Dalits are often unable to receive proper health care due to insufficient finances, caste discrimination, and lack of knowledge about proper health and hygiene. Because of these conditions, diseases and sickness can spread quickly. Without proper care and treatment, Dalit children face unnecessary illnesses. Health awareness in the community has immediate positive results that benefit the entire community.
LIFE STORY:
A young Dalit student, Hariveerag, burned both his hands when he fell into the boiling food that was cooking over the open fire outside his small grass and wooden hut. Blistered and bleeding and crying out in pain Hariveerag’s parents took him to the Community Health Care Worker at our Good Shepherd School The health worker was able to treat his burns and prevent infection. She was also able to instruct the parents in burn care and gave tips on preventing such an accident in the future.
Today Hariveerag’s hands are fully recovered despite some minor scarring. His parents are so thankful and related the story to others whose children have had a similar accident and became handicapped because of a lack of health care in their village.
Provide one school of 500 children with vitamins and nutrition.
Multiply your gift - every vitamin you supply is matched!
Every $1 your give provides $2 of vitamins!
A problem facing many children is a lack of nutrition and vitamins. Almost half of all children in India are malnourished. Most Dalit families consider health a luxury, especially for women and children – and young girls in particular.
These vitamins and nutrients will not only benefit the children's health and growth, but will also encourage awareness of the benefits of key nutritional intake. The parents of these children will see the outcome of better health for their children and will be more inclined to keep them in school rather than pulling them out to work. This provides an incentive that has been shown to increase attendance and retention.
Approximately eighty percent of health problems in rural communities are completely preventable. Along with vitamins and nutritional intake, health education is provided for the entire community.
Nutrition assessments of students are routinely carried out, and students are given compliable diet sheets based on locally, easily available food items that are affordable. These vitamins are provided to those children who are malnourished and not being supplied with the essential nutrients needed to live a healthy life.