Free The Children’s Newest Community in India

Free The Children is proud to announce that Barind is the organization’s newest Adopt a Village community in India!

Located in a very remote area of Rajasthan, Barind is a fairly large community that is made up of almost 300 households, with a population of over 1,000 people. Barind is comprised of a number of different ethnic groups and castes, like the Scheduled Tribes (ST), Scheduled Castes (SC) and Other Backward Classes (OBC). Some live in permanent-style homes while others live in dirt houses.

Like with all new Free The Children communities, the organization has conducted extensive research before beginning any work in Barind. Guided by the principles of asset-based development, the organization is assessing the community’s needs and also determining what resources and assets the community already has that can be built upon.

Barind is located in a desert region of India, which faces numerous social and economic challenges. Migration is common in this subsistence-farming community. Both men and women are often forced to seek out migrant labour opportunities in neighbouring districts, towns or distant cities, leaving their children at home with grandparents. The community has no access to general health care services and relies on one well and three local hand-pumps for their water needs, most of which are non-functioning or have dried up because of drought.

To learn more about Free The Children’s work in India, visit www.freethechildren.com/india