This weekend I met a man from Telangana, one of the poorest states in India. He told how he prayed for the continued economic success of the United States, because he realized he owed his education to U.S. aid.
In Telangana, only about 55% of the population can read. Nearly all villagers are farmers who depend on rainfall, and the monsoon season has been late this year. Consequently, almost half the population could drop below the poverty level.
In this country of over one billion people, non-government organizations (NGOs) in Telangana try to provide education for poor children; children in orphanages; tribal children (banjaras), many who move from place to place; and children who have dropped out of school. Without an education, these children become child workers with no future. NGO aid also funds work programs for women and other unemployed adults.
Meeting someone from one of India's poorest areas put a human face on the education, water shortage, lack of electricity, and unemployment problems Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are addressing by welcoming foreign investment, in part from the successful U.S.
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