Please help us change lives around the word!
Howrah City Pilot Project is a small, grassroots organization that runs several community development
initiatives in P.M. Basti, including a non-formal school for children and youth, a women's sewing programme
for economic empowerment, a women's saving scheme, a masala (spice)-making enterprise, a women's health
education programme with access to family planning services.
The mission of Howrah City Pilot Project is to reach out to the poor and marginalized sections of the city through education, skills and organization, and thus build community awarness and leadership.
The vision of Howrah City Pilot Project is to build awareness, capabilities and leadership among youth for community uplift and renewal, and thus catalyze renewal of the city and metropolis from the grassroots.
Talimi Haq School Blog
City Renewal
I have been involved with Howrah City Pilot Project as a researcher since 2004. This is a genuine grassroots organisation run by people from the local community, for the local community. They know how to design programmes that meet the needs of children and women from this area and lead to improved social outcomes for all.
My first encounter with Talimi Haq School was in 2012, and I have returned to the school each year since then. While there I work with teachers and children on effective ways to teach spoken English. As a professor in Education at a Canadian university, I have visited alternative school projects in many countries, functioning under extremely difficult conditions. Before visiting Talhimi Haq I never witnessed so much affection and care given to children so consistently. Rarely, did I witness elsewhere a comparable concern with the childrens' educational and personal needs. The school has so many huddles it has to jump over just to continue functioning. Teachers are poorly paid, space is limited and crowded, learning materials are sparse; nonetheless sheer dedication and love keeps the school functioning. Hopefully people will help to bring the hurdles down.