Dalit Solidarity - What We Do

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in India

Thursday, 28 August 2008

4:49:54 AM

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Our Friends

What we do

Our work is about access, opportunity and empowerment.

For the past seven years, Dalit Solidarity has worked steadily to provide India’s Dalits with the tools they need to make better lives for themselves and their families. Thousands of Dalits now have access to quality health care. Hundreds of children are being given the opportunity to attend good schools, from elementary through graduate school. Several hundred Dalit widows are learning that they too can be productive members of Indian society, deserving of dignity and respect. We advocate tirelessly on behalf of India’s Dalits, addressing the issues of caste and untouchability, and standing strong for one of the world’s most oppressed populations.

Access to Quality Health Care

	Dalit Solidarity provides quality health care for over 1500 patients each month. We also operate a First Responder Program to provide first aid in the villages. Our Village Health Program (“VHP”) provides community health care for over 36 villages in the Villupuram District.
Health Care In India \| Strategies \| St. Mary’s Health Center First Responders Program \| CHP (Community Health Program)

Opportunities for Quality Education

	Most of the adults in our villages have no more than a sixth grade education. We are working hard to ensure that all Dalit children finish high school, and have the opportunity for further studies.
Overview \| Dalit Leadership Academy Scholarship Program \| Community College Program

Economic Development

	Dalit Solidarity strives to empower the poorest members of Indian society, particularly the women and especially the widows, by providing them with new economic opportunities.
Sprouts (Widows’ Program) \| Dairy Cow Project \| Homebuilding Project

Service Adventours

	Our service/learning program gives volunteers hands-on experience working and living with India's Dalits.
Program Information \| Dec. 2007 trip \| 2008 Trips \| trip forms

Milestones

During the past year, we reached the following milestones:

We are now educating over 300 students each year in elementary school, high school, college and graduate school.
Our medical facilities treat over 1500 patients each month, and we opened three new satellite clinics.
70% of our community college graduates found employment within six months after graduation.
We have trained over 150 volunteers to act as First Responders and provide first aid in their villages.
We have built over 50 homes for tsunami victims and widows.

New Initiatives

In addition to these achievements, we have begun several exciting new initiatives in the past year.

Dalit Leadership Academy - We are now providing a year of intensive training in academics, communications and leadership skills to help students succeed in secondary school.
CHP – A community health care program that provides comprehensive health care for the rural villages of the Villupuram District. The program emphasizes preventative health care and utilizes a new software program that provides patients with a probable diagnosis and recommended treatment. Over 13,000 villagers have been registered for the program.
Sprouts – A new program designed to improve the lives of Indian widows. Over 200 widows joined the program within the first year.
Service Adventours – Instituted a new service/learning program that provides volunteers of all ages with the opportunity to travel to India and work with the Dalits through our various health, education and empowerment programs. 53 volunteers participated. Two trips are scheduled for 2008.