There is little hope that the Covid-19 situation in India will normalise any time soon; the case numbers in Nepal too continue to rise. The re-opening of schools is currently not in sight in either country. At least the professional skills training centres in Hyderabad will be allowed to resume operations on 21st of September.
According to the Usthi partner organisation in Hyderabad, there has been a slight decline in Covid-19 infections in the last few days, but the state of Telangana still records over 2000 new cases every day. In the states of West Bengal and Odisha the numbers also continue to rise. There is currently no indication of a resumption of classroom teaching at all Usthi school locations. Classes will continue to be offered through distance-learning and pupils will regularly be provided with new school materials, including textbooks. The teachers from the tuition centres support them by phone whenever possible.
Fortunately, however, the government finally gave green light for the resumption of professional training courses. From 21st of September, motivated young people will again be able to attend courses at the two training locations Alwal and Medchal. In order to minimise the risk of infection, the students will have the possibility to live on campus during their vocational training in the next months. Several trainees have already registered for this option.
As infection rates in Nepal continue to rise, no opening of the schools is in sight and the development of the new Usthi project is still hampered. Currently, alternative options are being discussed regarding the form in which classes can be held in the future. Our partner organisation in Nepal is in constant dialogue with local schools and authorities. Since local travel is now permitted again, it is at least possible for them to visit the villages where the Usthi project is to be implemented. The establishment phase of the project can thus be continued slowly. The Usthi team hopes that this will enable more young people in Nepal to have access to education soon.