Kerala

In addition to blogging on my chosen topic another requirement for this assignment is to read selected chapters from Bill McKibben’s book Hope, Human and Wild.  After reading the assigned chapters I chose to focus on Kerala.  Kerala is a state in India located in the south west portion of the country.  What struck me most about the material covered in the book is how poor Kerala is and how good their education and health care systems are.

This book was published in 1996 and at that time the per capita income in Kerala was 1/70 of the American average.  Average annual income per year is $330 per person.  Kerala also has a huge population which equals out to about 1933 people per square mile. The fact that the state can do so much with so many people and with so little income is amazing. 

To start out with in the 1980s the Kerala government aimed at having “total literacy”.  The United Nations defined as having about 95% of the population able to read and write. Thousands of volunteers set out throughout the region and began to teach people to read and write.  No one was left out the book mentions even those with leprosy were shown how to write by using a rubber band to attach a pencil to their hand stump.  Classes were held out of doors, in courtyards and cowsheds.  This was a serious endeavor that was undertaken and was successful. 

Along with learning reading and writing the population was educated about health concerns. Kerala reported 100% childhood immunization was reached for TB, diphtheria, polio, whooping cough and tetanus.  Affordable medical care at clinics reduces the amount of people carrying intestinal parasites so even there is little food the food that is taken into to the body is used by the body instead of going to parasites.  Birth control is readily available so population grow is about that of first world countries which is about 40% less than the rest of India. 

Life expectancy in Kerala is nearly the same as in the United States.  People of Kerala also expect their children to live into adulthood.  Infant mortality rates are also about equal with that of the US.  This expectation that your children will survive has triggered people to have fewer children. Population growth has declined making it an idea example of a sustainable population.

Kerala has a lot of problems but compared to the rest of India and many other third world populations they are do amazing with what they have.  There is so much more in this chapter that I would like to write about but instead I recommend you read this book for yourself.  It gave me a different view of third world populations and seeing what they can do makes me realize how much more can and needs to be done in our country.