J1143N Medical Entitlements Literacy Assistance, India

Context

Our project, MELA (which means ‘festive fair’ in Hindi) works in several urban poor communities in central Lucknow – the capital of Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state. Many people have migrated to the city seeking employment and a better life, but often end up in the harsh conditions of urban informal settlements (slums) built illegally on marginal land – for instance, by the side of railway tracks and sewage canals. Here they struggle to eke out a living, often lacking access to healthcare, education and various key government schemes.

Your change can bring change!

• For half the price of a coffee (US$2/A$3) you can help someone get their eyes tested and make glasses. This can help in myriad ways – from reducing headaches to enabling reading and helping people get back to work.
• For the price of a Big Mac meal (US$6/A$9) you can help a widow, senior citizen or person with a disability apply for a government pension, which will give them a small (US$12/A$18 per month), but stable source of income for the rest of their lives.
• For the price of a fancy meal out (US$30/A$45) you can make a permanent difference in a family’s cooking situation by helping them get a gas connection. Compared to inefficient wood stoves, this is much healthier, more convenient, and lowers greenhouse gas emissions.
• For the price of a couple books (US$50/A$75) you can help a child through a 6 month one-on one literacy course to learn to read their mother-tongue, Hindi. This makes it more likely that they will stay in school longer, learn more while there, and become healthier and more productive citizens when they grow up.

We estimate that these interventions have a tremendous benefit-cost ratio of more than 10:1. For detailed cost-effectiveness modelling of our work, see here