Social Issue

Although the Indian Constitution of 1950 establishes that no one will be discriminated against because of their caste, the reality for the Dalits, the humblest in India, is quite different. They live in conditions of extreme poverty and suffer great economic inequality and social discrimination.

The situation experienced by children is particularly serious. A high percentage of Dalit boys and girls do not attend or drop out of school before finishing primary school, forcing them to work on the street or beg. In the case of girls, it is even worse, since being a Dalit woman involves triple discrimination by caste, class, and gender. With the idea of dealing with this situation, this house construction project is carried out, in order to dignify and improve the quality of life of all these people.

Our Response

This project is based on the construction of a colony of 15 houses and aims to satisfy the necessary health, hygiene, and safety conditions for all of its beneficiaries. These homes, built with the assistance of the whole local community, represent a new era for their inhabitants as they represent effective protection from the monsoonal rainfall that occurs from June to October, a refuge from the intense heat of the pre-monsoon seasons thanks to their porch and protection against the bites of dangerous animals such as snakes and scorpions.

The homes built are adapted to the customs and the materials available in the area. Therefore, both the size and the type of construction blend in with their environment. They are simple houses with two interior areas: a room that is also used as a kitchen, with space to keep the provisions and utensils used to cook and to handle food, and another room that is used as a living room and bedroom. All of the houses have an elevated porch that is protected by a roof. Due to cultural factors, they do not have a bathroom.

Expected Social Impact

It is important to point out that the new homes increase the self-esteem of the beneficiaries and help to increase their sense of belonging to a community. As a consequence of this, they become more involved in daily tasks, which means that families commit to taking their sons and daughters to school, become less afraid of using the health service and attending educational workshops to improve their professional skills and, in short, improve their quality of life.

This donation will benefit 15 families.