Background
With over 1.3 billion people, India is home to 18% of the world’s population. By 2028, the UN estimates it will overtake China to become the most populous country in the world. Robust economic growth has contributed to a decline in the number of people living in poverty but a fifth of the population remains poor, particularly in rural areas. People with disabilities in India often become isolated from community life and struggle to gain employment and access to basic services such as healthcare and education. CBM has been working with our partners in India for five decades, working to prevent avoidable blindness, improve health and help people with disabilities go to school, earn a living, access health care/rehabilitation and secure respect in their communities. Our programmes in India focus on areas where the greatest numbers of people live in extreme poverty and with the highest numbers of people with disabilities.
Swabhiman’s partnership process started in 2018 when a team from CBM India visited the Swabhiman office. In 2019 the partnership was finally approved and a project was initiated.