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 between 30 to 40 percent of the children in our schools would have been trafficked in some form or another if they were not attending the schools, so you can free a Dalit child by sponsoring their education.

[education for life]

An English medium education opens the doors to opportunities that would have been forever denied to them. Base this education on a worldview that emphasises self-worth, dignity, freedom and equality and you lift these children out of the oppressive caste inferiority mindset and empower them to break out of the cycle of poverty and exploitation.

[free a child, transform a community]

By being willing to sponsor the educational costs of an Indian Dalit child, you will not only be impacting the child's life for ever by setting them free, but you will also be supporting the Dalit community in its fight for freedom and dignity.

[how it works]

Each student at a Dalit Education Centre (DEC) is required to pay a minimal monthly fee. This helps to create a sense of ownership and accountability in the lives of the students and their parents, and engenders dignity, no matter how poor they are. The actual cost of their schooling is much higher than the requested school fees. You can help us maintain the education of these children by sponsoring the remainder needed.

[where your money goes]

Sponsorship costs £15 per child per month. This £15 covers expenses such as uniforms, shoes, textbooks, notebooks, teachers' salary, stationery, administration costs, utility bills for the school, etc. The money is sent to OMIF¹ which pays some of the DEC costs centrally, with the remainder sent to the manager of the DEC where your child is being educated to be used to cover the daily running costs of the school. Some of the money may also be used to cover the costs of further development of the DECs that will benefit all the children at the school. Although your money goes to the DEC, you can get to know the child you are sponsoring by writing to them and sending them a card on their birthday.

[sponsorship]

We are channelling Dalit Education sponsorship through Free A Dalit Child, who run the scheme on behalf of several aid charities. Money is passed on exclusively for the benefit of the Dalit Education Centre where your child is being educated. Free A Dalit Child is a new name for a sponsorship programme that has run since 2006. Free A Dalit Child will handle all of the administration, correspondence and financial details including gift aid reclaim etc. of your sponsorship. They will also answer your questions about the process and what is covered by the sponsorship money.

[free a dalit child now]

To set up your sponsorship now, click on the button below. You will be taken to the DFN page on the Free A Dalit Child website. Make sure you register before selecting a child – this ensures that the administrators know you are sponsoring through DFN – by clicking on the ‘Register and then choose a child to sponsor’ link.