Learning Centers for Preschoolers

West Bengal is one of India’s poorest states, with a per capita gross domestic product that is about 20 percent below the national average. Many rural areas suffer from inadequate infrastructure: poor housing, insufficient sanitation facilities, contaminated drinking water (arsenic), low hygiene standards, a lack of educational opportunities, and insufficient, unstable income lead to daily struggles for survival, with children—who are the youngest and therefore most dependent on support and care—being among the primary victims. Child mortality is high. Homelessness, abandonment, illness, and social disintegration are commonplace. The literacy rate currently stands at only about 76 percent of West Bengal’s total population. Due to the harsh living conditions even for young children, many do not make it to school; and many who do make it drop out. The dropout rate is approximately 18 percent at the secondary level.

The non-governmental project partner in the region, the Kolkata Trust for Human Development (KTfHD), has been working for many years to improve the living conditions of children during their first seven years of life—that is, to support them during a phase of life in which the foundations are laid for self-confidence, determination, creativity, resilience, communication, and related social skills; Harmonious coexistence, nonviolent conflict resolution, and assertiveness are learned and practiced through play during these years.

In cooperation with our German partner Indienhilfe e.V. in Herrsching, the project supports the establishment and operation of two Learning and Resource Centers in two of the poorest and most underdeveloped rural areas near the metropolis of Kolkata: Gaccha Village and Kulia Village, in the 24 North Parganas District. The children attend these centers daily from morning through the afternoon, where they learn basic skills—such as hygiene—in a safe and stimulating environment, receive a balanced diet (many are malnourished when they first arrive), and practice social interaction; in the process, the children engage in age-appropriate, playful activities and are gradually prepared for school, peaceful social interaction and self-determination.

At the same time, parents—especially mothers—are also educated on issues such as hygiene, nutrition, child care, and healthy living environments.