01Nov

Adding more SPICE to our lives

November 1, 2022 makkalajagriti 0

A powerful learning session amidst nature

Bangalore’s iconic Cubbon Park may be known world over, but there are many youth in the communities we work with, who have never been there or explored the place. MJ’s Yuva Jagriti team seized the opportunity and created an impactful first time experience by taking nearly 60 youth of the Gopalapuram community for an outbound experiential life skills session to Cubbon Park.

It was a surprise for many of the youth that an outing like this was combined with life skills. What followed was a deep learning experience on communication and interpersonal skills, gender biases, and problem-solving in the midst of nature. Their curiosity levels and energy helped them absorb much better than in a closed hall. There was a sense of freedom for them and great bonding as well.

“I had always associated problem-solving with mathematics. I had never expected to learn problem solving through games. I also understood how critical patience and time-management were in life” says Pooja, one of the youth participants.

All in all, it was joyful and experiential learning in the truest sense of the term and there will be more of them.

Packing a punch since over a year

Continuing on the thread of facilitating unprecedented opportunities, here’s something that should kick in even more excitement.

Makkala Jagriti is proud to have been associated with Bhairavi is a social initiative that is on a mission to empower underprivileged children with the tools and techniques to lead lives of confidence, dignity and health through the martial art of Taekwondo. With Bhairavi’s support, we have been facilitating Taekwondo training for children in government schools and Child Care institutions.

In August 2021, we kickstarted online Taekwondo sessions to children in Child Care institutions across the state – a truly unprecedented experience in every sense. The sessions were extremely useful to children in the pandemic times as it helped them release their stress levels while developing confidence and good health. Week after week went by and we had completed a year of the intervention, with many children and Child Care Institutions continuing to participate regularly and enthusiastically.

To celebrate this, Makkala Jagriti and Bhairavi with the support of the Directorate of Child Protection organized an online event where certificates of appreciation were awarded to more than 700 children across 30 institutions in 18 districts of Karnataka who have been consistently participating in the sessions. We are sure that the children will treasure this moment and it shall also be an inspiration for others.

We would like to thank the Bhairavi team including Neha, instructors Ved and Master Nagarjuna for dedicatedly conducting the sessions throughout the year.

An integrated SPICE for a truly integrated learning experience

After nearly a two-year gap, we are back to implementing Makkala Jagriti’s flagship SPICE model of intervention with children in government schools, communities and children in institutional care in a consistent and structured manner. And what’s more exciting is that we have revamped the content and approach towards its implementation.

In the new approach, we will have an integrated curriculum that facilitates Socio-emotional, Physical, Intellectual, Creative and Ethical development among children. We have newly added the dimension of Ethical development to SPICE as we truly believe that a strong foundation on ethics and values is what shall help us move towards a more equitable society.

Our team has been working hard on the new model from the last 6 months and more and we were able to conclude the first set of training to the facilitators recently. The pilot sessions have been very promising and insightful and we are excited about the future of the holistic learning ecosystem we are creating. We shall share the stories from the field as they pour in.

A big shout out to Dr. Indira Vijayasimha, Founder, Poorna Learning Centre and Professor (Retd.), Azim Premji University, who has been guiding us in the process. Here’s what she has to say about the new approach: “Holistic development of children can be effectively achieved through an integrated approach which combines different dimensions of education seamlessly. This can be done by following a theme based curriculum which helps in meaningful and joyful learning.”

Micro-improvements that make mega differences

The development sector overall and the education sector is a complex space with multiple issues, stakeholders, resource constraints and perspectives. It is obvious that interventions at multiple levels are needed to bring in big changes, but one can easily be overwhelmed by the complexity of it all.

This is where the power of Micro-improvements comes in. Micro-improvements are projects or undertakings with small goals that show immediate results. These in turn aid in establishing practices that can be repeated to create a journey of sustainable improvement.

In collaboration with Shikshalokam, a non-profit working on education leadership, Makkala Jagriti had an opportunity to showcase the micro-improvements that we have undertaken in the ECCE space with about 40 enthusiastic changemakers from nearly 15 NGOs.

We showcased a series of improvements that included creating conducive learning spaces in Anganwadis, recognition of Anganwadi Workers as Anganwadi Teachers, early education practices adopted by Anganwadi teachers, community involvement and so on.

