Employment
Most people in our working area are agriculture laborers. Their wages range from Rs. 30/- to Rs. 45/- a day for women and Rs. 60/- for men. Because of a lack of rain in the area, agriculture work and thus income is very unreliable. Many agriculturists rely therefore on random, small scale employment during dry parts of the year. In the seashore area of many people are fishermen. Since the tsunami, the fish populations decreased enormously. Therefore many people have to find different work or try to catch fish in different regions. Some small cement quarries and beedi making companies have entered the area, offering jobs to the population. These companies however exploit the population by demanding high output and giving very low wage. Many people have however no choice but to resort to these jobs as a means of income. Because of the economic conditions in the region, child labour is a big problem. Many children are send to work in match and firework factories to provide some income for the family.
To support income generation in the area AID INDIA has introduced basket making, weaving and tailoring skills among a small amount of the population.

Religion
The majority of the population is Hindu. The religious system is an ever- present obstacle to overcome for many people. The poorest, “Dhalit” caste (also known as untouchables), are subject to many prejudices, and opportunities are regularly denied to them based not on personal merit, but on their caste. Also the idea that one is unable to progress during his/her lifetime suppresses many people’s ambitions.

Women
In this rural and traditional area, women are seen as inferior to men. Women are still subject to arranged marriages, the dowry system, and ideologies which classify them as little more than a man’s property. Violence in the household is common (the state Tamil Nadu has the highest number of instances of violence against women in all of India). Women are made to feel as though they are liabilities and unable to function on their own.

People with disabilities
People with disabilities are seen as yet another burden placed on a family. Many are left to die after birth and those who stay alive are made to feel useless and an obstacle to their family’s well-being. Schooling is often not an option for them as transportation is unavailable, programs acknowledging special needs in education are not in place, and classmates are often not tolerant towards the disabled child. Parents who do take special interest in the well-being of their disabled child find that there are few programs in place to help them, and discouragement is very common. Services that people might take for granted in Western countries, such as the access to a proper wheelchair, are simply not available, or very difficult to obtain. The idea of a wheelchair-accessible-building is almost completely unheard of in this area.

Literacy level
42% of the people in our district has a basic literacy level, with this figure being dominated by men, who receive preferential treatment in education. Many people in the area cannot sign their own name, and must use a thumb-print on any official documents (many of which do not have space for the imprint).

Health status
Health conditions among the rural poor are worse than even those living in the slums of cities. There are several reasons for this of which the most important ones are a lack of health services and improper or inadequate diets.

Common health problems prevalent in these areas are Tuberculosis (which kills more than half a million Indians annually), Bronchitis, upper respiratory infection, Diarrhea, Dysentery, Scabies, Eczema, Malnutrition like Kwaschrivocar, Vitamin Deficiency disease (anemia, night blindness, rickets), Stomatitis, Ositis, Chickenpox and Measles.

Some of the diseases mentioned earlier are caused by an improper or inadequate diet and nutrition.

Rice is the most prominent and most important food in the region. Ragi, kambu and jola are also eaten when these grains are available. Small epidemics and infectious diseases are common because people drink water from a common open well, which is not protected and treated.

There are government and private health centers in the area. Many villagers are however not touched by these services. While 80 percent of the population lives in rural areas, 84 percent of hospital beds and over 90 percent of doctors are concentrated in urban areas. Most doctors are attracted to the larger centers, as rural hospitals do not have the proper or necessary equipment to provide more than basic medical attention.

Some superstitious beliefs connected to marriages, deaths and sicknesses also cause problems in case of sickness. Chickenpox for example is attributed to the anger of the goddess Mariamma and many diseases are never seen as the result of virus which spreads through improper hygiene and sanitation. Lack of proper education, health awareness, community organization, transportation, and communication results in many villagers succumbing to death in the event of serious sickness or accidents.

Education
There are public and private schools in the area, but not enough to service the needs of all rural people. Private schools are too expensive for any normal rural family, and some others (who can afford it) find that the public schools are not located within walking distance. Most families cannot afford the bus fare every day for their children. Some families cannot even afford to send their children to the public school because there is not enough money for the supplies, schoolbooks and uniforms.

Besides a shortage of schools, few services such as libraries and banks are available in the area. The area of operation is however the base of operations of many NGO’s and charitable organizations that are doing an increasing amount of beneficial work for our communities.

Beneficiaries
The people who benefit from AID INDIA’s programs are those who experience particularly severe poverty and discrimination. Our focus is on women of the lowest castes, widows, children and people with disabilities.