Your donation will educate one child for 1 year in night school. The Barefoot College began Night Schools for the children of the working poor in 1975 to provide an education that draws on the knowledge of the community. Literate young men and women in the community are selected and trained for 6 months to become Barefoot Teachers. By providing the learning environment of the...

Your gift will provide a solar lantern for a rural house, which provides two hours of light every night for two years. Barefoot solar engineers trained by the Barefoot College fabricate and maintain solar lanterns used to provide light in their communities. Your contribution will provide materials and training for these solar engineers. Photo Credit: Barefoot Photographers of Tilonia

Your gift will provide a rural household with a fixed solar lighting system, providing three hours of lighting nightly for five years. Barefoot solar engineers trained for 6 months by the Barefoot College are solar-electrifying every house in their villages in India, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Cameroon and Bhutan. Photo Credit: Barefoot Photographers of Tilonia

Your gift will help improve local human rights laws in 238 villages of rural Orissa, one of the least developed states in India. This project strengthens the voice of women, young people and grassroots groups in community-level planning. It also trains and supports local leaders so they can help their communities by improving the delivery of essential services. Your most generous gift of $106 will...

In the story above, a Dalit boy believed the messages of his culture and accepted that his life was worthless. But after a short time in a DFN Dalit Education Center, another boy, Babu, is able to proudly wear his uniform and say, "When I grow up, I want to be a police officer!" Through this gift you offer hope for a future to a...

But the story isn't finished. Dalit Freedom Network trained the father to drive a bicycle-rickshaw, leading to increased income so the mother could stay home and the daughter could attend school. As this story illustrates, the gifts that make up the Dalit Economic Fund are wisely used to contribute to the economic independence and stability of Dalit families in India. DFN's Self-Help groups provide money-management...

The Dalit Freedom Network (DFN) works towards equal education and employment opportunities for all Dalits by offering a subsidized, quality English-medium education for Dalit children through 67 Dalit Education Centers throughout North & South India. The start of the 2007-08 school year at a Dalit Education Center in South India brought 1,000 parents to the front gate eager to register their child for the 40...

This gift will cover the cost of vaccinations for one Dalit child. Not only is this a practical and much needed gift, it is a small investment with a big return: a healthy childhood. Healthy children are more likely to stay in school and succeed. In addition, you’re supporting the Dalit Freedom Network (DFN) Healthcare Program, which is the first comprehensive healthcare program for Dalits....

The Dalit Freedom Network (DFN) works towards equal education and employment opportunities for all Dalits by offering a subsidized, quality English-medium education for Dalit children through 67 Dalit Education Centers throughout North & South India. By the end of 2007, 12 new schools will open and our goal is to operate 100 schools by 2009. Often, the shortage of desks forces younger students to sit...

This gift places an essential tool kit into the hands of a Community Healthcare Worker in a Dalit village. For example, a stethoscope, scale and delivery kit are basic tools that make a big difference. The Dalit Freedom Network (DFN) is building a comprehensive healthcare system for Dalits. This is a critical component of the strategy to transform Dalit villages into a place free of...

This gift will provide a kit of basic tailoring tools and cloth for one woman in a tailoring training center, enabling her to begin learning and practicing her new trade immediately. Contributing to sustainable economic development initiatives is a critical component of the Dalit Freedom Network’s (DFN) mission to partner with the Dalits in their quest for religious freedom, social justice, and human dignity by...

This gift makes it possible for a Dalit in a self-help group sponsored by the Dalit Freedom Network (DFN) to receive a small loan to start a business. Loan recipients develop a reliable source of income and gain self-respect and dignity by repaying the amount. Plus, as the loan is paid back with a fair interest rate, another group member may receive funding. When Sabita’s...

This gift will cover the cost for one Dalit women to attend a Women’s Empowerment Conference in India. Just beyond their village’s border—where many women have never ventured—the leaders of the Conference are prepared to teach Dalit women valuable truths about their worth as humans beings and skills for a dignified life despite caste oppression. This gift enables one woman to attend. Acting as host,...

This gift will provide a Dalit child with the opportunity to receive a quality education. These children will be the first members of their family to attend secondary school;the first who can read and write more than their own names. Your generous gift of $30 will provide room and board and tuition for a Dalit child for one month.

With your help, Dalit parents and their children can take advantage of preventative health care. Children will experience their first "well child" check-ups. A gift of $50 will cover the enrollment costs for a family of 5 for one year.

Your contribution can change the life of a Dalit widow and her family. You will help a widow to realize that she is a productive member of society, deserving dignity and respect. A $35 donation will fund the participation of a Dalit widow in Sprouts, our widow's empowerment program, for one year.

You gift of swimming lessons for a Dalit child in rural India, can mean the difference between life and death. $25 pays for a week of swimming lessons, bathing suit, towel, and kick-board for one child.

Your gift of $360 will provide a Dalit child with a quality education for an entire year. In addition, each student is provided with room and board, uniforms, books, personal items and health care.

Girl Stars is a multi-media campaign communicating to girls age 10-16 about the importance of going to school and staying in school. Girl Stars creates ‘icons’ out of everyday young women and girls from underprivileged backgrounds who have changed their lives by completing their education. Girl Stars stories aim to inspire millions of girls from under privileged backgrounds age 10-16 years to complete their education...

Girl Stars is a multi-media campaign communicating to girls age 10-16 about the importance of going to school and staying in school. Girl Stars creates ‘icons’ out of everyday young women and girls from underprivileged backgrounds who have changed their lives by completing their education. Girl Stars movies aim to inspire millions of girls from under privileged backgrounds age 10-16 years to complete their education...