Two things stood out from the group reflection that followed. One is the acknowledgment that getting Early Childhood Education right is one of the most important steps in addressing many larger problems of the education system in India. The second is the appreciation and acknowledgment that systemic changes can indeed be achieved through Micro-improvements. We are heartened as well as energized by these reflections to do more.

10Oct

Empowering children in institutional care

October 10, 2022 makkalajagriti 0

Instilling courage, health and confidence among children in institutional care

What are the most important things that a child needs to secure a good future for itself?

It would not be surprising if the answers include good health, a nurturing and caring family, education, values, opportunities and a safe, positive learning ecosystem. No doubt all of these are important and yet, there are many in our society and the world at large who are deprived of these for various reasons. In fact, there are many children who witness conflict within and outside their families, risky situations, neglect and injustice. And when a child’s impressionable mind witnesses all these, one can only imagine how it affects its sense of confidence, self-worth and ability to grow.

With the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) as well as India’s Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act asserting that the institutionalization of children may be used only as a measure of the last resort, we are unfortunately faced with the situation of having many children staying in institutional settings. Child Care Institutions (CCIs) are an important component of the child protection system with different kinds of ‘Homes’ housing children from different circumstances and having different needs. And while they do provide care and protection, the institutions may not necessarily be the best learning ecosystem for a child’s holistic development.

Makkala Jagriti’s motto: Where a child is born should not limit how far it should go perhaps applies most critically to children in institutional care and has inspired the organization to engage with CCIs towards providing holistic learning and development opportunities to the children staying there. Using the SPICE model – an approach and curriculum that covers the Social, Physical, Intellectual, Creative and Emotional development aspects – MJ’s facilitators have been engaging with the children in CCIs through activities and experiences since 2007 with the support of the Department of Women and Child Development, Government of Karnataka.

When the pandemic struck in 2020, the learning and exposure opportunities for children in CCIs were severely limited. This prompted a partnership with the Department and the launch of a special initiative to virtually engage with children of CCIs across the state. Entitled Project Ullasa, the initiative involved creating and sending lessons and activities for engaging children in CCIs every day, conducting live online activities with children on topics of their interest and well-being and empowering the staff of the CCIs for qualitatively better engagement with children through online workshops and sessions every fortnight. More than 2 years on, Project Ullasa continues to this day with regular online activities for children and staff of CCIs.

Project Ullasa has provided many first time and unique experiences to the Children of CCIs. One such of the unique activities in this project has been conducting online Taekwondo classes for children in CCIs in partnership with Bhairavi.

Bhairavi (Bhairavi.org.in) is a social initiative that is on a mission to empower underprivileged children with the tools and techniques to lead lives of confidence, dignity and health through the martial art of Taekwondo.

The heart and hands behind the initiative include Ved, and his elder sister Neha, who, deeply felt from a young age that they are a privileged minority and there are large numbers of vastly less privileged children. They started Bhairavi in 2013 when Neha was barely in her teens and Ved was less than 10 years. Since they had been training in Taekwondo, they saw the opportunity to empower marginalized children through teaching them this martial art. Neha and Ved started teaching, along with support of their Taekwondo master, in government schools in partnership with Makkala Jagriti before expanding the engagement to other spaces.

In August 2021, when the shadow of the pandemic was still not fully lifted from our lives, Makkala Jagriti partnered with Bhairavi to provide Taekwondo sessions to children in child care institutions online – a truly unprecedented experience in every sense. Project Ullasa was the perfect vehicle to launch the initiative and the support from the Directorate of Child Protection to ensure that the program is carried on forthwith was exemplary.

There were some initial challenges – getting a suitable time-slot that suited most CCIs, internet connectivity issues, apprehensions from some of the CCIs whether the knowledge of martial-art would be abused, etc. There was apprehension about teaching the children online itself because of limited exposure of children to this medium. However, over a period of time, things settled down and a regularity or participation kicked in.

Maria Ashwini Prathima Senior Coordinator, Makkala Jagriti says “…we were unsure of how the CCIs, and children would respond to the sessions… we are now seeing that the children are taking leadership in handling the sessions”. Part of the reason for the success of the program is that Ved and Nagarjuna introduced fun elements such as music, dance, encouraging children to lead sessions and so on. This was to keep children better engaged; but equally to make this an hour of fun learning recognizing the beneficial effect it would have on the mental mood and morale of the children especially in the tough Covid times where children had almost no social and physical activities.”

