ANGANWADI is a center that provides underprivileged children under the age of 6 with early education, nutrition and basic healthcare. Anganwadi centers are found in rural areas and urban slum areas where children suffer from a lack of access to schooling, regular meals and medical facilities. The families of these children live below the poverty line and are unable to afford education or medical care for their children. Zero to 6 is a crucial age for children. Without their basic needs, these children suffer from malnutrition, preventable medical conditions and the crippling lack of education. This keeps families and communities trapped in poverty and the suffering that comes with it.
Anganwadi centers stand in the gap, meet the needs of these children from poor backgrounds and give them the assistance they need to grow into self-sufficient adults who can break the cycle of poverty. The word anganwadi means “courtyard shelter” and was started by the Government of India in 1975 as a part of an effort to combat hunger and malnutrition in children. Half a century on, anganwadi centers are still providing crucial care and are staffed by teachers who have an important role in imparting education and maintaining good health in children.
There are around 14 lakh anganwadi centers across India and for these centers, NGOs provide support to the teachers, workers, helpers, parents, community members and above all, the children. Here are 5 anganwadi NGOS for children across India:
BELIEF
BELIEF (NGO full form: Better Education Lifestyle and Environment Foundation) assists around 54 anganwadi centers in Hadapsar and Mundhawa in Maharashtra with a twofold approach: capacity-building for the anganwadi workers and training for the parents. BELIEF trains anganwadi workers using the state curriculum to ensure that their classroom instruction is effective and builds a strong academic foundation for the children.
The children only spend around 2 hours in the anganwadi center but the rest of the time is spent at home. Therefore the NGO works with the parents to cultivate a culture of learning at home. Through this approach, BELIEF’s goal is to improve the school readiness of children before they enter grade 1 and has worked with 1,500 children. To support BELIEF, you can donate here:
SPARK
SPARK (NGO full form: Socially Productive And Responsible Karnatakans) works with anganwadis to provide academic mentorship sessions, scholarships, and digital education for students. Bengaluru-based SPARK’s project for rural Karnataka consists of a 48-module curriculum, teacher training sessions and period assessments for the children, all in the vernacular, Kannada.
The NGO invests in digital learning and has incorporated an interactive touchscreen LED device into the learning sessions, based on the Chili Pili curriculum certified by the Women and Child Development Department. SPARK aims to impart digital learning to children during their developmental stages to create greater ease with using digital devices, which has become commonplace in today’s world. To support SPARK, you can donate here:
Prajayatna
Prajayatna works with anganwadis in the Bokaro district of Jharkhand to provide on-site support and mentorship to anganwadi workers. The training and monitoring assistance will help the workers implement effective teaching methods so that the children develop social, cognitive and emotional skills and progress in their academic work, according to their grade and age group.
Prajayatna is also exploring the role of parents and community members in early childhood education and care. By holding meetings with parents, ward members, Panchayat members and self help groups, Prajayatna is helping anganwadi workers create an environment in each child’s home and neighborhood that is conducive to learning and good health. To support Prajayatna, you can donate here:
Barefoot Edu Foundation
Barefoot Edu Foundation runs capacity-building programs for anganwadi workers to ensure they are equipped with Early Childhood Education strategies and learnings which they can implement in their classrooms. The other feature of Barefoot Edu Foundation’s program is to form peer learning circles among anganwadi workers to provide a strong support system.
Maharashtra-based Barefoot Edu Foundation also provides training on how to conduct guided learning circles, which will go on to impact 1,400 teachers and more than 15,000 children. Barefoot Edu Foundation’s goal is to strengthen the effectiveness of anganwadi workers by equipping them with the learning strategies and resources to deliver impactful lessons to students. To support Barefoot Edu Foundation, you can donate here:
Support Barefoot Edu Foundation
Makkala Jagriti
Makkala Jagriti has worked with more than 300 anganwadi centers to train workers and helpers on how to implement effective school readiness programs while equipping the teachers with the tools, resources and methodologies to deliver impactful lessons. The Bengaluru-based NGO is currently focusing on strengthening the learning experience of around 800 children in a semi-rural area of North Bengaluru.
The NGO focuses on creating safe spaces of learning, bringing age-appropriate material for the children, assisting the teachers, involving the parents in their children’s education and helping the community members understand the importance of Early Childhood Education in shaping the future of the community. To support Makkala Jagriti, you can donate here:
Support anganwadi NGOs in India
In India, anganwadi centers are among the largest providers of early childhood education and child nutrition. Your support to these anganwadi NGOs can help the most underprivileged children across India access basic education and healthcare. To help children receive the care they need in their formative years, support these organizations and help shape the future generations of Indians.
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Shirley has been in the development sector for over 10 years and is passionate about making a change in the world around her, including adopting dogs and writing to make a difference.
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