An Historic Invitation

The Dalit people of India, numbering 250-300 million, are victims of caste-based, socially-sanctioned bigotry.  They are denied basic human rights; their children do not go to school.  In the last five years however, in an effort to break free from the cast's grip, the Dalit leadership issued the invitation to give their children an English education with a worldview of dignity and personal worth that serves the whole person and includes community and spiritual development.  The All India Christian Council (AICC), in partnership with the Dalit Freedom Network (DFN, based in the US) and Operation Mercy Charitable Company (OMCC), quickly became involved as the leaders within this movement for Dalit transformation.

The partnership's goal is to build 1,000 Dalit Education Centers (DECs). The initial 67 centers have quickly gained a positive reputation across the nation by offering a high quality education alongside holistic community development. Professional teachers educate and care for the children and school staff members offer medical care and economic development in every community. Their compassion reaches into the homes of local Dalit people ultimately resulting in a phenomenal transformation in the Dalit people and in the nation of India.