Chandra Kala - Bal Kendra learning center
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At the Bal Kendra Learning Center, 75 children who might otherwise spend the day on the street actively engage in Montessori-oriented preschool classrooms, taught in both Nepali and English. Most of the children's mothers are single and illiterate, working as day laborers earning about $16/month—barely enough to pay for food and rent, much less pencils for their children. The children receive one nutritious meal a day while at Bal Kendra and have a chance to thrive in the unique, three-year program before transferring to either a government or private school.
Bal Kendra was founded by social worker Kiran Tewari about 25 years ago as a street shelter for homeless boys. The Center now serves poor children, both boys and girls, with free preschool education at the highest level known in Nepal—equivalent to standards at U.S. schools. Sponsorship funding for six Bal Kendra girls is provided by HIO each year in order to help fund the Center. In 2010, teacher-trainer Janet Bralove worked with the teachers at Bal Kendra, and over the next four years they transformed the curriculum into a wonderful, Montessori/Nepali-culture-based system. Now that Bal Kendra has become an attainable model for several other schools in the area, our efforts remain focused on continually improving the facilities and curriculum while partnering with families to improve the lives of their children. Bal Kendra is becoming a model school for Nepali educators, offering frequent workshops in teacher training and best practices for teaching early reading in English. Manisha Shrestha, the Bal Kendra lead teacher, was an HIO-sponsored girl when she was five years old, and now has a master’s degree in education and a full-time job. Bilman Shakya, is the Center’s excellent supervisor, was a street boy rescued by Kiran Tewari about 30 years ago. HIO has instituted staff benefits and a way for the four very dedicated teachers at the Center to grow professionally and earn a decent living wage. |
Manisha Shrestha, lead teacher at Bal Kendra, in the classroom.
Students line up outside the new home for Bal Kendra.
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Bal Kendra girls distributing food after the 2015 earthquake.
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In 2016, after the devastating earthquakes of 2015 damaged the Bal Kendra site, HIO purchased a two-story, earthquake-safe building in the heart of Kathmandu to house the Bal Kendra program. As traffic in Kathmandu can be wild and dangerous, we were fortunate to find a location with almost no car and truck traffic, making it safe for the children walking to school.
HIO is making needed renovations to Bal Kendra’s kitchen and bathrooms to better accommodate the larger four-teacher staff and the growing number of students. The new Bal Kendra Center also provides space for our popular Be Part of Her Dream mothers’ literacy class and the HIO Nepal office. We regularly run teacher-training workshops there, inviting local government school teachers to learn new teaching methods. |
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How You Can Help The Bal Kendra Learning Center is truly a gem, offering a free, excellent educational experience to poor children in a safe and loving environment. Unique to schools in Kathmandu, these teachers are treated as professionals and given a decent living wage and healthcare benefits.This is only possible because of HIO's support. The Center’s operating budget for 2018 is approximately $22,000. With your generous support, we can continue to provide the care and expertise needed to encourage a life-long love of learning. |