Dalit Children Development Centre (DCDC) – THALLAKULAM

As education is denied to Dalit community due to the existence of extreme poverty, hunger, illiteracy and ill health followed by the exploitation of other upper community, RL Rosario the founder of POPE strongly felt that there was a need for developing child development centre to help, prepare, equip and support the under privileged children who are the bonded labourers, child labourers, pledged children, drop out children, street children and the children of frustrated environments. He is a practicing lawyer, a human right activist and an architect of building a movement to empower the Dalit community Education is the primary activity of any developmental functions.

After 17 years of service to the Dalit community, especially for women, youth and children, POPE has obtained land at Thallakulam of Kilpennathur block. POPE has decided to develop Thallakulam centre for child development programmes and few other activities, which are useful for the empowerment of the Dalit community.

Thallakulam is situated as such, it is easily reachable to the Dalit community of entire Tiruvannamalai district and most specifically it is situated close to Thurinjapuram block, Kilpennathur block and Tiruvannamalai block.

Dalit children’s education and empowerment centre was newly constructed and inaugurated on 06.12.2006. The fully furnished building has the following provisions:

The ground for:

Two dormitory type rooms.
One study room
One guest room
One kitchen
One office.

The first floor:

The first floor construction was completed in May 2007. This new first floor building will be used for the following purposes:

Child care and development
Children’s counseling
Children’s summer camp
Teachers / Parents / Children / community meetings.
Library

Now 35 boys are living here (7–16 years old) who are from the earlier remedial residential school at Somasipadi (Suvasam). They are going to the nearby Government Higher Secondary School by bus.

The children are getting the following benefits at Thallakulam:

Free residence
Free Nutritive meals
Health care and periodical health check up
Encouraging the children into difficult talents / skill development.
Educational tuition at centre
Care, counseling and parenting provided by a housefather.
Free dress/ bags / baggages.
Free books
Payment of school fee / sports fee etc.
Free transport facility.

Over all, POPE’s goal is to enable the under privileged Dalit children to be the responsible Citizen of India with self-sufficiency and self-determination and progress in life on par with or more than equal to the privileged non-Dalit children. And its objectives are:

To develop general awareness among Dalit children, comparable with privileged Non Dalit children.

To develop social consciousness and determine to achieve Dalit empowerment.

To equip them to undertake professional courses after +2 level and get good marks in 10th Standard and +2 public examinations.

To build up their body free from diseases and provide curative treatment services for their development.

To develop the mental health so as to achieve life goals.

To equip them to cope up with various life threatening situation.

To ensure spiritual development and establish good relationship between the children and their creator.

To enable the children to appreciate the Nature and ensure ecological balance.

To develop positive thinking to build up a Jmt society.

Sometimes educational tours are also arranged to visit Sathanur Dam and Gingee Fort. The christian children are going to the nearby Catholic Church regularly on every Sunday and also trained in different fine arts, songs, games, karate courses, swimming, paintings, gardening, games, etc. They are participating in few competitions and participate in all Education Programs of Thallakulam centre.

This building is dedicated for the leadership development and empowerment of Dalit children.

"A person’s success is determined

by the games of his childhood”.

A Tamil Saying

Back to Top