The Kamla Foundation is a small Uk charity offering practical help to the poorest families in India. For a relatively modest sum, and to celebrate our grandson's good fortune in being brought up in the relative wealth of the UK, they've provided a village with a well

1. The UKis in something of a turmoil right now as we contemplateleaving the
European Community. Thepapers are full of what thismight mean for savings, for
mortgagesand for house prices. But it is worth remembering that worrying as these
thingsmight be, relative to much of the rest of theworld, nearly all of us in theUK
will continue to live lives ofrelative affluence. It is a remarkable fact that ifany ofus
have some loose changeat home, some surplus coins in a saucer, or on a bedside
table,money for which thereis no particularpurpose, we are among the8% most
affluent peopleon our planet. 92% of peopleon earth have no such surplus coins.
Every penny theyhaveis needed and used for life’s essentials.
The inequalityof theworld we live in is particularlyvivid in India, a country my wife
and I have visited many times and which we love for its colour, astonishing city
bustle, beautiful beaches, sensational foodand kind and welcoming people.But,
particularlyaway from thebeaches and thecities, it is a country of immense and
grinding poverty where millions of peoplestrugglefor the very basics of life.
That is why, earlier thisyear, we decided that to celebratethebirth of our first
grandchild,Ezra, we would not buy him thetraditionalChristening mug or opena
Trust Fund. Instead, we’ddo something to remind himas he grows up, of his own
goodfortune in being born here in theUK. And therelativemisfortune of so many
otherbabiesborn in poorerparts of theworld.
In theSivagangaidistrict of thestateof Tamil Nadu in India, lies a small hamlet
called Pillathienhal.ThepopulationofPillathienhalisjust under 2,000, mostly
working in agriculture, the peoplewho live there are – as described by theIndian
Government, not byme or theKamla Foundation– are members of theMost
Backward Class.
The villagehas one overheadwater tank, but it functions poorlyand irregularly. As a
consequence thevillagers use opentank water from an adjacent village,two
kilometres away. That water is polluted and sometimes promptsepidemics
including scabies and dysentry. Children are particularlyhit.During thesummer, the
water crisis is severe.
In a few weeks a bore well willbe sunk in Pillathienhalasa celebrationof Ezra’s
birth.He may never see it. But who knows? What is certain is that it will bea
reminder to my grandson, as it is to hisparents and to my wife and I of our own
goodfortune. In truth,it has cost me very little:taking account of gift aid, about
£1100. That’sless than thecost of a modest holiday.Mygrandson won’t miss his
Christening mug or his Trust Fund, while thechildrenof Pillathienhalcanexpect to
suffer less from dysentry. Fewer of themwill dieearly.