While India has been one of the fastest growing economies in recent times, the developments hitherto have not always been all-inclusive. India’s rank of 130 among 188 countries in the Human Development Index bears testimony that the economic progress has not percolated to all sections of the society, especially in the rural areas. Most rural citizens do not have access to basic health services, me
dications for clearly identifiable and easily treatable illnesses due to inadequate infrastructure and organization in the rural public health sector. The major cause of these treatable illnesses are poor hygiene practices such as open defecation which, in turn is triggered by lack of proper sanitary facilities such as availability of bathrooms and clean water. Reduced access to knowledge coupled with insufficient primary educational infrastructure is another dimension contributing to a lower standard of living in rural areas. Symphony of Indian Arts and Recreation for Rural Aid or SIARRA hopes to ameliorate some of these problems by working with the local bodies and individuals and providing financial assistance through fundraisers by Indian artists and performers. We hope that through our activities, we can promote Indian cultural arts and spread awareness about the quality of rural life while generating funds for the betterment of the rural citizens on the ground.
