Lacquer and Ankudu Wood Artisans of Etikoppaka, India

Etikoppaka is a rural farming village of about twelve thousand inhabitants located in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The village has also long been home to skilled artisans who use wood from the local ankudu tree to create distinctively lacquered household goods and art pieces to be sold throughout the country and exported abroad. In the latter half of the twentieth century, however, demand for the wooden goods declined, lowering prices and causing many artisans to abandon their craft and look for other types of work outside of Etikoppaka. Difficulties also arose in the production of lacquered wood crafts, as the divi-divi tree, from which was made the traditional red-colored dye, became extinct, forcing artisans to purchase more expensive synthetic dyes. The population of lacquer artisans in Etikoppaka dwindled, and fewer and fewer young people chose to learn the craft. Eventually, the lacquer tradition of Etikoppaka would have been forgotten, were it not for a handful of enterprising artisans intent on reviving and preserving their skills.

Lacquered Ankudu Woodcrafts

The dye for the lacquer used by Etikoppaka's artisans is derived from various trees and plants, which are powdered and boiled to form thick lather. The concentrate is cooled, filtered, and mixed with lacquer that has been slowly heated in an open oven. The colored lacquer is then stretched, cooled, and cut into small sticks. The lacquer is now ready to be applied to a chiseled and sanded ankudu wood product, such as a toy, bowl, or bangle. Dried leaves of the mogali plant are rubbed on the surface of the wood, which spreads the color evenly and gives a glossy finish to the product.

Region: South Asia
Capital: New Delhi
Population: 156,770,000 (2007)
Size: Half the size of the US
Independence: From United Kingdom on August 14, 1947
Currency: Indian rupee
Languages: Hindi (official, 30%). There are 22 officially recognized languages in India and in total about 33 languages with 2000 dialects spoken across the subcontinent.

Adult Literacy Rate: Male: 73.4%, Female: 47.8% (2001)
Education: Free until university
Primary School Enrollment Rate: 66% (2004)
Life Expectancy: Male 66.28 years; Female 71.17 years (2007)
Infant Mortality Rate: 34.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2007)
HIV/AIDS Prevalence Rate: 0.9% (2005)
Poverty Rate: 25% live below the national poverty line (2002)
People living on less that $2 a day: 79.9% (2004)
People living on less that $1 a day: 34% (2004)
Access to Clean Drinking Water: 91% (2004)
Access to Proper Sanitation: 59% (2004)
Doctor to Patient Ratio: 60 doctors for every 100,000 people (1990-2004)

All statistics from CIA World Factbook 2007 & UNDP Human Development Report 2006

Did you know: The world's first university was established in Takshashila in 700BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world gathered to study over 60 subjects.

India, known to many as the world's largest democracy, has made great advancements economically over the last decade. The economy is booming, the city of Mumbai (formerly Bombay) is a global market hub, and a middle class is growing in urban centers. However, rural poverty remains widespread, and as rural migrants flock to the cities in search of work and income, urban slums are growing quickly.

Rural communities face a number of challenges across India. Heavily dependant on agriculture, farmers and their families suffer at the hands of both natural causes such as drought and human-made triggers such as unfair global trade rules. Many farmers face crippling debts and what seems like no opportunity for upward mobility. As the population of India continues to grow quickly it has become a burden on the country's environment and natural resources. Rural poor then often choose to migrate to cities in search of work and a better life, leading to overcrowding in cities and deteriorating infrastructure in rural areas. Once living in urban areas, these migrants face multiple challenges looking for employment, finding shelter, and living in a region where they may need to learn a new language to survive. Many people continue to live without access to clean water or toilets. India currently has the highest tuberculosis prevalence of any nation and the second largest number of annual deaths from AIDS. One-third of the world's malnourished children live in India.

India is also known for a history of discrimination against women. The prevalence of infanticide, the practice of killing girl babies, has created a gender imbalance in the population: 927 females to 1000 males. Women have less access to education and health services. Seventy-three percent of men in India are literate while only 47.8 percent of women are literate. This impacts women's ability to work, earn a living, and live independently. As India's economy improves, women in urban, upper-class communities are receiving greater access to education and human rights. But women in rural communities continue to be left behind, forced to remain in traditional gender roles.

Did you know that Bollywood, India's movie industry, produces twice as many movies as Hollywood a year: over 1000!