Poverty, Illiteracy, Child Mortality seem distant and difficult to recognise when one sees it all around from childhood. The average is closer to the normal. One gets the real experience after coming from abroad or living in a city like Gurgaon. The scale of inequity is exponential. High towers neighbour small dingys and slums. Naked children prostate on the bonet of air conditioned cars begging their share of the prosperity.
The inequities are huge with the development indicators for some of our population as low as that of sub-saharan Africa and others as high as that of a developed OECD region. The complex question is how can one single individual assist in removing these blots in a sustainable manner. The question becomes complex as the sheer size of the numbers who are in need of help is quiet large. A drop of water rather even a complete tanker of water in the barren deserts will not be of any help.
The problem is structural and needs to be tackled accordingly, I have always believed that funding people directly is not a good idea and not sustainable. Creating a framework that allows multiple generations to become self sufficient and further spread the reach is essential. But the next question is what is that framework? Is it to create entrepreneurs through micro financing, to initiate education in the region, to bring guaranteed employment to the people, to provide health care facilities? Which one of these have a maximum impact and start a chain reaction that alleviates the evils? How can technology help?
