Most of the adults in our villages have no more than a sixth grade education. We are working hard to ensure that all poor children finish high school, and have the opportunity for further studies. Most of our students are the children of day laborers. Their parents work in the rice paddies and sugar cane fields for about four months each year. The annual income for a family of five in our villages is about $150. They live in mud huts with thatched roofs and dirt floors. There is no indoor plumbing and limited electricity. Their diet is primarily rice. Only rarely do they eat vegetables, fruit or meat. Almost half of our students have lost one or more parents. They are the first members of their families to attend secondary school; the first who can read and write more than their names. In addition to dealing with extreme poverty, these students also face serious discrimination from a society that tells them that regardless of their efforts in the classroom or the workplace, because they are dalits, they will never be the equal of their non-dalit friends. Today, Leevin provides over 30 students a year with the opportunity to obtain a quality education through scholarship and educational incentives.

For most poor people, quality health care is inaccessible and unaffordable. Doctors are seen only in emergencies. Leevin is working to bring preventative health care to rural India through medical camps and educational programs. With your help, parents and their children can take advantage of preventative health care. Children will experience their first "well child" check-ups. A gift of $50 will cover the enrollment costs for a family of 5 for one year.