Archives for category: Development Matters

Creating an Inclusive Society

December 2, 2011 //
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Save A Family Plan’s founder, Father Gus, was strongly committed to building an inclusive society and continuously advocated for people with disabilities through his work in India. Today, SAFP aims to continue this important work and to promote the values that were so dear to him.

In Canada, SAFP is partnering with Community Living London, a local organization that is dedicated to supporting people with intellectual disabilities and their families. Michelle Palmer, the Executive Director of this wonderful organization, shares with us about the work undertaken by Community Living organizations.

There are many challenges people with intellectual disabilities face, but on a positive note there are many efforts to create an inclusive society where all people are included in all aspects of community life.

Community living organizations across the country advocate for and support people who have intellectual disabilities and their families. We believe that all people have the right to share in all elements of community life – to live, to work, to be educated, to participate in recreational activities, to receive health care, and to have connections with friends and family. And each person needs to belong and feel respected.

Supports that are offered to assist people to be successful in community life include but are not limited to:

• Residential supports – from a couple hours a day in their own home to 24 hours per day in a group living shared home

• Employment supports – supports businesses to employ people with intellectual disabilities. Adults are assisted with every aspect of finding meaningful employment, including job readiness, resume writing, job searches, development with potential employers and job coaching. Participating businesses gain a hard-working, dedicated employee and develop a greater understanding of people with intellectual disabilities. Training and education to assist a person to obtain competitive employment for a fair wage.

• Community Access – gets people involved in the neighbourhood where they live. We link adults who have an intellectual disability to meaningful leisure, recreation, practical learning and volunteer opportunities, creating a schedule of daily activities that is as unique as they are. The goal is to facilitate great life experiences. Whether it’s a night at the movies with new friends, Karate classes, learning to cook, or volunteering in the community, we connect people to valuable opportunities to learn and grow.

• Respite Services – offer a wonderful opportunity for children and adults to broaden their social circle and experience inclusive community activities.

Parents and caregivers benefit by taking time for themselves or spending time with other family members. Respite Services can provide the break you need to take a vacation, or to cover for times of emergency or crisis.

All of these supports facilitate opportunities for people to be engaged in their home community. They develop friendships, employment relationships, and also enhance the positive relationships they have with their own family. We have come a long way since the days of institutionalization and isolation of people with disabilities in our society. But we still have much work to do.

Did you know that Canadians who have a disability are one of the most underrepresented groups in the workforce? In 2006, 14.3% of Canadians identified that they have a disability. And only 45% of people who have a disability were in the labour force in 2001. Employers rate employees who have an intellectual disability as positive (93%), reliable (90%) dedicated (90%) and hardworking 93%. So why are so many people with disabilities still unemployed?

This is one of the many challenges we continue to advocate for. And that is why our work will only end when all citizens are equally valued, provided equal opportunities, and respected equally.

To learn more about the SAFP’s partnership with Community Living London, check out this article about SAFP’s volunteers.

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Categories Development Matters, Get to Know Our Partners

Crime Against Children in India

November 10, 2011 //
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India’s National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) publishes detailed crime statistics in an annual report called Crime in India. Published since 1953, the guide serves as a comprehensive reference source for the country’s policy-makers, law enforcement agencies, and citizen stakeholders.

Criminal activity is a negative aspect of life for citizens of any country. Unfortunately, for those whose health and security are already compromised by poverty and marginalization, the effects of crime and victimization are even greater. In all societies, it is the children who are most vulnerable and therefore most at risk. This is quite evident in India.

Crime in India 2010 includes data that relates specifically to ‘Crime Against Children.’ According to the report, there were a total of 26,694 reported cases of crimes that were committed against children in that country in 2010 (p.91). These are crimes that are punishable under either the Indian Penal Code (IPC) or under Special and Local Laws (SLL), and all pertain to children less than 18 years of age. They represent wide-ranging acts of abuse, neglect, and exploitation that are especially tragic because of the young age of their victims.