Consistency is the key. Ved along with Master Nagarjuna of Asian Taekwondo Academy have been taking the weekly 1-hour virtual class consistently so that it has become ingrained in the time-tables of the CCIs. Week after week went by and in August 2022, we had completed a year of the intervention, with many children and Child Care Institutions continuing to participate regularly and enthusiastically.

The sessions were extremely useful to children in the pandemic times as it helped them release their stress levels while developing confidence and good health. Along with other live activities under Project Ullasa, this has also contributed to the sense of community among children in CCIs as they see other children like themselves on the screen. Especially in the pandemic, this was very important to alleviate their sense of isolation and a sense that their world is not limited to their own CCI.

Ms. Kavitha S, a senior officer in the Directorate of Child Protection says “From the last 1 year, Taekwondo classes have been conducted for children of CCIs as part of Project Ullasa. This has really helped children in maintaining their physical health and self-defense. All the participating children have shown great interest in learning this martial art. Most children have expressed that this program should keep continuing and not be stopped for any reason.”.

We are happy to see the children reflect upon their experience and share how Taekwondo is not just a physical activity but a means to help them feel more confident and develop a good attitude towards health.

“I like doing Taekwondo as it makes me happy, relaxes my mind and I can also revolt in case of injustice” – Ruchi (name changed), 8th standard.

Never missing an occasion to celebrate, on the 9th of September, 2022, Makkala Jagriti and Bhairavi with the support of the Directorate of Child Protection organized an online event to appreciate more than 700 children across 37 institutions in 17 districts who have been consistently participating in the sessions. The children were awarded certificates of appreciation and we are sure they will treasure it and it will be an inspiration for others.

Team Bhairavi as well as Makkala Jagriti are thankful to the Directorate of Child Protection, Govt. of Karnataka for the opportunity to touch the lives of thousands of children in a unique and impactful way. According to Ved and Nagarjuna: “When we hear from children like Ruchi, and realize the impact we are having is not only on their physical and mental well-being, but also providing them the confidence to demand and create an equitable society in the future, it feels deeply satisfying and joyous!”. It certainly inspires Makkala Jagriti as well to put all its efforts to ensure continuity of the initiative in the long run.

03Sep

Transforming Anganwadis to bring quality ECCE

September 3, 2022 makkalajagriti 1

Transforming Anganwadis to bring quality Early Childhood Care and Education

Every child deserves a fair start. Research shows that most of a child’s brain development happens in the first 6 years and builds a foundation for future learning, health and life success.

Various global studies have also revealed long-term impacts of early childhood care and education (ECCE). There are strong correlations between quality preschool education and higher incomes and lower rates of unemployment. Estimates reveal that the development of a strong ECCE program is among the very best investments that a country could make. ECCE promotes equity, giving the best chance for children to grow up into thoughtful, creative, empathetic, and productive human beings.

Anganwadis are the primary institutions in India that provide early childhood care and education for children in early years.While the government has been addressing the health and nutrition needs of these children through Anganwadis under ICDS, the early education component needs more attention. ECCE, being a great equalizer amidst inequities, the early learning component in Anganwadis needs strengthening through capacity building of Anganwadi teachers to impart age-appropriate pre-school learning,equip parents to enhance their involvement in the child’s early learning. Further, ICDS-supervisors need to be equipped to monitor the quality and outcomes of early education.

Makkala Jagriti, A Bangalore based NGO has been working with children from socio-economically disadvantaged communities for 19 years now. In the work with government schools and poor urban communities, Makkala Jagriti noticed that children who came to the school at the age of six years were just not school-ready. They lacked the necessary fine and gross motor skills, cognitive skills and socioemotional skills. All these showed that the Anganwadi system was not able to offer the required stimulation for different domains of development.

This prompted us to work with Anganwadis in partnership with the Department of Women and Child Development.

We have three main focus areas for bringing about quality Early Childhood care and Education and school-readiness among children.

First, creating safe, vibrant and conducive environments in Anganwadis:

This is an important first step to ensure that the centers are functional, safe and well equipped, with the right age-appropriate materials and environment for pre-school learning.

