Author: Bharati D’souza | March 24th, 2022
The Tarang Transforming Schools Project (TTPS) at Sethu is an inclusive early education initiative. One of the strong pillars of the project is to collaborate with preschools to build model inclusive preschools. Since 2018, the TTSP team has witnessed a dedicated partnership with 2 schools in the state of Goa, Manovikas English Medium School, Margao and Chubby Cheeks School, Porvorim. The TTSP team is proud to introduce to you our new partner school – ‘Samaaveshi Pathshaala’ from Kashele Village in Karjat, Maharashtra. Samaaveshi Pathshaala has approached the TTSP to collaboratively work with them toward making inclusion a reality!
Here is a glimpse into the fascinating journey of the Samaveshi Pathshaala…
Nivedita Tiwari and Ashok Shah, two graduates of Tata Institute of Social Sciences encountered a 10-year-old girl who was recovering from a spinal cord injury as a result of the 2015 earthquake in Nepal. Appalled by the fact that this young wheelchair user was not allowed to attend the school she had attended because of her disability. Realising that she was far from alone in her plight they were inspired to do something about it. In 2018, Samaaveshi Pathshaala was co-founded in Mumbai. As an early-stage nonprofit working on inclusive education, they have been constantly striving to develop knowledge and skills to deliver quality inclusive education at their school. Their vision was to build an inclusive future through an integrated approach that comprises an inclusive school, a community library and a teacher-training programme on inclusive education with local Anganwadis. Since then they have impacted the early education of 3000+ children with diverse learning needs in Karjat. The Tarang team are thrilled to be working hand in hand with them.
Here is what Nivedita has to say about our partnership;
“Samaaveshi’s association with Sethu has given several opportunities to the teachers to develop their technical skills and understanding on disability, inclusive education and teaching strategies. The training sessions have enabled us to facilitate improved inclusive education in the tribal communities of Karjat. We are grateful to Sethu for providing this platform where we can work in collaboration to continue designing a better school curriculum and culture, making it more inclusive and respectful for all children with diversities.”