The following table breaks down India’s 2010 child-victim crime numbers into specific categories:

Murder 1,408
Foeticide 111
Infanticide (0 to 1 year) 100
Abetment to Suicide 56
Exposure and Abandonment 725
Kidnapping and Abduction 10,670
Procuration of Minor Girls (for illicit intercourse) 679
Selling of Girls for Prostitution 130
Buying of Girls for Prostitution 78
Rape 5,484
Other Crimes including (Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006) 7,253

(derived from Table 6A, p.96)

Facts of interest:

  • The national average rate for crimes against children was 2.3 per 100,000 people; for Delhi the rate was 19.8 per 100,000 (p. 92)
  • The state of Madhya Pradesh, with 6.1% of population, was responsible for 18.4% of all crimes against children; Delhi, with 1.5% of population, was responsible for 13.6% (Fig. 6.1)
  • Kidnapping and Abduction cases represent 40.3% of crimes against children (Fig. 6.2)
  • Rape cases represent 20.5% of crimes against children (Fig. 6.2)
  • 8.9% of all rape victims (women and children) were girls under the age of 14 (p.83)
  • In 97.3% of all (22,172) rape cases, offenders were known to the victims (family members, relatives, neighbours) (p.83)
  • The states of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra accounted for 35.2% of child rape cases (p. 95)
  • The number of cases for Procuration of Minor Girls increased by 186.5% from 2009 (p. 96)

Crime is often an indicator of social malaise caused by the hopelessness, frustration, and desperation of poverty.  Lack of employment opportunities, inadequate food and water supplies, land degradation, sub-standard housing, poor sanitation, ill health, discrimination, and limited education all create conditions whereby individuals are at greater risk of becoming both victims and perpetrators of crime.

That such great numbers of children in India and around the world continue to be victimized by crime is a pointed reminder that we have not fulfilled our duties as protectors and caregivers.


If, indeed, it “takes a village to raise a child”, then perhaps the solution lies with the village, or at least the community of citizens to which the child belongs.

Communities can exist as neighbourhoods or as groups of people with a common interest (eg. social, cultural, religious). The value of community is that it brings people together and actively involves them in the issues and activities that affect their lives. It often relies on the sharing of skills, knowledge and experience. Many community groups are based on the values of fraternity, friendship and empathy. Others have a specific mandate, such as women’s self-help groups, farmers’ groups, microcredit groups, or advocacy groups that stand up for citizens’ rights.

What does this have to do with crimes against children?

Without community, a family or individual is disempowered—they don’t have access to the support and information that could be helpful in a situation requiring advice or help. Nor do they have effective opportunities to voice serious needs, concerns, or opinions. For such a family living in poverty, the consequences of such isolation can be critical. For instance, there are many situations in India when a family’s financial debt-load puts their children at great risk for abandonment, prostitution or trafficking.

Promoting active participation in community life, and then nurturing that involvement through training and education, is an important starting point for restoring social health and stability. Like a healthy family, a strong community will act in the best interest of its members, especially children.

As an organization seeking to end poverty, Save A Family Plan is committed to supporting the empowerment and healthy development of families and communities. And through its work with the poor in India, if there is one less crime committed or one less child hurt by an act of violence, then that will be a success story.

LL Chan

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Categories Development Matters

India’s Scheduled Tribes

October 17, 2011 //
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Indigenous people are among the most vulnerable and marginalized groups in India, facing disproportionately high levels of poverty, illiteracy, and poor health. These communities, referred to by the government as “Scheduled Tribes”, make up more than 8% of the country’s 1.2 billion inhabitants. Many have little contact with the outside world and continue to survive through hunting and gathering or farming with rudimentary agriculture techniques. It is estimated that more than half of these people live below the national poverty line.

As we work to combat poverty in India, special assistance must be provided to tribal communities to help them address their many needs in a way that respects their unique history and way of life. The Kothamangalam Social Service Society and the Highrange Development Society in Idukki have been working with tribal communities in the area of Marayoor, Kerala for nearly two decades. Prior to this, the communities had no interaction with the outside world and at first, they were cautious to have contact with people from the outside. Over time, staff members were able to establish a trusting relationship with the communities and were eventually welcomed in the tribal settlements. These staff members discovered a people with a nomadic culture, their own dialect, unique cultural arts and traditions, and a custom of nature worship. They also found high rates of infant mortality, insecure temporary shelters, many cases of early marriages, and extreme poverty.

The staff began to work with the community to illustrate the importance of formal education and eventually they worked together to create a school for the children of the area. It has been developed and expanded over time and now provides education up to Grade 4 for 200 local children. In addition to housing classes, the school also acts as a community centre where many gatherings take place, including community discussions on important issues, celebration of the local tribal festivals, medical camps, meetings with local government officials, and administration of the local Credit Union.


Save A Family Plan (SAFP) works in partnership with the Highrange Development Society to support the ongoing operation of the school and to continue addressing the needs of the children. In 2008, a midday meal program was started for the students after it was discovered many were missing class because they were hungry and spent the day searching for food in the forest instead. The following year, “an egg a week” program was started to provide additional nutrition to the children.

