What does it take to make a school or Anganwadi a place where children can learn, explore & feel encouraged to participate?
In Boravanipeta Gram Panchayat in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, this question shaped the work across two villages, Boravanipeta and Thallavalasa, where one Upper Primary School, one Primary School and two Anganwadi Centres serve children in their early years and school years.
Through our partnership with the NGO Youth Club Bejjipuram (YCB), we implemented the School Readiness & Balavikas Programme in the schools and Anganwadi Centres focusing on strengthening early childhood education, children’s learning, health and hygiene, and encouraging participation from parents & the community.
An important step was training two Anganwadi Workers & teachers handling Classes I and II in Early Childhood Education (ECE), Balavadi activities & activity-based teaching-learning methods. With continued support from YCB, they began using games, songs, action-based activities & creative exercises to engage children.
The Anganwadi Centres were made 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱-𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆 with wall art, activity spaces, & identitiy cards. At the Upper Primary School, 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗞𝗶𝘁𝘀 & 𝗟𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 gave children opportunities to experiment, observe and read beyond their textbooks.
The programme also focused on health, hygiene & nutrition. Children & parents were oriented on handwashing, personal hygiene, clean surroundings & health check-ups. With support from Krishi Vigyan Kendra Amadalavalasa, kitchen gardens provided children opportunities to learn about vegetables & nutritious food.
The wider community became part of the effort. Parents, Auxiliary Nurse Midwifery (ANMs), Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA workers), village elders & other community members participated in Anganwadi Level Monitoring and Support Committee (ALMSC) & School Management Committee (SMC) meetings. Community members contributed toys, chairs, steel plates, curtains, cooking utensils etc., and supported the creation of an Art Space in the school.
Children and parents were sensitised on child rights, child marriage, school dropout, child labour & child sexual abuse.
The effort translated into measurable outcomes: 100% enrolment, 100% retention with 0% dropout, 0% child labour & 0% child marriages. In 2024, a student was selected for the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship (NMMS) Scholarship, while another participated in a drawing competition.
The two Anganwadi Centres were developed as Model Centres and were visited by senior district officials. The collective effort ultimately led to 𝗕𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗮 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝗩𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱.
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