Milestone

SetoGurans was established in 1979 as a center for early age children and later worked as an educational non-governmental organization at a time when there were not many organizations working for the welfare of the children. It focused on advocacy, introducing various modules for children, parents, community and other stakeholders, creating an inclusive environment for children to grow to their full potential – physically, emotionally socially and intellectually. 

In 1979, when the world was celebrating the international year of the child, seed of SetoGurans NCDS was sown. Moved by the children’s plight from the untouchable (dalit) community in Lalitpur, afflicted from birth by caste discrimination and poverty, Ms Agatha PakhringThapa initiated her efforts to raise awareness and sow hope within the community that transformation begins with children. She created a center that could break the cycle of deprivation for the young children of those communities. 

At the same time, she struggled to find official support and backing. Rev Fr William Robins SJ, who was sensitive to the social causes that denied children of their chances of development, offered a place at St Mary’s School premises to allow Ms Agatha to transfer her dreams into reality. The first batch of 26 children entered her Seto Gurans center on 1st November 1979. Thus, SetoGurans was born. 

After the 10 months training on Kindergarten Teaching and Supervision, organized by Mount Carmel International Training Centre, Haifa, ISRAEL — Agatha came back from this eight months sabbatical knowing that she would do something to help the children of the poor. She never went back to her old position. Instead, she devised an approach, and then began visiting the homes of untouchables to persuade the parents to send their children to the new preschool she had decided to start. Thereafter, she gave her both the inspiration and the tools to transform the lives of young children and ultimately their community.