In early 2011, a survey of the community revealed that only 10% of the people in the tribal settlements had access to proper sanitation, while the rest were using open areas for their washroom. This practice leads to a variety of health issues and diseases that could be seen among the population. SAFP is now partnering with Highrange Development Society with a goal of building 60 latrines in the settlements this year. This will decrease the cases of endemic diseases, prevent the contamination of drinking water, decrease the infant mortality rate, and raise awareness of the importance of hygiene throughout the community.


SAFP is happy to support the work of the Highrange Development Society and the committed staff who spend their time working and teaching in these remote areas. In order to reduce poverty in India, it is essential that all people have the chance to take part in the country’s development and to benefit from the progress that is being made. Many marginalized groups, such as the Scheduled Tribes, require a helping hand to begin identifying and addressing the problems they face and to ensure their human rights are being met. We are pleased to work together with these communities as they engage in development with dignity and become active, participating citizens within their country.

By Cassandra Griffin
SAFP Canada Staff

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Categories Development Matters, Get to Know Our Partners, Sharing in Success

The Millennium Development Goals – Heading towards 2015

September 16, 2011 //
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In the year 2000, all the world’s countries came together and agreed to make a commitment to ending poverty and improving the well-being of the poor and marginalized around the world. They decided on a set of 8 goals, which they hoped would be achieved over 15 years, by 2015. These goals are:

Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
Goal 4: Reduce child mortality rates
Goal 5: Improve maternal health
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development

Governments, international institutions, development organizations, and committed people around the world have now been working to make progress towards these goals for more than a decade. Improvements have been made in many areas, but a huge amount of effort is required to reach the targets in the remaining years leading to 2015.

From the beginning, it has been clear that achieving these goals would depend on large improvements being made in India, since it was estimated to be home to a third of the world’s poor. In 2010, a report was released by the United Nations to assess the changes made in India so far. Here are some of the results.

-India has made great strides in increasing the number of children attending primary school, creating access to clean water, and conserving natural resources. However, at the current rate of progress, it is not aimed to meet targets in the areas of poverty, hunger, health, and gender equality.

-Hunger continues to be a persistent problem and India still accounts for 50% of the world’s hungry. It is estimated that more than 46% of children in India are undernourished.

-Mothers and children in India continue to face major health risks. For every 1,000 live births, an average of 74 children will die before their 5th birthday and an average of 254 women die giving birth to a child for every 100,000.

-The Government of India has created many rights-based laws and innovative development programs with the potential to make great progress in these areas. However, problems such a persistent inequality, ineffective delivery of public services, weak accountability systems, and gaps in the implementation of pro-poor policies often prevent those most in need from accessing assistance.

SAFP is striving to make these goals and their targets a reality as we approach 2015. Not only are we working with poor families and communities to meet their basic needs, we are also helping them to gain access to government programs and services and to address the issues of inequality and corruption. Our programs have also expanded into new areas of the country that are struggling to make progress, including Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, and Uttar Pradesh. Through the joint efforts of many committed groups working to achieve these goals, we are hopeful that we can greatly improve the lives of those most in need in India and around the world.

For more information about the Millennuim Development Goals and India’s progress, visit http://www.beta.undp.org/undp/en/home/mdgoverview.html.

By Cassandra Griffin
SAFP Staff

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Categories Development Matters

India: 64 Years After Independence, Gandhi Still Inspires Peaceful Change

August 25, 2011 //
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Local citizens, aware of their rights, organize to protest against an illegal transmission tower in Kerala. They are supported by SAFP partner organization, the Women's Initiative Network.

August 15th is Independence Day in India, a national holiday. This year, 2011, marked the 64th anniversary of the termination of British authority and the beginning of self-government for that country. The Indian Independence Act, which provided for Partition of India and Pakistan, was signed in August of 1947, with India and Pakistan becoming two independent nations following the transfer of power from Britain.

Mahatma Gandhi was instrumental in helping India achieve its independence. Among other notable individuals, he helped to steer the country toward what was seen as its necessary development into a sovereign nation, freed from the demoralizing rule of its long-time colonial master.

Gandhi was an activist. Throughout his life he campaigned for civil rights, improved labour laws, and equal justice for Indians. He famously used non-violent civil disobedience as a means of advocacy, public engagement, and achieving reform.

Currently, in New Delhi, 74 year-old Indian activist Anna Hazare is fasting to publicly protest against rampant corruption in India. His long-standing campaign to have government pass legislation that would create an ombudsman with sweeping powers to probe corruption at all levels, has led to widespread public support and demonstrations all over India.

Like Gandhi, Hazare wants to make change happen; he wants people to be witness to his actions, so that they can be inspired to demand an end to the endemic bribery and misuse of public funds that stand in the way of equal rights and opportunities in democratic India.

