Our Communities – Gujarat

gujarat-district-map

Dang District

Area: 681 square miles (1,764 sq km)

Total Population: 228,291

Rural Population: 203,604

Population distribution*: 0 cities, 1 town, 311 villages

Rural female literacy rate: 65.12%

Average yearly family income of a Dangs Scholar: $365 (INR 21,900)

Surat District

Area: 1,612 square miles (4,212 sq km)

Total Population: 6,079,231 (2011 census)

Rural Population: 1,232,109

Population distribution*: 1 city, 14 towns, 745 villages

Rural female literacy rate: 70.6% (2011 census)

Average yearly family income of a Surat Scholar: $493 (INR 29,600)

Tapi District

Area: 1,325 square miles (3,434 sq km)

Total Population: 807,022

Rural Population: 727,535 

Population distribution*: 0 cities, 5 towns, 519 villages

Rural female literacy rate: 59.25%

Average yearly family income of a Tapi Scholar: $310 (INR 18,700)

A Closer Look

*In India, a city is defined as more than 500,000 people. A village is less than 200,000 and a town is anything in between.

83% of our Scholars fall into the Scheduled Tribe/Scheduled Caste (ST/SC) designation. These are communities of indigenous and marginalized people who have been identified by the Indian government as being socio-economically disadvantaged. While the government has implemented many programs to help these people attain financial security, many still struggle to attain an acceptable standard of living as defined by the United Nations.

A significant number of ST/SC people are engaged in subsistence farming and many, due to limited crop harvests, are forced to become migrant laborers and become trapped in a vicious debt cycle. For more about migrant laborers in southern Gujarat, click here.