Early Learning Center

We are working with the tribal ‘Bru’ internally displaced people (IDP) in Tripura state, situated in the Northeast region of India. The Bru IDPs faced forced displacement from neighboring Mizoram state due to ethnic conflicts with the dominant Mizo tribal community in 1997 and 2002. Since then, they have been living in protracted displacement in Tripura. They face the brunt of ethnic conflict, with multiple layers of vulnerability and limited access to social development services including education. 

The recent resettlement of the Bru IDPs in new locations have again displaced but to a (hopefully) permanent residence in Tripura state. However, the locations selected for their resettlement are remote forest areas with poor access to education, health facilities and livelihood options. Here, parents are battling poverty and find it extremely challenging to additionally focus on their children’s holistic development.

To promote early learning and to ensure that children from this community receive healthy nourishment for their mind and body, we have established an Early Learning Centre (ELC) in Khahamtaipara resettlement village in Panisagar division in North Tripura district. By establishing an ELC in this remote resettlement village with approximately 800 households, we are prepping the young minds to enjoy what children do best, play and read, without traveling too far away from family. We have been interacting with these communities for the past seven years to understand their challenges and requirements.

Presently, our ELC provides free education to children in the age group 3-12 years by engaging them in age-appropriate activities guided by a teacher. Our teachers belong to the Bru community and live in the resettlement village. After a month’s in-house training by a well-known preschool in the neighbouring  state of Assam, we are now working with the trained teachers to ensure the children catchup on their age-appropriate learning goals in a fun- learning environment. The teachers are trained to provide a safe and nurturing environment to equip the child (and parents) to transition from pre-school to primary school. 

The curriculum focuses on providing a strong foundation for: 

1. Physical and motor development
2. Language development
3. Cognitive development
4. Social and emotional development
5. Sensory learning and appreciation of aesthetic activities.