Getting Rural Kids to School - India

OVERVIEW:

The purpose of this project is to increase accessibilty for Dalit children to get to school.

Since the Dalits (otherwise known in India as "Untouchables") have been held effectively as slaves for centuries, their children have not had access to an English based education system - English language being a prerequisite to real employment in India. These four new buses will provide access to education for hundreds of Dalit children.

INCOME TAX DEDUCTIBLE: yes

WHAT WE LIKE ABOUT IT:

The organisation that is implementing this project has already established over 85 Dalit education centres across 18 states of India over the past 10 years. The education centres started in rental properties and over recent years over 35 new facilities have been built and brought into operation. These education centres have already proved to have profound effects on transforming the lives of Dalit children who are extremely oppressed in India. Each new centre continues to transform the lives of more and more children in new communities across India. These buses will be the means for which hundreds of children will be able to access this life transforming education.

BUDGET

Funds will be used to purchase four new buses for $27,500 each.

1. THE NEED FOR THE BUSES

In India there are over 650,000 villages spread across the country. Dalits reside in the majority of these villages but they have no access to public transport nor do the villagers own or have access to a vehicle. Even in villages which are near a Dalit Education Centre and parents want their children to attend, the lack of transport means the child is unable to attend. If children live within 10 kms of a school they may walk to and from school but many live within 20kms of a school and simply cannot walk to school.  

2. HOW DOES THE CENTRE ACHIEVE THIS?

• Provide access to an education for Dalit children who currently cannot get to an existing school
• Reinforce the belief that people do care for Dalits
• Increase the opporunity to start to overcome poverty and oppression of humdreds of years by Dalit families in the region of the new school.

3. IMPACT

The impact continues to grow as more and more Dalit education centres are establised and more buses are purchased to create accessibility. 15,000 Dalit children are now being educated through these centres and this number will rise to over 18,000 this year. The education of Dalit children will ensure that slavery of this community will become a thing of the past and that these children will grow up knowing their truth value and worth and with the skills to pursue good jobs and create a positive future for themselves and their families.