Aiming to transform `anganwadi’ centres (AWCs) into a better learning experience for children, the District Magistrate Sundargarh in Odisha Mr Nikhil Pavan Kalyan is spearheading a campaign of constructing all the AWCs in a uniform model. The vision of the campaign is to make such transformation in all the 3,800 AWCs in the district.
In an exclusive interview with Indian Masterminds, Mr. Kalyan took us through the objective behind the initiative, the process of transforming the AWCs, and the visible benefits of the project in the district.
THE OBJECTIVE
Said Mr Kalyan, “As the Government of India provide basic amenities and environment as a learning aid for the preschool children, we thought of adopting their architectural designs and provide best services to the children attending these centres. Essentially, we used to only provide food and ration, which was indeed the main incentive of the children to attend an AWC.”
“But with this project, we will ensure that children will not only come to the AWC for food alone, but also for a better learning experience and interactive sessions. It will become a centre, just like any other school, where people will themselves send their children so that they learn new things,” he added.
As the first four years is the most important period in a child’s life, most of the interventions under the initiative will help in reducing the pressing issues of malnutrition, low weight, and other nutrition-related problems.
THE TRANSFORMATION PROCESS
Despite ranking at a decent level in the district, state and the government statistics, the Sundargarh district administration wants to achieve more. Mr. Kalyan said, “Our interventions will be always inclusive of both mother and the child. So, these AWCs are not only going to have a better educative environment for the children but for the mothers also.”
“We have hired best architects from all across the country in a transparent procedure and 13 agencies are working with us for the same project. Most of the architects belong to the capital, Delhi. By taking the designs as per the BaLa model, we have designed the anganwadis on a case-to-case individual basis as per the requirements,” he added.
BaLA or Building as learning aid, is an initiative of the Government of India which aims towards qualitative improvement in education and developing the school’s entire physical environment as a learning aid.
For the project the administration has seek funds from the District Mineral Fund and Odisha Mineral Bearing Areas Development Corporation (OMBADC). The spending power of the administration rose with the help of the funds and due to this the quality increased three times more than the general model.
The project kickstarted in the month of December 2020 and within these three-four months, the administration has managed to transform 150 AWCs. Mr. Kalyan said, “The quality is what made us confident to carry on the project and the people involved in this have a major role to play.”
Apart from the beautification of the AWCs, the administration has procured a lot of educational kits which will help the children to learn the basic before entering the first grade. The kits include notebooks, writing books, learning library, activity books, flash cards, rhyme books, educational posters, crayons and slate etc. These kits are now being provided individually to children.
Lastly, the district administration is also focusing on the mother of these children as they hold a major role in providing them with adequate nutrition. Mr. Kalyan said, “We want to ensure that the mothers of the children also accompany them and learn what kind of food should be given to the child according to their age.”
BENEFITS
By taking up such initiatives, which also include community participation, the district is observing a behavioral change in people. With the beautification of `Anganwadi centres, the whole ecosystem of the district is changing as it has become an area where parents and often grandparents accompany their children and engage in various activities like reading newspapers, etc.
