Strong Roots's preschool
Strong Roots preschool is located at the bank of Bagmati River in Jagaran Tole, Balkhu, ward no.14, Kathmandu Municipality. It has been working actively for 7 years to provide basic and inclusive education to the children of the slum and adjoining areas. The Preschool has five well-trained teachers involved in facilitating and taking care of 59 children who attend the preschool every working day. The preschool uses the Montessori-based teaching-learning method. The school offers four classes namely A, B, and C, and grade 1. These classes are divided according to children’s age and education obtained in years. Generally, each child has to complete one year in class A (nursery) to go for B (lower kindergarten), and finally, they are placed in C (upper kindergarten). After completion of class C, the children are prepared to enter a mainstream school. The school recently started running grade one on its premises.
Strong Roots's Mother's Class
Along with early education, SRF is equally working towards providing informal education to women from slum areas with support from its funding partner Hands in Outreach (HIO) Nepal. The mother’s classes aim at educating and empowering women by building their confidence. The mother's class runs fundamental courses in Math, English and Nepali every day for an hour. Along with this, the mother’s class runs awareness sessions on legal aspects (human rights, Women’s rights), various livelihood strategies, mental and emotional wellbeing, sexual and reproductive health, and WASH. Attendees are also informed and encouraged to discuss about pressing local and global issues. They are imparted with the necessary skills to use modern devices/technologies such as mobile phones, calculators, and laptops. These classes are action-oriented and therefore equip women with elocution and leadership qualities. SRF also facilitates access to timely health screening services and medical checkups for these women.
Disaster and relief Program
SSRF has been able to support the community with basic essential relief distribution during challenging times in Balkhu as well as Siraha. The relief was distributed during the devastating earthquake (2015), and recently during the Covid 19 pandemic to mention some. The relief included food items/rations, Non-food items like stationery items, tarpaulins, and galvanized sheets and building materials. Those receiving the relief included the immediate parents/guardians of the kids and the need Rainy season bring lots of problem in the area, community gets hit by the flood, as it sits on the bank of Bishnumati river, the roads gets filled with big potholes develops lots of waterborne diseases in the area. The center has cooked food, provided space to sleep for the flood victims to stay dry and warm. They arrange different campaigns to aware the society regarding the benefits of sanitation.
