dutch version

Projects

The BETA Foundation wants to support already existing small-scale projects in achieving their goal. At this moment we are in the process of checking four projects that are in accordance with the vision of our foundation. As soon as the collaboration meets all criteria, you will read more about these projects. 

We are working on a project for Dalit children. There are approximately 260 million Dalits in India. Dalits, also
called untouchables, are people of low caste. The Indian caste system is a 2000 year old system that divides people in different groups. These groups have a certain position and role in society. Moreover, there are certain duties and rights attached to the castes. Dalits are being seen as the most unclean people and are being disowned. Since the independance of India in 1947, the untouchability has been forbidden by law however in practice nothing has changed. In some states Dalit movements has succeeded in improving their position however in even more cases the Dalits are as poor and powerless as ever. The special courts that have been set up to trial the injustice against Dalits rarely convict anyone.

A second project is purely meant for Indian girls who every day live in a nightmare. Girls who are being married off at a very young age to older men or who are even being sold to others so that there is one mouth less to feed.

A third project is aimed at children who already go to school.
An objective of the BETA Foundation is to send as many children as possible to school. It is also important to keep the children in school. Every year more and more children are quitting school because the school fees can't be afforded. Especially the older girls are being kept at home so that they can help their mother keeping the house or take care of their younger brothers and sisters allowing the mother to go to work. A research by another foundation indicated that having lunch (warm meal) at school or providing school stuff works as an extra stimulation to the parents to send their children to school. For you can't study on an empty stomach and without school stuff it is very difficult to do your
homework.

Our fourth and final project is a project for street kids.
There is an ashram (shelter) that takes the fate of the street kids to heart. Besides offering a home, the ashram provides education, professional training and help in finding a job or a place to stay. All children can earn points for a good achievement. As soon as the children are able to stand on their own, the points represent a certain amount of money with which they can rent a house of start a profession. The ashram provides for an accommodation which is the most expensive. We would like to make our contribution and sponsor the children so that they can stay in the ashram for one year. We hope that during that year the children earn enough points to provide for their own home.

In cooperation with the NJASS foundation in India, we want to support a project that gives women a chance. Disadvantaged but ambitious women are being trained to learn a trade. By setting up a sewing atelier for women, they get the opportunity to generate income which allows them to send their children to school. For more information go to: http://www.njass.in/
For this project we are organizing a big event in cooperation with event agency Indian Light. The proceeds will be invested in the sewing atelier for women. Click here for more information.