Pratham Mumbai Education Initiative

With an aim to inculcate reading amongst children, the organisation arranges for stationary and mobile libraries to enable the distribution of books. The stationary libraries can be based out of community centres or schools and mobile libraries move from door to door distributing books. The books numbering 300 to 450, are in Marathi, English, Hindi and Urdu and library registers are maintained to keep records of borrowed books.

Is a programme operating in the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, covering around 50,000 marginalized children. It focuses on working children, street children, abused children, children with disability etc. and implements initiatives such as Drop-in-Centres, Educational Support Classes, Residential Shelters, Child Rights Protection Desks, Focus City-Block Interventions, Health and Disability initiatives etc.

To ensure effective parenting the organisation also undertakes initiatives to educate parents, since illiterate parents will not be able to contribute so effectively to a child’s future and may entirely overlook emotional and social development. It imparts training in health, hygiene, good parental practices and basic sessions in Maths to parents through fun learning techniques.

Is a preschool preparatory programme for children from three to five years of age. It focuses on the developmental needs of children from underprivileged communities, who are not enrolled in any other preschool. The schools are operated within the community, from temple premises, under trees or from the homes of Balwadi instructors. It operates three hours each day for a period of nine to ten months.

Is an intervention aimed at teaching multiple subjects through brief yet rigorous sessions. The subjects covered are Maths, Science, languages and English in a focused manner. It uses the CAMal (Combined Activities for Maximum Learning) method, specifically developed by the organisation. These sessions are conducted after school, covering children from six to fourteen years of age.