Pratham Around the World

Pratham’s successful systems and philosophies in India have made us a leader on the international stage. Our offices are working to raise awareness for Pratham’s mission and money to address India’s serious literacy needs in the following countries.

A Canadian registered charity, Pratham Canada supports the activities of Pratham India by raising awareness about Pratham's mission and funds for its programs. The chapter also facilitates the involvement of volunteers in various aspects of Pratham's operations, and explores collaborative opportunities with Canadian institutions and agencies with similar interests.

Pratham e.V. is a registered German charity established to generate awareness and funds for Pratham’s activities. Headquartered in Düsseldorf by five volunteers, the chapter has raised over €40,000 for Pratham’s programs since they began in 2004.

Pratham USA is represented by local chapters in major cities across the country. The chapters raise funds and generate awareness for Pratham’s work through an eclectic mix of galas and events. Pratham USA’s volunteer ranks and funding contribution continue to grow year after year, thanks in part to the many Indian transplants who reside here. 

A leading Indian Education Charity: Founded as an overseas chapter of Pratham India in 2003 by volunteers who wanted to help make a difference through educating children. The chapter raises awareness of the charity's work and raises funds through multiple sporting and social events such as the London Marathon and their Annual Gala.

 

 

Pratham’s successful model and message is spreading to other countries with significant literacy problems. Why? The Pratham way is improving child literacy in one of the most, if not the most, challenging situations in the world. Other countries in similar positions are wise to look to our model—and we are overjoyed to help.

 

A prime example of Pratham’s global influence is a number of survey initiatives in other countries based on our own Annual Status of Education Report (ASER). ASER was a prime starting point in India because it highlighted the needs, generated concern and created momentum for literacy programs here. Pratham lends our people, ideas and information freely to other countries. As a result, ASER-like initiatives are either being implemented or planned in Pakistan, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Bangladesh, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Ghana and

Senegal.

 

Pratham is an important voice in the global discourse about the quality of primary education. ASER influenced the Fast Track Initiative of the World Bank in its Millennium Development Goals to be reached by 2015. In addition, Pratham has brought to light the universal problem of low learning levels despite rising enrollment. As a result, the Hewlett Foundation launched their Quality Education in Developing Countries (QEDC) initiative with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Another example of our influence is that USAID is now committing to programs aimed at enhancing reading ability in sub-Saharan Africa.

With an increasing youth population, Bangladesh is beginning to address its illiteracy problem by implementing an initiative modeled after Pratham’s wide scale literacy survey, ASER. It’s a hopeful first step for this country, which  has aced many challenges since its independence.

Ghana has demonstrated a firm commitment to raising the learning levels of children and getting its remaining out-of-school kids into school. They recently initiated a survey modeled after Pratham’s ASER. It can be a significant first step in instituting wide scale improvements as it was in India. 

In this country of persistent poverty, there are positive steps being taken. They have implemented a wide scale literacy survey modeled after Pratham’s ASER to better understand the learning levels and needs of their children. 

Here in the crossroads of Africa, Kenya is using Pratham’s ASER model to test the learning levels of its children. In 2008, they took this first step in addressing the problem of widespread illiteracy. Pratham has lent people, ideas and information to support their efforts.

Mali’s health challenges have stunted its child literacy rate over the years, but there are hopeful signs. As a first step, this West African country is planning a wide scale survey of literacy patterned after Pratham’s own ASER in order to determine the leaning levels and needs.

Pratham is supporting this country’s efforts to begin to address its illiteracy problem. In 2008, Pakistan implemented a research program modeled after our ASER-study to determine the learning level and needs of the children here. Pratham is supporting their effort by sharing people, ideas and information.

A large rural population as well as urban challenges have traditionally hampered Senegalese children’s prospects for learning. They are beginning to look at the problem though through a literacy survey like Pratham’s ASER study in order to determine children’s leaning levels and needs.

With illiteracy at 72% according to UNICEF, Tanzania has a great challenge ahead. With Pratham’s support they began to address it in 2008 by implementing a research program modeled after our ASER-study to determine the learning level and needs of its children. Pratham has lent people, ideas and information to support their efforts. 

Despite various conflicts and a large number of refugees here, Uganda is making moves to address its child illiteracy problem. In 2008, Uganda implemented a research program modeled after our ASER-study to determine the learning level and needs of its children. Pratham has lent people, ideas and information to support their efforts.