Second, building the capacities of Anganwadi teachers, Anganwadi helpers and supervisors through formal trainings, mentoring and handholding. They are trained on the importance of their role, importance of early years and on every domain of development for early years.

Third, empowering parents and communities to be effectively involved in children’s learning process and in the Anganwadis’ functioning: It is not enough to focus on the Anganwadi system only. Parents and communities have a huge role to play, especially in the early years. Parents are trained to create conducive home environments, provide early stimulation at home and nurture children’s development meaningfully and thoughtfully.

Makkala Jagriti’s experience with 300+ Anganwadis have resulted in enhanced school readiness among thousands of children, enabling them to cope up with required learning levels throughout their school years and beyond.

Ecosystem Approach :Makkala Jagriti recognizes that multiple stakeholders need to be sensitized and empowered for sustainable and effective change to take place. Consequently, the project employs an ‘ecosystem approach’ wherein all stakeholders who can influence quality early education of children in Anganwadis are involved right from inception through an inclusive and non threatening approach. Practices like shared visioning, collective thinking and empowerment through training and capacity building equips all the stakeholders to play their roles more effectively.

These stakeholders include the Anganwadi Teachers (Workers), Helpers, ICDS Supervisors, Parents and the larger community. While the capacity building of ICDS functionaries helps create a conducive space and institutionalization of good ECCE practices, the work with parents and the larger community is instrumental in sensitizing them about their role in their children’s education and create demand for quality education. The right to early childhood education is as important as the right to education, if not more.

Build-Monitor-Transfer approach for sustainability:There are distinct phases of the project that we undertake which are classified as Build, Monitor and Transfer. Through the first phase, the necessary capacities are built among Anganwadi teachers and other stakeholders along with putting the appropriate resources in place. This is followed by handholding and monitoring so that best practices in early education become a routine while allowing the creativity and leadership of the functionaries to thrive. The third phase includes a focus on further institutionalization of the practices in the system and advocacy so that quality early childhood education is not just prioritized, but becomes a way of life.

Leveraging policy: The NEP-2020 rightly underscores the importance of early childhood education and Karnataka is the first state to start the implementation of the NEP. We are conscious of the opportunity and leverage the same so that we are able to create scalable and replicable models for the state to adopt. From a policy standpoint, it is a conducive time for implementation of this project so that the knowledge, experiences and evidence generated from the intervention can be put to larger use.

Data driven implementation with conscious use of technology: We have a strong M&E component with assessments of children, Anganwadi teachers, helpers, parents and even the grading of Anganwadis at key points in the course of the intervention. These assessments inform tactical and strategic changes needed, if any, on a regular basis. We are also conscious about using children assessment formats prescribed by the Ministry of Women and Child Development Govt. of India, which are developed by UNICEF and CECED, Ambedkar University. We use technology for digitizing and analyzing the data and also for communication across the stakeholder groups. Promotion of digital literacy by empowering Anganwadi teachers to optimize the use of Smartphones to streamline and simplify their work is a component integrated in the program.

A bouquet of innovations: Various innovative ideas have been a hallmark of our experience in implementing ECCE programs. These include creation of more than 350 short videos (in Kannada) on domains of children’s development with relatable content for parents and Anganwadi teachers, sensitization and involvement of fathers, bringing focus on ECCE in parents’ meetings conducted by the Anganwadi teachers, setting up of Toy libraries where parents can borrow toys and books, large-scale community events(Mela/Habba) that celebrate and create mass awareness on early childhood education.

One of the most important and unique practices of our program is to address Anganwadi workers and Helpers as co-teachers. This has boosted their self-esteem tremendously and is directly instrumental in the functionaries taking up ECCE seriously. From our perspective, it is a small act of giving the nation’s inimitable frontline workers their due.

We gave Anganwadi teachers badges which said ‘Proud to be an Anganwadi teacher’ . Nagarathna, an Anganwadi teacher said that no one had ever called them as a teacher and MJ helped give them a representation. She also said “ people see my saree uniform and identify me as an Anganwadi worker but from today I will wear the badge daily so they also know that I am their child’s teacher

Organizational culture, capabilities and relationship with the Government: Makkala Jagriti is a 19-year old organization with a strong practitioner experience in providing holistic development opportunities to children from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. We are a learning organization whose guiding principles include being child-centric, creating a non-threatening environment and fostering a culture of inclusion and empowerment.

