By Shana Greene | Executive Director of Village Volunteers
Dear Donor,
This is just one success story of so many. We are grateful that the support to New Light is life changing.
“I am Riya and I am a student of New Light Syamatara. Today, I am very proud and happy to state that I have been a student of this centre since its inception in 2003, 16th July and when it was known as the Dalit Centre.
Dalit, meaning "oppressed" in Sanskrit and "broken/scattered" in Hindi/Urdu, is a term for the members of lower castes in India. The term is mostly used for the ones that have been subjected to untouchability. Dalits are the manual scavengers, the removers of human waste and dead animals, leather workers, street sweepers and cobblers. The mere touch of a Dalit was considered "polluting" to a caste member. Thus, the concept of "untouchability" was born.
New Light set up a multi-functional shelter for the children of the Dalit community located behind the crematorium in Keoratala, Kolkata and till date, the shelter offers all the services to the targeted community that were originally offered at the Kalighat shelter. It was with the aspiration of changing the lives of the young ones in that community through education, health care, nutritional support, recreational facility and HIV/AIDS care that New Light set up this shelter.
In April 2017 the centre got a grand face-lift and there stood in front of us a brand new, expanded shelter for the children at the Keoratala grounds and the then Dalit Centre was now known as New Light Syamatara. Today the total number of children registered at Syamatara is 50 and all of them are beneficiaries of New Light.
I am extremely proud of the fact that today; I am a student at New Light Syamatara. I take this opportunity to thank Urmi Ma’am from the bottom of my heart for giving me this opportunity and for giving the opportunity to many more oppressed children like me who today dare to dream and look forward to achieving their dreams. We love and respect you a lot, Ma’am. Would also like to take this opportunity to thank all my teachers at New Light who have stood beside and supported us throughout” – Riya, Class IX, Vidya Niketan on New Light Syamatara's 14th birthday celebration.
New Light is very proud to be part of these young people's journey.
Thank you for your generosity in supporting the wonderful work of New Light shelters.
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