Dalit children suffer the worst treatment in India because their status is so low within society. Even in the 21st century, the “Dalits” are considered untouchable within India. They are placed at the bottom of this hierarchical ladder. 

How to break the cycle of oppression against “Dalits”?

For most Dalit children, education is a distant dream. They are generally marginalized with respect to students belonging to other castes, and more than 70% of these students in grades 1-10 drop out of school. Training in the English language is especially lacking in a Dalit child’s education. In general, Dalit girls do not complete their education and often leave school during their primary school years.  Therefore, illiteracy amongst Dalit girls is extremely high.

In multilingual societies such as India, some languages enable greater access to privileges and social opportunities and others lead to deprivation and discrimination. There appears to be a direct correlation between lack of language development and poverty among the Dalit and tribal communities in India.

Ann Foundation is initiating online English classes in seven villages for Dalit children in Kathiramangalam, Thanjavur District, Tamilnadu, India. These English classes will help reduce barriers against Dalit children, barriers that have been put in place through discrimination and educational deprivation.

A budget of $11,046-00 dollars is needed to set up the infrastructure in all the seven villages. A detailed outline of costs follows:

Desktop computers:  Each $ 422.00 (Need 20)

Desktop USB speakers and mikes:  Each $15.00 (Need 20)  

Computer Tables:  Each $53.00 (Need 20)

Projectors - E Gate:  Each $148.00 (Need 7)

LCD screens:  Each $30.00 (Need 7)

The  20 computers are to be used in classrooms across seven different villages. By conducting online English lessons, we hope to enlighten the Dalit children about the modern world and show them how pursuing education can provide them with future opportunities.

With gratitude,
Ann Moideen and the Board members of Ann Foundation