We have a proven capability of undertaking large programs and our experience in ECCE includes working with over 300 Anganwadis directly both in urban and rural settings and conducting statewide programs virtually. The unique contribution we could make in partnership with the Department of Women and Child Development, Govt. of Karnataka during the pandemic was to reach early childhood learning to lakhs of children across the 66,000 Anganwadis of the state and make an impact in their formative years through a Learning at home initiative called ‘ Maneyalliye Oota, Maneyalliye Paatha’ launched by the Hon. Minister of Women and Child development. Makkala Jagriti has been regularly identified as one of the credible organizations by the Department of Women and Child Development, Government of Karnataka.

With the above approach, one could apply the best practices of early childhood education making the ‘right to quality education’ a reality for a marginalized and deprived population, in the truest spirit and intent.

22Aug

Makkala Jagriti helping children dream and learn (Deccan Herald)

August 22, 2022 makkalajagriti 0

Helping children dream and learn

The Sharada Sthree Samaja in Kumara Park, Bengaluru is bright and cheerful with the laughter of children. On a Saturday at 3 pm, about twenty kids have gathered here to do homework or play. Four student volunteers are involved in engaging the children and helping them out.

The children from economically deprived communities in Seshadripuram call the space a tuition centre. Facilitators here help children with their studies after school and also engage them in various activities.

Started in 2003, Makkala Jagriti (MJ), a non-governmental organisation, currently has five such community centres in Bengaluru, two of which focus on teens who are in Class 10.

For Mahesh, 16, the space has enabled learning and encouraged him to nurture his ambitions. After scoring 79% in SSLC, now he has taken up science in PUC.

Rakshya, now in II PUC (commerce), aspires to be a bank manager. She says the Valluvapuram centre helped her continue learning through Covid, by way of revisions through online classes. This helped her clear her SSLC with 81%.

For the community, this is a great change as girl children would often drop out after puberty and others discontinued their education due to lack of guidance.

These centres started out as spaces for learning but soon transformed into spaces where children discover themselves and envision their futures — a space for holistic learning.

The concept was then extended to government schools and Anganwadis five years ago. Now, the programme covers about 75 government schools, 67 Anganwadis and 27 government childcare institutions. Facilitators are assigned to each school and they ensure the holistic development of children and employ different learning models.

Premalatha, a teacher working in a government primary school in Malleshwaram, says, activity workbooks for Classes 1-7 helped with the comprehensive development of children through the social, physical, intellectual, creative and emotional development model (SPICE model) developed by MJ’s internal programme team.

“This book turned out to be useful during Covid. Kids were able to learn something sitting at home,” says Prasanna D R, who was a Cluster Resource Person for the Vasanthapura schools.

Most government schools are short-staffed and teachers are not really able to concentrate on co-curricular activities. “That is where Makkala Jagriti helps,” he adds.

During Covid, the NGO formed virtual groups across Karnataka, coordinating programmes for Anganwadis. In 19 years, their work has spread to 13 districts.

Paying forward

Joy Srinivasan, the founder of Makkala Jagriti, saw the prejudices and discrimination in education for poor children when she was a child herself. She believes that the birthplace of children should not limit them.

After a difficult childhood, she overcame all odds, charting a successful career as a behavioural science professional and international trainer. To help other children overcome adversities, she started the NGO in Adugodi.

Mahesh Andani, now a training manager for a smartphone company, started coming to the Adugodi centre in 2010. “Coming from a vulnerable background and entering a competitive corporate space is not easy,” he says. A welcoming space, non-judgemental facilitators and experiential learning were factors that contributed to his growth.

The NGO today has 117 employees. Corporate volunteers and interns work with the NGO on a regular basis.

Sugandhi, a community coordinator, has been working with MJ for the past eight years. On a typical day, she visits the communities to talk to parents and identify issues that would affect children. If a child has a difficult home environment, she tries to counsel the parents.

Coordinators try to enrol children dropping out of private schools into government schools to stop them from discontinuing education. In the evening, when children visit the centre, they engage them in academic and co-curricular activities.

