Jacob’s Well Fight Against World Poverty
Jacob’s Well hopes to break the poverty cycle by sinking fresh water wells in villages, establishing health and resource centres and providing life changing education for children from tribal villages and the slums.
Jacob’s Well is a registered, not-for-profit charity founded in Australia in early 2005. Our Australian Business Number (ABN) is 65 340 113 571. In mid-2008 Jacob’s Well Foundation was established in India and is registered as a not-for-profit company, with its head office in New Delhi.
The Need is Great in India
The World Bank estimates that 33% of the global poor now reside in India. Moreover, India also has 75.6% of its population living below $2 a day.
According to USAID ‘With a population of over one billion, and more than 4.5 million people infected with HIV/AIDS, the HIV epidemic in India will have a major impact on the overall spread of HIV in Asia, the Pacific, and around the world. India is second only to South Africa in terms of the overall number of people living with the disease.’
In the small, poverty-stricken state of Orissa, the infant mortality rate is one of the highest in India. Women die from childbirth complications. Malaria, polio, tuberculosis and malnutrition are all big killers. Diarrhoea alone claims thousands of lives.
During the wet season, when there is no work, often the only food they can eat is a gruel made from kernels taken out of fungus infected mango stones, which slowly poisons them.
When the wet season is in full force, with accompanying cyclonic winds, it is difficult to get clean water as the rivers are churned up with mud and silt, and the banks are slippery and very dangerous. In the dry season, the water levels drastically drop and rivers often dry up. All that’s left are pools of water, which become tainted from bathing, washing clothes and animals defecating. But it’s the only water they have. The women often walk miles each day to get water, carrying one or two 10 litre pots on their head and hips.
Most people don’t understand basic hygiene; pigs, goats and chickens all co-exist with the villagers.
The desperately poor are becoming the forgotten people.
Does anybody care? Jacob’s Well does. There are 180 villages in one district alone in desperate need of our help.
How We Break the Poverty Cycle
We are partnering with Indian nationals, who are living and working with the tribal villagers, ensuring a better future.
Millennium Development Goals aim to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger and ensure environmental sustainability.
As part of Jacob’s Well’s sustainability initiatives we have set up a not-for-profit Foundation in India to enable business enterprises within the community to generate income to finance existing and future projects. These projects will also provide income streams for the community at large. We require sponsorship to start up these sustainability initiatives.
Our goal is to reduce the infant mortality rate and improve the health, knowledge and quality of life of the desperately poor. Through help, support and education they develop skills to deal with immediate problems such as illiteracy, few job opportunities, little or no income, poor health and poor hygiene.
Providing clean water and hygiene education to each village, along with health services, education and skills training is essential to breaking the poverty cycle. To achieve this we identify the area of need and seek out the village leader(s). Once the leader(s) approve and embrace our initiatives, the whole community will follow.
Clean, Fresh Water Wells, Hygiene Education and Sanitation
Immediate problems such as poor health and hygiene can be overcome. Clean drinking water and sanitation are essential to a healthy life. More information.
Literacy and Education
Education is the answer for so many of the problems these people experience. Literacy and new skills classes enable the reading of medicine instructions and documents, and provide better job opportunities. Visit our fight poverty sponsorship packages page for more information.
Village Transformation
In addition to our bore wells, hygiene education and literacy programs, we aim to supply each village with at least four trees per family for an additional food source, shade and medicinal remedies. Visit our fight poverty sponsorship packages page for more information.
Small Business Enterprises
Providing help, support and start-up loans empowers the desperately poor to become self-sufficient. Farming, goats, chickens and tailoring are just some of the seed businesses that can provide an income. Visit our fight poverty sponsorship packages page for more information.
Health and Resource Centre
A community health and resource centre will provide a facility for literacy and skills training along with access to timely medical attention and general healthcare. This will ensure a better quality of life and assist in lowering the infant mortality rate. Visit our fight poverty sponsorship packages page for more information.
Fight Child Poverty Through Child Sponsorship
Jacob’s Well has established the Rejoice Care Centre, providing life changing education, shelter and care for children. There are over 1000 orphans in one district alone in need of child sponsorship. Child Sponsorship details.
Our life-saving vision of justice and hope is not exclusive to Orissa but extends throughout India and the world.
On behalf of the villagers we thank you.
Becoming a Jacob’s Well Fight Poverty Sponsor
To become a Jacob's Well fight poverty sponsor you can pay securely online through your PayPal account or credit card with just a few clicks. Click the relevant ‘Sponsor’ button above left to make your payment. If you do not have a PayPal account click here to create one. Alternatively you can make a direct deposit into our bank account Westpac 033 112 209002 or download and complete the relevant sponsorship form (links below), fill in your details and send together with your payment to PO Box 680, Glen Waverley, Australia 3150. Please make cheques made payable to ‘Jacob’s Well India’.
100% of your donation goes directly India.* Our dedicated team of field workers ensure your donation goes to the area of greatest need. Donations to approved aid development activities are tax deductible.
* If a tax receipt is required this incurs a 6% processing fee. Credit card transactions incur up to 2.7% bank fee.
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