For over 3000 years the Dalits – or Untouchables – have been positioned at the bottom of India’s society and are subject to the most aggressive and dehumanising abuse. They are born into a culture that devalues them from birth with society considering them lower than animals. The term ‘Dalit’ literally translates to downtrodden or oppressed and there are 250 million Dalits who are exposed to this injustice.

Despite the fact that discrimination based on caste was outlawed by India’s constitution in 1950, the practice of ‘untouchability’ still dictates the order of modern life for millions. 

As members of the lowest rank of Indian society, Dalits face discrimination at almost every level, from access to education and medical facilities to restrictions on where they can live and what jobs they can have. Recent research has also shown that the mortality rate of Dalit children is 76% higher than the rest of the population.

Currently, schools in Bihar are legally obliged to include children from all castes, but because of the prevailing prejudice, most of these schools are either abandoned, barely functioning or allowing Dalit children to attend, but treating them with cruelty and neglect. ​Dalit children are frequently discriminated against, being made to sit at the back of the class and restricted from touching or interacting with children from other castes. As a result, those who do make it into school often drop out at an early age.

The money raised from the sale of Dalit’s goods helps to fund the charity’s work. They offer homes and education to some of India’s poorest children and are currently doing what they can to help communities shattered by the country’s coronavirus crisis.