Founded by Smt. Geeta Dharmarajan (Padma Shri) in 1989, Katha, a non-profit organization, has been, for the last 33 years, empowering underserved and marginalized communities through Quality Education, Vocational Skilling & Entrepreneurship Training, Women Empowerment, WASH, World-Class Book Publishing and Teacher Training. Katha has several programs in place to help check various types of poverties amongst the population at the Bottom of Pyramid’ (BoP). Katha’s initiatives, across many states, have reached over 12.1 million beneficiaries (children, youth and women) from impoverished and underserved                                                communities. Katha’s work spans the literacy to literature continuum by seamlessly connecting grassroots  work in education & training and community resurgence.

KATHA LAB SCHOOL

KATHA LAB SCHOOL (popularly known in the community as KATHA KHAZANA), is the National Institute of Open School (NIOS) accredited low-cost community school, was started in 1990 in the Govindpuri slum clusters of New Delhi, offering high quality education to children ‘at risk’ starting from 3 months to 17 years old. The KATHA LAB SCHOOL, a centre for Innovations offering, apart from education, high quality care and skill based training to the students.

Katha School of Entrepreneurship (KSE)

With the firm belief that When women earn – children can learn– Katha motivated and involved the community women into income generation activities like tailoring, embroidery, baking, cooking. With the Vocational and entrepreneurship training becoming the need of the day, in 1990 Shakti Khazana was set up which, in turn, developed into a full-fledged Katha School of Entrepreneurship wherein we provide Knowledge and Marketplace-focused skills.

Katha School Quality Enhancement Program (KSQEP)

KSQEP is a government school adoption program implemented by Katha in partnership with Government and funding partner under PPP model. The program is aimed at transforming and revitalize the quality of Education at primary government schools with the objective of ensuring the children there receive an excellent education at par with the best of private schools leading to high performances.

I Love Reading (ILR)

I Love Reading! (ILR) was initiated as Katha’s flagship program in 2008. The concept of providing an innovative reading and school transformation program was first put forward to the Delhi Government, to improve the reading skills of the children, from 1st to 5th standard, in the Government primary schools.  At each of the schools we work in, a class room is dedicated for ILR; the room is painted,

Teacher Training

Katha’s teacher training initiative, started in 1990, with the objective of enabling the Teacher to be at the Centre of Community Action and educate the community on the sensitive and much neglected issues like water and sanitation which could revitalize society. In 1993, under Kalpana Vilasam, the Centre of Creativity in Education, regular in-service training was started, with three trainings each year.

Slum Resurgence Initiative

Katha runs various other community programs and workshops for women, youth and adolescent girls. Katha also organizes the Mothers’ Associations (Ma Mandal), whereby women are empowered to take on advocacy roles for their respective communities. We provide skill based training to women on financial, advocacy, leadership and community-engagement skills.