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| Children in India march in a parade to raise awareness about alcohol abuse. |
They spend their days in the field, performing backbreaking farm work. Others drive rickshaws for hours on end. After these men complete a day’s work, they only have about $1 to show for their effort, a sum that doesn’t come close to supporting their families.
Many can’t face the reality of their lives. So they turn to alcohol, seeking relief and comfort, a way to forget their problems. For a short while, they escape, and the aches and pains their bodies experience from the grueling work fade.
But soon the harsh reality sinks back in. Their humble existence continues, a cycle of poverty and alcoholism.
A Community Addiction
Roughly 60 percent of the men in Moyna, a rural community in India, are alcoholics, according to Jibananda Das with Children International’s Sahay office.
They can’t afford to spend their earnings on alcohol, but their addiction won’t let them stop drinking. So they continue buying alcohol, frequently purchasing tari, an inexpensive liquor made locally from the fermented juice of date palm.
“When they do not have money, some sell household items or even steal to get the money to buy alcohol,” says Urmila Mitra, who works in our Sahay office.
As the disease eats away at the men – they come to rely on alcohol so much that they become lethargic and are unable to work.
“My husband often does not return home; income is low, he cannot eat, and we have no money to visit the doctor,” one woman laments.
Children of alcoholic fathers are also impacted, often upset by their father’s drinking and subsequent behavior. “[Alcoholism] affects the proper upbringing of the children,” another mother reports.
Moving Forward
Poor families in Moyna typically spend their earnings as soon as they receive it, explains Kristi Barten Siwajek, Children International’s regional director for Asia. They can’t adequately provide basic necessities for themselves, much less afford to save money for the future.
“The fathers don’t see the future potential for their sons, about providing for them or preparing for their future,” Barten Siwajek says. “Daughters will be married off someday, so they are not a big concern of the fathers.”
While alcoholism continues to negatively affect the Moyna community, awareness about the negative effects of drinking is spreading.
Our Sahay staff has organized village meetings, parent meetings and self-help groups to educate the community about the issue. Sponsored children and mothers march in parades, displaying posters to inform others about the effects of alcoholism.
Community members are coming together, working to end the disease that is crippling their community. Because only then can they begin to seek a better way of life.
Jibananda Das and Urmila Mitra of our Sahay project contributed to this report.
Photo by Asit Das. |
