India (IPS/MNN) — The Dalits, or "Untouchables," are the poorest caste in India, relegated to the dirtiest jobs that nobody else wants to do.
Most of them eke out their lives on less than $1 a day. So what happens when a Dalit gets sick? Getting sick means they can't work. If they can't work, they have no money to buy food. Given the choice between food and medical care, most will choose food, which means that a simple medical issue will go untreated–sometimes ending in death.
Traditional healthcare is unaffordable, as are the prescriptions, until now. With the help of India Partners, just $2.85 can mean the difference between life and death for one person.
For that amount, India Partners can send the Mobile Medical Van full of doctors, nurses, medicines and supplies to remote villages to serve the poorest of the poor. A visit covers examination, treatment, and medicines. A gift of $285 will care for a whole village-100 people.
India Partners shares the story of Lalitha, a widow who lives in Nagalanka. She has two children ages 6 and 7 who both recently got sick. Lalitha desperately wanted to help them, but knew that if she didn't work that day, she couldn't afford to buy food for dinner. So she went to work.
Lalitha hoped her children would get better, but days later they were worse. They were losing weight and were close to dying. At that time, the Mobile Medical Van drove into her village and set up a medical camp. It only took their doctors a few minutes to see that her children had malaria. And after receiving the needed medicines and treatment, both children fully recovered.
The cost to save the lives of those two children was less than what you'll spend the next time you go out to dinner.
The Mobile Medical Van program is a fantastic way for you to directly impact people who desperately need help. By cultivating relationships, sharing resources, and encouraging self-sufficiency through the compassion and wisdom of Jesus Christ, India Partners comes alongside ministry teams and helps them succeed.
The Van program has treated and cured thousands of people, but there are hundreds of villages and thousands more people who need help today. Check our Featured Links Section if you can help.