Much public funding is earmarked for local village-level projects and programs in rural India. C. Griffin’s blog of July 12th addresses the issue of corruption and discusses Save A Family Plan’s role in promoting good governance. Properly informed, local citizens can be empowered to demand transparency and accountability from their local governing bodies. They, too, can be models for peaceful action and inspire positive change in their communities.

India was the British Empire’s “jewel in the Crown”. The journey to independence was fraught with incredible challenges that continue to trouble the two nations that emerged in 1947. That India today is world’s largest democracy, fourth largest economy, and a global leader in science and technology, is proof that this country has the resources and ingenuity to overcome a difficult past and achieve greatness.

However, the greatest challenge remains the inequity—the huge numbers of impoverished, marginalized, and oppressed citizens who have yet to experience the benefits of an independent, democratic India. It is these people for whom Gandhi acted—for whom others now act in defence of justice and equality.

Jean Vanier, humanitarian and founder of L’Arche (worldwide network of homes shared by those with developmental disabilities and those who assist them), is an admirer of Gandhi, whom he calls “a defender of the poorest and the weakest…a man with a vision of liberation through love, wisdom, and non-violence.” According to Vanier, non-violence is, “…an attitude where we do not hate or want to use violence, but where we want the oppressor to change and to grow in justice and truth.” (Jean Vanier Essential Writings, Whitney-Brown, 2008)

Independent India and Pakistan did not arise without violence; sadly, Gandhi’s attitude was not shared by all. However, his legacy continues to inspire individuals and organizations in India, and worldwide, who work in peace to ensure a dignified, secure, and healthy life for all.

L.L. Chan

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Categories Development Matters, India in the News

Why Partnership Matters

July 28, 2011 //
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Working in partnership with Save A Family Plan, this community has made a map of their village to help plan a project that will improve the well-being of the community.

Save A Family Plan’s work in India is guided by the vision of “partnering with the poor for a just world”. This is really more than just a mission statement; it says a lot about the relationships that Save A Family Plan (SAFP) has with the recipients of its programs. Partnership implies that all the groups involved are seen as equally important to the development process and have something valuable to contribute. SAFP works hard to ensure that this belief is put into practice at all levels of the organization, from our contributors around the world to the families and communities receiving support in India.

Here at SAFP, we strongly believe that any development work must offer families and communities the opportunity to actively participate in the planning process and to take a central role in implementing the projects that we support. This approach can be seen throughout SAFP’s programs, all of which involve some type of training for the recipients and work to include as many different stakeholders as possible, including local governments, religious communities, local NGO’s (non-governmental organizations) and self-help groups (or sanghams). In our Community and Family Development Programs, all of these groups will come together in partnership with SAFP staff in India to decide what changes are needed in the community and how to implement these changes in a way that is beneficial to all.

The community and other important actors comes together to identify problems and discuss solutions.

What are the benefits of approaching development in this way? Here are just a few of the reasons why partnership matters so much.

1.) Makes use of Local Knowledge – Community members have a special understanding of the place in which they live, including knowledge about natural resources, characteristics of the land, weather and farming patterns, local customs and social order, political and religious dynamics, and relationships with outside communities. By including the whole community in the planning process, this important information can be used in decision making, which makes projects more likely to succeed.

2.) Improves Sustainability of the Projects – One major challenge in development work is ensuring that the project that has been implemented continues to be used and maintained after our work there is done. If a community has come together to plan a project and contribute their time, energy, and ideas, they will be more likely to feel a sense of ownership and carry on with the project after it has been completed. It is also likely that projects designed in a participatory way will be in tune with the needs and capability of the villagers, ensuring that it remains realistic and beneficial to keep it up.

3.) Encourages Learning for the Future – By participating in every step of the project, communities develop skills in organizing themselves, critically identifying problems, brainstorming solutions, planning, budgeting, accessing available funds and other local resources, and working together to make their plan a reality. After engaging in this process, they will have the skills and knowledge to address new problem as they arise and make changes in their community to continue moving forward in the future. They will also gain confidence by discovering what they are capable of with support from SAFP.

4.) Promotes Equality and Justice – Including recipients directly in the development process reflects the belief that everyone has something valuable to contribute and that all voice deserve to be heard. In the struggle for social justice, those who are the most poor and marginalized must be involved for change to take place. By helping these communities to take an active role in determining their futures, SAFP is working to promote a society built on equality and justice.

Check back in the coming weeks to learn more about some of the organizations that SAFP partners with in India and to get updates on the wonderful work they are doing in the field!

