber the thong song. LOL
This is the TV Ad for the Condom Song!
This is the TV Ad for the Condom Song!
Banking For A Better Future
Last December a bank in India opened to help sex workers save money. The bank was started by a sex workers collective in the red light district of Mumbai, one of India's most popular cities. More than 1,200 sex workers now have accounts at Sangini Women's Co-operative Society bank. They are also able to get loans from the bank. The following video describes how the bank is helping sex workers save to one day get out of the world's oldest profession.
Fewer and Fewer Women are Being Rescued From The Sex Trade
A police report released in India on Wednesday, April 8th says that fewer and fewer women and girls are being rescued from the sex trade in India. The facts are alarming as 172 women were rescued in 2006, this number dropped to 91 in 2008. In addition to these facts the report also shows that 62 women were arrested in 2006 and only 54 were arrested in 2007. The police commissioner Rajendra Sonawane says that the facts don't mean less women are trafficked or hurting in the sex trade it only means that more pimps, madams, and brothel owners are learning how to get around the law. The police commissioner still contends that the police force is proactive in solving sex cases: "Whenever we get a call informing us that minors have been pushed into the sex trade, we rescue them. The police also act on their own information." To read the full article you can click on this link or visit the following website, www.expressindia.com!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Future Hope Foundation in India
I found a movie on Future Hope, a foundation in India that offers housing and an education for improvished children. Several of the children from the film, Born into Brothels, now attend Future Hope. It is a wonderful organization living up to its name by providing hope for so many youngsters. See for yourself!!!
Update: On Other Kids From Born into Brothels
So, I already informed you that Puja, one of the kids from the film Born into Brothels, returned to the sex trade after the movie in an earlier post. But I wanted to find out some more information on the other children. So I found this update on kids with cameras, one of the official sites associated with the film, and lets just say that this update which is dated November 2006 is a much happier one!
1. Avijit- Is a junior at private school in Salt Lake City.
2. Manik- Is starting his second year at Future Hope, a private school in Calcutta, India that is almost impossible for brothel children to get into. He still flys kites.
3. Shanti- She also attends Future Hope.
4. Tapasi- Attends a local school and her sister still stays at the Sabera Foundation.
5. Suchitra- Lives at home and works for a greeting card manufacturer.
6. Kochi- Is finishing up her education at the Sabera Foundation and hopes to move to the U.S. to continue her studies.
Avijit and Manik
Picture from Kids with Cameras Website
1. Avijit- Is a junior at private school in Salt Lake City.
2. Manik- Is starting his second year at Future Hope, a private school in Calcutta, India that is almost impossible for brothel children to get into. He still flys kites.
3. Shanti- She also attends Future Hope.
4. Tapasi- Attends a local school and her sister still stays at the Sabera Foundation.
5. Suchitra- Lives at home and works for a greeting card manufacturer.
6. Kochi- Is finishing up her education at the Sabera Foundation and hopes to move to the U.S. to continue her studies.
Avijit and Manik
Picture from Kids with Cameras Website
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Male Sex Workers
They have the same storys, the same experiences, and the same feelings of hopelessness. But while women sex workers in India are visible, male sex workers are not. The often suffer in silence! Many male sex workers are what we in America call transgender. The terms for it in India are Kothis and Eunuch. These men have feelings of being women and they are therefore attracted to other men, gays, or bisexuals. They often are desperate for money because they are socially outcased worst then women sex workers. They can not get normal jobs because of their gender identity so they end up joining the trade. Male sex workers are often the victims of murder and rape in India. The following youtube video showcases the plight of male sex workers in India.
Illegal Proffession But Available Life Insurance
While prostitution is illegal in Indian, prostitutes can get life insurance. The Life insurance corporation of India offers sex workers a policy where they can get a routine medical check-up for HIV. Since there are so many sex workers in India these small life insurance policies have become very valuable.
Shocking Novel
I new book is out entitled, Bitter Chocolate, the book describes sex abuse of children in India. The book is very graphic and goes into great detail. It was written by an Indian women named Pinki Virani. The book is divded into two notebooks. The first notebook talks about the author's own experiences, while the second deals with a couple of real life stories. The novel ends by offering up prevention solutions. The book is a no holds bar in India right now that is receiving wonderful reviews.
Sex Workers Want Government to Acknowledge Profession
It's election time in India now and sex workers are asking politicians to recognize their profession and give them equal rights under the laws. While I can not imagine prostitutes in America demanding the government for egual rights, the situation in India is much different. Prostitution is big business over there with about 70,000 sex workers who take up the family business each year. This is not something hidden under the rug like it often is in America. So, sex workers are demanding that their profession by accepted by society and that their family members will not be oppressed because of their trade. Sex workers have major voting power. In fact if you count the sex worker and their family members that equals approximately 2,80,000votes. As a result, the main group, Urbar Mahila Samanya Committee, which is lobbying politicans right now is very hopefully. To read the article in it's entirety you can click on the link.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Slumdog Millionaire Star Donates Earnings To Indian Children
Picture Provided by Ecorazzi
In the oscar-winning movie, Slumdog millionare, actor Anil Kapoor plays a convincing television host. But in real life he is an Indian actor with a kind heart. Kapoor plans to give all of his earnings to Plan India, which is a child organization, that helps vunerable children find education and escape prostitution. Coming from a poor beginning himself, Kapoor wants to help others achieve their dreams too. Feel free to read the full article.
Gates Foundation Spreads Aids Awareness
Bill Gates, the Microsoft founder, and his wife Melinda spread Aids Awareness in the red-light districts of India by donating money through their Gates Foundation. The have been doing so since the late 1990's. The Gates took a visit to Indian to meet the sex workers first-hand.
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