CHILDREN’S ROOM
Big Ideas, Real Impact
Teachers, snacks, clean water, and a roof
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Children at home, learning close to family
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Preserving Community
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Teachers, snacks, clean water, and a roof · Children at home, learning close to family · Preserving Community ·
A place to play, learn, and belong in Kaza, Spiti Valley, when the school day ends.
When school ends, the day isn’t over.
In Spiti Valley, many families farm from 5am to 7pm. When regular school closes, children need somewhere safe to go. The Children’s Room is an after school and winter holiday program in Kaza where hundreds of kids come each day to a warm, supervised space. Parents can work knowing their children are looked after.
Play is how they learn
Ms. jo’s Children’s Room is built for creative play. Kids cook in the play kitchen, build with gears and blocks, draw, dress up, and read. The library is supported by our partner Joy of Reading. None of it is a lesson, and all of it is learning: patience, teamwork, curiosity, and the confidence to try something new.
Behind the play is a daily routine that has to be paid for. Three teachers lead the program, mentored by Jo Smith, a New Zealand teacher who has lived in Spiti Valley for years. Every day the room needs filtered water, a snack for each child, school and library supplies, and rent. These are ongoing costs, which is why steady support matters more than any single gift.
