Grace Life Ministries India

India is the second most populated country in the world with a population of 1.08 billion. Over 300 tribes live in this land speaking 1,600 languages and dialects. Hindi is the official language but English is spoken in Parliament and government as well as the language necessary for Internet Technology. Although India is growing economically, poverty is still a serious problem. Many of the poor earn as little as $1 or $2 CDN per day. (Average annual income is $620 per capita.) Approximately 70% of the people depend on agriculture for survival and during the monsoons farmers often have to leave for the cities to find jobs. Literacy is low, especially among the female population, with only 1 in 3 women being literate. Life expectancy is 64 years for women compared to 78 years in the USA. Infant mortality is 62 deaths per 1000 while in USA it is 7 per 1000. Poverty is rampant and oppression reigns in the lives of those caught in the caste system. Women have the toughest time because they are seen as second-class citizens and are victimized in many ways (dowry deaths, infanticide, sexual harassment, and forced prostitution). These are the ones especially in need of support, encouragement and rescue.