India, IRFF-DEED Project

The DEED Project
India, IRFF-DEED Vocational center for the Dalit people in two different district of Tamil Nadu

Gruppo DEED

The DEED society gathering and blessing the land for the Technical school

IRFF started this project in 1997 under the local coordination of one of the IRFF advisors. Nithiya Sagayam. From there a local coordination group was established the DEED (Dalit Educational Economical Development).

DEED society extends its selfless service to 130 villages of Dalit people. These villages are situated in both Villupuram and Cuddalore districts in Tamil Nadu State. The total population of these villages is about 2 million people of whom 80% are Dalits. The vocational center will be located in Villupuram.

The co-sponsors with IRFF Luxembourg for this project are the "Lions Club" and the "Associazione Fede e Speranza".

Tamil Nadu State:
http://tnmaps.tn.nic.in/dist_map.asp?dcode='VPM'
http://www.cs.utk.edu/~siddhart/tamilnadu/
http://www.villupuram.com/
http://www.india-tourism.de/english/index.html

Socio-economic condition of the target people From Fr. Devasagaya Raj, secretary of DEED society:
In Indian Society the Dalits are the out castes, the most deprived and oppressed people living in inhuman condition. They form one-fifth of the total population of the country. This section of society is doomed to live in a state of perpetual deprivation and degradation. Even now after 50 years of independence, casteism has a strong foothold in India. So, accordingly the majority of the population is denied the real freedom. Since this condition went on for thousands of years, the Dalit are economically very weak and generally illiterate. Deprivation of possession and education make them subservient and slaves to others, in many ways.
Money is power. If one is educated basically he is qualified for better employment of life, for the Dalit higher education is the costliest affair. A few percent of the total population enter the school for education. A very few come out of the school successfully. Many dropouts and the illiterate children take up some petty jobs to augment the family income by pittance every day. The girls are made housewives when they should have been playing with doll and the boys are made breadwinners before they know what children are engaged in labor. Since they are illiterate and unskilled there is no job opportunity for them. They struggle very much and they are helpless and lifeless. In this a technical school will be a great hope and consolation for those unfortunate children. It will be a source of life for them.
	Activities by the DEED society

http://www.dalits.org/
http://www.expressindia.com/ie/daily/19990326/ige26020.html
http://www.dalitusa.org/
http://www.pcsadvt.com/dlet/
http://www.pcsadvt.com/prepare/dalit.htm

IRFF-DEED Project program

Building a technical school including carpentry, electrical and motor rewinding, hostel for hundred students and staff quarters, office building.

1st of March 1999 the land was bought and registered with a "No Objection Certificate". In 2000 the electrical and water connection were also requested and arranged on location. In 2001 an IRFF youth volunteer camp will be organize, involving international participant and in cooperation with the Religious Youth Service (RYS), participants from all the different religious tradition present in India.

If you are interest in participating in this volunteer camp, please contact our office at:

Luxembourg@irff-europe.org