With 70 per cent of India’s population living in rural areas, the health and welfare of women and children is swiftly falling behind. In a culture where men "are fed first, the most and the best," according to Swami Varishthananda, women are often brushed to the wayside. This leaves them, and the children they’re baring, at risk for malnutrition and disease. When health does become an issue, travelling 20 miles to the nearest city is often too costly for the family and they are left to suffer.
Ramakrishna Mission is an Indian organization, founded in Varanasi, which is trying to bridge this gap. Driving a bus out to the slums and villages surrounding Varanasi each day, the organization has brought free health care and preventative health education to the people, with a focus on women and children.