Page 39 - Education World November 2022

Contrasting images of 21st century India: favourable philanthropy ground conditions

rehabilitation aid to people and communities devastated ing the world from achieving the second UN Sustainable
by calamities such as floods, earthquakes, famine, war etc. Development Goal (SDG 2), ‘Zero Hunger’ by 2030,” warn
Currently, its international secretariat is based in Nairobi the authors of GHI 2022.
(Kenya) with offices in Addis Ababa, Washington D.C, New Although ex facie these two deeply researched and au-
York, Geneva, and Brussels. Moreover, it has eponymous thoritative reports — dismissed by government spokesper-
affiliates in 21 countries including India (estb.2008), an sons (economics pundit Swaminathan Aiyar, consulting
annual budget of $ 1 billion and 196 employees worldwide editor of the Economic Times rubbishes GHI 2022 as “sta-
on its pay roll. In short, its survey reports and data — even tistical garbage”) as extensive tomes written with the sole
if not its solutions — need to be accorded great respect. purpose of maligning India — represent cause and effect,
Perhaps coincidentally but simultaneously, two other they contain the seeds of a solution. Oxfam’s CRII report
respectable NGOs — the Dublin (Ireland)-based Concern provides ample evidence that there’s a large pool of rich
Worldwide (estb.1968) and the Bonn (Germany)-based citizens in poor India and their number is fast rising.
Welthungerhilf (1962) — published the G lob al Hunger According to CRII 2022, whereas there were nine US
I ndex ( G HI ) 2022, in which India is included among 35 dollar billionaires in India in the millennium year (2000),
countries suffering ‘serious’ mass hunger. “The hunger lev- their number increased to 101 in 2017, and currently there
els in both South Asia (where hunger is greatest) and sub- are US dollar 119 billionaires countrywide. Moreover, the
Saharan Africa (where hunger is second greatest) are con- authors of the index estimate that the number of rupee
sidered serious. South Asia has the highest child stunting millionaires in India rose by 70 per day during the period
rate and by far, the highest child wasting rate of any world 2018-22, despite Covid-19 severely disrupting business and
region. Africa South of the Sahara has the highest preva- the economy. Quite clearly, ground conditions for practice
lence of undernourishment and rate of child mortality of of serious philanthropy to end child hunger and nurture the
any world region. East Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia country’s next generation are promising.
are experiencing one of the most severe droughts of the National focus on nurturing generation next is impor-
past 40 years, threatening the lives of millions. According tant because the brunt of hunger and malnutrition in 21st
to forecasts, the climate crisis will be a key factor prevent- century India, is borne by children. According to GHI 2022,

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