Help the poor in India slums

Donate to Poverty project India Improve the lives of India’s urban poor by giving them access to sustainable products that make their lives better. In April Next year I will be going to India to volunteer for a year on a development program in the slums and I need to raise between $5000 and $10 000 to make this happen. This money will be used for accommodation, materials and infrastructure of the program. Any donations will help make this important program a success. More about the Energy Poverty Program In the slums in India there is a crisis of energy supply and safe water supply. Currently in the slums people are using kerosene for lighting and cooking, at a cost of 1/3 of their wages. Use of this fuel has direct adverse effects relating to a person’s health, safety and general well-being. This program is introducing solar energy to the slums so as to eliminate the costs and the health issues of seeing and cooking with kerosene. Burning kerosene for light, particularly in the poorly ventilated confines of a tent home, contributes to indoor air pollution. This pollution causes respiratory illness, which is the second largest cause of premature death in women and young children. When kerosene is burnt, it releases particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and various nitrogen oxides. Exposure to these pollutants has a multitude of detrimental effects on a person’s health. They include increased risk to respiratory disease, reduced oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, immediate changes to pulmonary function and respiratory symptoms, and exacerbation or increased susceptibility to respiratory infections . The relatively small volume of air space, coupled with generally poor ventilation, compounds exposure levels for people living in a typical tent. This has been likened to smoking more than a packet of cigarettes a day. Supplying solar energy for cooking and lighting will not only save the low income earners money but will provide a healthier more sustainable energy supply. Clean water is also an issue in the slums. This program aims to introduce water filters into the slums to improve the illness and death rate of the occupants in the slums. If you would like to contribute to this cause please follow the link to subscribe