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Fresh Passion
India
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In Indian society, the family into which a person is born determines their value. A quarter of the Indian population, the Dalits, are viewed as unclean and worth less than animals, because they are not believed to be made from their creator god. Dalit leaders, in their quest for freedom from this oppressive system, asked the Christian church to educate their children. In response, the Dalit Education Center (DEC) movement was born, offering high quality English education presented from a biblical worldview. There are many ways to help, starting with Child Sponsorship, and the options in this year's Christmas gift catalog. Our partners in this work are The Dalit Freedom Network and Operation Mercy Charitable Corporation, with whom we have had a relationship for many years.
When a DEC starts, the teachers foster trusting relationships within the community, so that over time they can address the community-needs as an extension of the school. Economic development programs are started to teach adults marketable skills and money management to better provide for their families. Healthcare programs begin with basic hygiene and vaccinations, ensuring that the children are healthy enough to attend school. Women learn of their God-given worth and value in Women’s Empowerment programs. This Christ-centered holistic approach corresponds to the depth and complexity of the Dalits’ oppression. Let us join in Christ’s call to “preach good news to the poor…proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18–19) |
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| Fund a loan to begin a small business | $250 |
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Books are where it all begins. The gap in literacy for Dalit children can be greatly reduced when you help provide books for a classroom library. Most Dalit children have no access to any books.
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One small loan enables Dalits tobegin a small business such as ironing, tailoring, operating a telephone booth, or vegetable vending. Loan recipients develop a reliable source of income and enjoy the resulting self-respect and dignity after repaying the loan. The constant cycle of funding generates new loans for others in the future.
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Donate Now
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Donate Now
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Surgeries vary in cost and type, but $200 covers an average, much-needed surgery for a Dalit patient who is often a child from one of the DEC schools.
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Where it is thought useless to teach a woman, your gift can help a precious soul to attend a conference to learn how to take care of herself and her family; to learn about the God who created her and values her; to know the laws of her land; to learn a skill.
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Donate Now
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| Community Health Worker Tool Kit | $150 |
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This kit contains essential items such as a stethoscope, weight and height scale, glucometer, delivery kit and dressing set for a trained Community Health Worker placed in a community with a DEC school.
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By providing this gift of a sewing machine, chair, and accessories, you will empower a Dalit to be trained in the skill of tailoring, an enormously successful business for the Dalits. This opportunity will increase their ability to become a valued member of the community.
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Donate Now
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Donate Now
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