Reduce Poverty for Indigenous Rat Catchers

(Prithi Trivedi, a former GlobalGiving intern, visited this project during her travels in India during June, 2007. Following are her impressions and photographs taken during her visit).

After being driven an hour outside of the bustling metropolis of Chennai, I first encountered what many call “true India.” Since the majority of India’s enormous population resides not in the city but in the countryside, I was thrilled to finally experience the real heart and soul of the country. As we arrived at the rural site of GlobalGiving’s ratcatcher’s project, the first thing that caught my eye was a huge sign that read “CDDP—Thanks to GlobalGiving.” The Center for the Development of Disadvantaged Peoples was able to fund its production and distribution of healthier and more effective ratcatching machines solely due to GlobalGiving donations.

I toured the area where the wives of the ratcatchers actually made the machines themselves, providing them with a source of income and uplift, and was struck by the productivity of the tribal women. They showed me the process of making the machines, and explained that the necessary funds came from GlobalGiving donations. It was amazing to see the effect of the donations on the ground—how far just a dollar went to the ratcatchers and their families.

Next, I visited a nearby village of tribal ratcatchers, who proudly showed me how to use the new machines, and explained to me how much more effective they were. The villagers were so happy about the machines that they were even trying to spread the word about the new machines to other neighboring villages. The new machines were truly changing the lives of these villagers, allowing them a more secure and safe source of income. My visit to the ratcatcher project was really eye-opening, since for the first time I was able to see just how far GlobalGiving dollars go!

See additional photographs in the Photo Gallery.