By Cassandra Griffin
SAFP Canada Staff

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Categories Development Matters

Helping the Poorest

July 5, 2011 //
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Micro-credit offers small loans to the poor to open small businesses, like this petty shop (corner store) owned by Margret and Joseph near the city of Ernakulam.

Micro-credit is hailed by many as a “magic bullet” with the potential to eradicate poverty and empower women, and providing the poor with access to affordable credit has become a central plank in development strategies. Important research is emerging, however, which suggests that the “poorest of the poor” are under-represented in micro-credit programs.  For example, in Bangladesh, which has the highest level of micro-credit penetration in the world, participation is highest among the second poorest quintile, but lowest among the poorest quintile.

Recent studies indicate the very poor are risk averse—given the daily struggle to obtain enough to eat and find secure shelter, making regular loan payments seems impossible. Borrower groups are reluctant to accept the destitute, afraid their inability to make payments on time will jeopardize the other member’s access to future loans. In an effort to keep their default rates low, micro-credit lenders are becoming more and more cautious in screening potential clients. All of these factors explain why the poorest of the poor are often “missing” from micro-credit programs. But are livelihood loans what the chronically poor really need? The answer is no…and yes.

Raising goats can provides a family with income, as well as nutritious milk.

The very poor typically benefit most from a two-step program, where “social safety net” programs constitute the first step, followed by enrolment in a credit-based livelihood development program. Studies show this type of two-pronged approach has been very effective in allowing the most vulnerable families to gain a solid footing and then go on to develop income generating activities which are sustainable over the long term.

SAFP’s Family Development Program offers the ideal combination of elements that the poorest of the poor need to achieve a life of dignity. The financial grant provided by benefactors allows even the poorest members of the community to take on the dual risks of accessing a loan and initiating an income generating activity. By spreading the financial support across a six year period, families have sufficient time to firmly establish their livelihood activities. SAFP partner organizations supply the needed training—in how to manage a micro enterprise, health and nutrition, and awareness regarding legal rights and government assistance programs. Each beneficiary belongs to a self-help group, which provides peer-based social support. It is because of these multiple supports that Family Development Program beneficiaries—drawn from the most vulnerable and marginalized groups in India—are able to participate successfully in micro-credit programs when others in similar circumstances often cannot.

Grace Flesher is a doctoral candidate at the University of Warwick (UK) and is researching micro-credit and women’s empowerment in southern India.

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Categories Development Matters

India in the News – India’s Disappearing Girl Children

June 2, 2011 //
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This year, India has undertaken the immense task of compiling the 15th National Census of the Country. As the data is assembled and analyzed, there has been much interest in what the numbers will show in terms of well-being and how much improvement has taken place since the previous census in 2001.

While many areas are showing improvement, one troubling finding that has been making the news in recent weeks is the sex ratio, a measurement of the number of girls in the population for every 1,000 boys. While nature tends to produce slightly more boys than girls (approximately 952 girls for every 1,000 boys), India’s population has seen a steady decrease from this number among children below the age of 6 in the past few decades. The 2001 census found only 927 girls per 1,000 boys in this age group and the number has fallen to just 914 girls in this year’s data. It is estimated that nearly 12 million girls have “disappeared” from the population since the 1980’s.

This trend reflects an inherent preference of male children within families. While many people are now choosing to have fewer children, the desire for male children, who are seen as able to generate income for the family, increases. Girls, on the other hand, require an expensive dowry in order to marry and are often unavailable to take care of their aged parents since they have responsibilities within their husbands’ family. In some cases, this negative view of girl children within families translates into the practice of female feticide and infanticide, as is clearly reflected in the falling sex ratio.

Save A Family Plan is committed to working with the people of India to promote a society where women and men are both valued equally within families.  By providing training in gender issues and creating self-help groups (or sanghams), our partner organizations help to encourage important discussions within communities on critical issues that negatively impact the perception of girls and women. SAFP also places importance on the education of girls and providing women with skills training and small business opportunities so that they can earn an income to support their families. Many move on to become leaders and key decision makers within their communities. When women are able to fully participate in the social, political, and economic life of their communities,  girls can no longer be seen as a burden on the family.

The data found in the 2011 census regarding sex selection of children clearly outlines the importance of the work that SAFP and many other NGO’s are doing in India. We have reason to believe that this trend can be reversed. If we consider the state of Kerala, where SAFP’s work has been concentrated for many years, we find extremely high literacy rates among women and a sex ratio that is increasing, in contrast to the national trend. As SAFP expands its programming to states and remote areas in the India where these problems are more severe, we believe that our work will promote a society where the roles of both men and women will be valued and celebrated.

By Cassandra Griffin

Categories Development Matters, India in the News
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