Thanks to everyone at Global Giving, The Growing Connection's initiative in India is flourishing!

Horticultural trials to evaluate high-impact local inputs and the best growing techniques for the region are currently underway and The Growing Connection is preparing to take the findings of these trials directly into the schools and community groups that are using The Growing Connection EarthBoxes in and around Bangalore, India. This is a huge expansion of the project that would not have been possible without the generous support of donors like you at Global Giving.

Thank you to everyone who has joined us in our mission to improve nutrition and break the cycle of poverty around the world.

Pictures:

• More kids are growing food in India thanks to Global Giving! (JPG)

Hi everyone,

Thought you might like to see some more pictures from the project!

Amy

Pictures:

• 006_32.jpg (JPG)
• 023_15.jpg (JPG)
• 026_12.jpg (JPG)

In case you are interested, here are some sources to learn more about the situation facing the Indian people.

1. New York Times Article, March 13, 2009 “As Indian Growth Soars, Child Hunger Persists” :

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/13/world/asia/13malnutrition.html

“Small, sick, listless children have long been India’s scourge — “a national shame,” in the words of its prime minister, Manmohan Singh. But even after a decade of galloping economic growth, child malnutrition rates are worse here than in many sub-Saharan African countries, and they stand out as a paradox in a proud democracy.



China, that other Asian economic powerhouse, sharply reduced child malnutrition, and now just 7 percent of its children under 5 are underweight, a critical gauge of malnutrition. In India, by contrast, despite robust growth and good government intentions, the comparable number is 42.5 percent. Malnutrition makes children more prone to illness and stunts physical and intellectual growth for a lifetime.”



2. Info Change India, Social Development Report – April 3, 2009:

http://infochangeindia.org/200602065997/Governance/Books-Reports/Poverty-in-India-increasingly-region-group-specific-says-Social-Development-Report.html

“Whereas India accounts for 17% of the world’s population, 36% of the world’s poor (those surviving on less than US$ 1 a day) live in this country, as do 68% of those afflicted with leprosy and 30% of people suffering from tuberculosis. India also accounts for 26% of vaccine-preventable deaths among under-5-year-olds.



A report prepared in April 2004 by the United States-based financial services leader Goldman Sachs observed: “India is often characterized as a country of contradictions. This idea is exemplified by the popular phrase that India accounts for close to a third of the world’s software engineers and a quarter of the world’s undernourished.”



The only piece of good news, according to the report, is that India has defied the doomsayers’ predictions that such a disparate country could never succeed as a single nation state. Instead, it has emerged as one of the fastest growing countries of the world.”

Great news! The Growing Connection India Project has been selected to be a part of Global Giving’s Earth Day ½ match Campaign! Global Giving has $25,000 they will draw down by giving a 50% match for every donation that is made to a selected group of projects from April 4th – 28th . Once the money has been drawn down it’s gone. So we are encouraging all supporters to contribute early!



Please consider supporting this project that will allow communities surrounding Kudapa to grow their own fresh, nutritious vegetables directly impacting the nutrition of the most vulnerable. With enough support these gardens can be fully integrated into The Growing Connection network allowing young people access to information and education otherwise unattainable.

Thanks to the contributions from Global Giving donors and others we now hope to send a considerably larger shipment of EarthBoxes to establish a demonstration garden in Kudapa. This garden will allow the community to see first hand the potential of the EarthBox technology to grow a large amount of fresh, nutritious vegetables in very small spaces and to overcome common agricultural challenges like too much or too little rain. We will use the garden to draw attention from local authorities, farmers and families, potential donors and local organizations to partner with us in our efforts to overcome chronic malnutrition and poverty in this region.

Due to some delays in shipping quotes and the high cost of shipping the Jan - Feb trip was delayed, but we hope to ship soon and be ready to install the demonstration garden this summer. The mission for this trip is to start to identify reliable and effective partners in the region that can provide on-going horticultural support to local farmers and to do research on low cost or no cost local planting media.

My next trip to the TGC sites in India will take place in January or February 2009 to oversee the planting of over 20 new Earthboxes. Fr. Donahue's Mercy Home for Boys in Chicago helped to raise funds for gardens at Fr. Vijay's School in Bakrapet, and donations from GlobalGiving will go towards gardens and training at that location, and our other locations in Chinumachupali Village and St. Ann's Home for the Mentally Retarded.

For further reading, I have attached a PDF file that documented my last trip to the region.

Attachments:

• Travel Journal (PDF)