Navid Zendegi Koosha Institute

Navid Zendegi Koosha Institute
place of activity: Shirabad region of Zahedan in Sistan and Baluchistan province, Iran
children’s age group: pre-school, and grades one to three of elementary school
Number of children: more than 400
Number of trainers: 22
Program started in: September 2018
Literacy project for the educationally deprived children of Shirabad

Shirabad is one of the most disadvantageous regions in Iran. Navid Zendegi Koosha (literally meaning the promise of a diligent life) started its activity in this region from 2016 with the aim of abolishing children’s labor. The institute is trying to provide the children with a safe environment in which they can learn and be happy.

The cooperation between Navid Zendegi Koosha Institute and “Read with Me” program started in the educational year of 2018-2019, in Koosha Kindergarten in Zahedan by the help and support of Ms. Dalileh Hashemi. “Read with Me” program was also undertaken for the educationally deprived children of Shirabad from the educational year of 2019-2020, with the support of “Anjoman-e Yaran-e Mehr o Danesh”. The three organizations of “The Institute for the Research on the History of Children’s Literature”, “Navid Zendegi Koosha Institute” and “Afarinesh Ayandeh Institute” are cooperating in this project. The educational affairs of this program, such as preparing a curriculum, teachers’ training, proving the classes with educational material, and supervising over the process of education, is undertaken completely by “Read with Me” program.

This program is currently undertaken for more than 360 educationally deprived children in the first to six grades of the elementary school in the educational year of 2020-2021.

Koosha Kindergarten in Shirabad, Zahedan

“Read with Me” program started in Koosha Kindergarten in the educational year of 2018-2019 with the support of Dalileh Hashemi. In the summer of 2020, in a new phase of “Read with Me” program, 65 children passed a training course for entering the elementary school. In the fall of the same year, more than 50 children were registered in the pre-school training course and are currently participating in the classes.

Literacy Project for Mothers in Shirabad

The literacy program for mothers in the Shirabad region started in December 2020 in Navid Zendegi Koosha Institute with the support of Mr. Saeed Bahremand, using the framework set by “Read with Me” program. In the first year, 34 women joined the program. In addition to participating in the literacy classes, they undertook “Reading in the Family” program, too. Registration is still open to women in Shirabad for the second phase of this program in the educational year of 2020-2021.