Thanks so much for finding your way to this site. Many of you may have just received an email from me letting you know that I will be traveling to India in April and May to work in Duncan Hospital in rural Bihar in the north of India. Here is a little information [1] about Bihar and the hospital where I will be working.
Bihar is located in the eastern part of the country (between 83°-30' to 88°-00' longitude). It is an entirely land–locked state, although the outlet to the sea through the port of Kolkata is not far away. Bihar lies mid-way between the humid West Bengal in the east and the sub humid Uttar Pradesh in the west which provides it with a transitional position in respect of climate, economy and culture. It is bounded by Nepal in the north and by Jharkhand in the south. The Bihar plain is divided into two unequal halves by the river Ganga which flows through the middle from west to east.
Major State Indicators
- The name Bihar is derived from the word ‘vihara’, meaning monastery. Bihar was a great religious center for Buddhists. It was at Bodhgaya in Bihar that Buddha attained enlightenment. Nearby Nalanda was a world famous Buddhist university in the 5th century AD.
- Despite its ancient religious links it is the poorest and least developed of Indian states today.
- Notorious for caste related conflicts, kidnappings and Naxalite activity.
- Population of 82 million; approximately 87% of the population in Bihar resides in rural areas, isolated from information, services, and supplies, which support survival.
- 57% of the population is below the poverty line
- Has the lowest literacy rate – 47%.
- In rural Bihar, the infant mortality rate is 63 deaths per 1000 live births, under 5 mortality rate is 105 and the maternal mortality ratio is 451 deaths per 100,000 live births. (in the US, the maternal mortality rate is 11 per 100,000 live births.) [2]
Reading through these statistics may seem heartbreaking, it may seem overwhelming, or maybe just banal due to our constant beratement with such statistics. For me, this seems like a calling. One that I often wish that I didn't have because it would be easier just not to care, but one that I pursue nonetheless. I believe in going to Bihar I will experience once again the stench of poverty and depravity and see my own poverty and depravity more acutely. I would like to invite you over the next several months to follow along at this blog and will appreciate your support through prayer and encouragement.
2-Maternal Mortality in 2005, accessed on 08-30-2008
Photo from flickr.com/photos/
Get it David... Just get it.
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