In 2001, Dalit leaders requested help to educate Dalit children. They asked for quality education in the English medium with a world-view based on human worth, freedom, choice and dignity, values that were routinely denied these children. To date we have established 100 Dalit Education Centres¹ - schools for 4-16 year olds - educating more than 20,000 children, most of whom are Dalits. Our goal is 1,000 centres around India

[why education?]

Without education many of the children of the Dalit communities of India will be condemned to a life of bonded labour, begging, continual abuse and hopelessness. We estimate that 30-40% of our pupils would otherwise be trafficked if they were not in our schools.

English is the language of power, commerce and social acceptance in India. Normally English medium education is the preserve of the social elite and is only obtained through expensive private education. Thus English language effectively becomes a hurdle to social and economic advancement that the Dalits could never normally climb.

By enduing this education with the value system requested by Dalit leaders we can lift these children out of the oppressive caste inferiority mindset. This provides a way to escape the cycle of poverty and exploitation in which they are otherwise trapped, and which makes children and their families so vulnerable to unscrupulous elements of society who would enslave or traffick them.

[building schools]

When an invitation to start a school comes from local community leaders, we will conduct a feasibility study to assess the viability of a school and the availability of land. Most schools begin in rented accommodation with a kindergarten class, adding a new class each year until the available rooms are fully utilised. It can take a long time to identify and purchase land, and gain permission to build. Most building projects have three phases, adding several classrooms at a time (up to 12 in total) with additional facilities for science and computers, along with community health and development projects.

[education for all]

Education is given to children regardless of caste, creed, skin colour or faith. However, the schools are placed in an area where the majority population are from a Dalit background and 70% of the places are reserved for them. This education is built on high academic standards and based on values promoting socio-economic equality. Each school has a highly trained team of competent Indian national teachers.

[free a dalit child]

You can provide a life-changing education for children through DFN’s child sponsorship programme which provides books, uniforms, teachers' salaries, facility fees, administrative costs etc. [Find out more...]