The Saathi Teachers' Programme is under the Helambu Education and Livelihood Partnership (HELP). It’s a paired teaching placement for qualified and passionate young people to teach at basic-level schools (grades 1-5) struggling with a shortage of teachers in rural communities. We support high-needs schools with Saathi teachers and help set up Early Childhood Development (ECD) classrooms.
HELP has piloted this programme in five schools with 10 Saathis between 2019-21 at Panchpokhari Rural Municipality. The programme showed strong results concerning both retention and achievement of children in the pilot schools (despite the COVID-19 lockdown). In 2021, HELP expanded it to Melamchi Municipality along with 9 Saathis.
This programme has created a positive environment for the student's learning and helped to increase the classroom attendance ratio. To manage this programme and assist the overall growth of the school and the students, HELP collaborates with the relevant local government and the schools.