A group of about 15 women from Coast Hills attended the 3rd Annual "Hope for Dalit Women" Dinner on October 22nd at the Bombay Banquet Hall in Surrey to honour Dalit Women in India.
Many of us dressed in beautiful Indian clothing and dined on delicious chai tea, butter chicken, lamb curry, daal, naan bread, palak paneer, vegetable curry and a traditional Indian dessert called "gulab jamun" which reminded me of sweet donut holes. We enjoyed live music during our dinner by local musicians.
Unique and beautiful craft items made by the Dalit Women in the DFN's Vocational Training Centres were available to purchase also.
Kumar Swamy, DFN's South India Director, was the speaker for the evening and he shared about his wife Jeeva's work in a rehabilitation centre for trafficked women in India.
266 dinner guests had the opportunity to participate in a project for Dalit Women that helps to provide vocational training that changes their lives and the future for their families. Dalit children were available for sponsorship as well.
Praise God $24,000 was raised that evening towards vocational training and 28 children were sponsored! And sales of craft items totalled $1,814. And I hear that cheques are still coming in towards this project.
Even though we are women physically far away from the Dalit Women in India this evening was an opportunity to unite with them to encourage, support and stand in the gap through prayer and being generous with our cheque books. I truly felt a part of something bigger that God is doing through DFN.
For more information on helping Dalits in India please visit: www.dalitfreedom.net