STRONG ROOTS PRESCHOOL
Since 2016, HIO has been funding the Strong Roots Preschool, located in the Balku area of Kathmandu. Strong Roots provides free education to 50 neighborhood children who would not otherwise have a chance to go to school. The residents of Balku are among the poorest in Kathmandu, living in a muddy area of crowded squatter huts and small, tin-roofed structures bordered by the fetid Bagmati River. Few of the huts have windows, and none have electricity or plumbing. The mothers of the Strong Roots children work as day laborers on construction sites when they can find work, which is, typically, 10 hours of back-breaking labor for about $1.50/day.
Strong Roots was founded in 2014 by Tejendra Lama, a Nepali social worker with a deep commitment to improving the lives of the slum’s residents. After spending time speaking with local families, there was agreement among them that access to early education might be the best way to give their children a chance for a better future. In 2016, HIO partially funded the purchase and renovation of the Strong Roots building, and has since provided funding for the operating budget, staff salaries and benefits, computer lab, teacher-training and curriculum development for this special preschool. Following education at Strong Roots, a small group of children will be transferred to our Lalitpur partner school and become part of HIO’s educational sponsorship program. HIO has been instrumental in designing new curriculum at Strong Roots. In 2017, we installed a computer lab with eight computers, a server and internet service. The children can now use the Waterford early-learning software, and the teachers can connect to our Long-Distance-Learning workshops, a valuable resource that teachers at our partner schools participate in twice a month. HIO will expand the Strong Roots teacher benefits to include full health coverage and retirement benefits in 2018 and hopes to renovate the small kitchen space on the first floor. With adequate funding, we hope to start an education class for the mothers of Strong Roots children. HIO’s Be Part of Her Dream project, which has been so successful at our partner Bal Kendra school, would be replicated at the Strong Roots Preschool. |
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How You Can Help The four young teachers at Strong Roots offer an excellent educational experience to the poorest 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 school's operating budget for 2018 is approximately $12,000. With your generous support, we can continue to provide the care and expertise needed to encourage a life-long love of learning. |