Page 56 - Education World July 2020

Eyewitness

KATHA: ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION

SUCCESS STORY

Katha’s pioneer initiative of providing alternative Delhi’s Govindpuri slums, the Katha
education and skills training to 9.8 million slum children Slum Resurgence Initiative, Katha
in Delhi NCR is recognised worldwide English Academy, Katha Information
Technology and E-commerce School,
DILIP BOBB Katha School of Entrepreneurship and
a I Love Reading campaign — which
ne week after the Covid-19 merited because the story beautifully together have positively impacted 9.8
pandemic induced national combines a parable for the unprece- million underprivileged children in
lockdown was implement- dented Covid-19 era with the allure of the national capital region.
Oed in end March, Geeta a mystery narrative. This is the magic Katha’s pioneer initiative of provid-
Dharmarajan, founder of Delhi- formula of all of Katha’s children’s ing alternative education and skills
based NGO Katha (estb.1988), wrote books — they combine learning with training to underprivileged children
a children’s book titled The M y stery — entertainment and a ‘Big Idea’. through its unique ‘storypedagogy’
of the M i ssi ng S oap . This fictional Since she started Katha in 1988 and literature going back 2,500 years
story highlighted the message of per- with a magazine for children of un- has been acknowledged and recog-
sonal hygiene. Within days, the book derserved communities, Dharmara- nised worldwide. The 32-year-old
— and its message — went viral, and jan and her team, which has grown NGO is recipient of the ICICI India In-
global. From Poland to Japan and the to 120, have realised impossible clusive Award 2012; North India Win-
Middle East, The M y stery of the M i ss- dreams, in most creative ways. The ner of India NGO Awards 2009, and
i ng S oap was downloaded on Kindle, NGO is a major children’s books pub- Katha’s I Love Reading programme
recited on radio, enacted on television, lisher (370 titles in English & Hindi, was awarded the Millennium Alliance
and there’s even a feature film in the translated from 21 Indian languages); Award 2013 by USAID and govern-
works. The international acclaim is it also runs the Katha Lab School in ment of India.

56 EDUCATIONWORLD JULY 2020