Vaishnavi, a Class 7 student, attends the centre daily. She aspires to become a police officer. Living in a joint family of 35 people in a small space, she says the centre helps her finish her homework and study in the evenings.

Kaajal, the daughter of a migrant from Bihar, dreams of becoming a dancer. “I’m waiting for dance classes to start,” she says happily.

Inspiring others

The NGO has also inspired the creation of another non-profit in the Netherlands. Called Kleine Heiden, the NGO was founded in 2017.

Paulien Weikamp, from the city of Utrecht, says in an email, “In 2015, Joy Srinivasan invited us to visit one of the government schools where Makkala Jagriti was working. We fell in love instantly with this organisation.”

Every year Paulien and her colleague Karin Steffens visit the centres in Bengaluru. They organise virtual meet-ups between kids from their NGO and Makkala Jagriti twice a year. The children exchange ideas and peek into each others’ worlds. Dutch children have also helped raise funds for the organisation.

Saritha, who lives in a tiny one-room house in the area with a family of four attests to the benefits of the tuition centre. “We could not study, that is why we are like this. I don’t want my kids to be like me.”

22Aug

From Kashmir with love… and more stories

August 22, 2022 makkalajagriti 1

1, 2, 3… 11 Yes! Eleven

Makkala Jagriti now has its footprint in 11 districts of Karnataka. In the month of July, we expanded our presence to the districts of Bidar, Vijayapura, Raichur, and Yadgir where we would be working towards transforming Child Care Institutions (CCIs) into spaces of holistic learning for children. We shall be working in 26 CCIs across 10 districts overall.

The team, which has now grown to nearly 30 members, spent 10 days in Bangalore immersing themselves in the organization’s core values, child rights, facilitation skills, issues of children in need of care and protection, and their own roles in the program. The new and the old members became one cohesive family at the end of the training and created goosebumps moments when they made an earnest commitment to the cause in their own words.

From Karnataka to Kashmir with love

And for news beyond the state, we were presented a rather unique opportunity to support young learners in a small under-resourced school in Pulgam, Jammu and Kashmir with story books for their library. For us who believe that children should get learning opportunities, no matter what, it was a simple act to respond to the requirement. The heartfelt acknowledgment we got when the books were received by the school however was exhilarating.

Watch the warmth with which this young boy shares his gratitude. It inspires us to do more, and we surely will. Love and learning know no borders.

Our rural interventions get a boost

Thanks to a new partnership with Symphony RetailAI, our intervention towards providing holistic learning opportunities to rural children in Gadag district received a fillip. With this support, we shall be working with 3 schools in Shirahatti Taluk and reaching out to nearly 400 children every year along with empowering teachers and engaging with parents. The schools have been carefully chosen – their locations are away from the Taluk hub, most of these children are first-generation learners and there are resource constraints in the schools – so that our program reaches the neediest.

When teachers become learners

For everyone of us working in education, we place a high level of expectations from teachers. But what is the kind of space and support that our teachers need to bring out their best? While searching for answers, we initiated a “Learning Circle” among teachers of the schools. The theme of this event was creating relevant Teaching Learning Materials (TLMs) and we only facilitated the circle and nudged the participants a bit. Barely a 2-hour event, we were able to witness the sharing of knowledge, best practices and creativity of the teachers without any constraints. There was a high level of participation from all teachers involved and most importantly, they enjoyed it and are looking for more such events in the future.

“It was a very happy occasion for all of us teachers to come and sit together and make Teaching Learning Materials TLMs). Here, I got to understand new different methods of making TLMs from other teachers. I am grateful that such a forum was coceptualized and I got an opportunity.”

Chitra
Science Teachers, GHPS Maralukunte

Learning Circles have a great potential in keeping the morale and creativity of the teachers at a high level and keep working at enhancing themselves. We are excited to see what lies ahead.

A lot more has happened in July than there is space to share. More than two hundred volunteers from Google and Alstom have created magic for our children through various initiatives; we have conducted baseline assessments for all our children across programs and we have been putting our hearts and minds to spice up our SPICE curriculum. More of that in the next edition.

22Aug

A new beginning in a new space, and much more!

August 22, 2022 makkalajagriti 1

We have a new Yuva Café!

The last weekend of June was an exciting one for us… One that culminated in the birth of something new!

Presenting our new Yuva Café at Gopalapuram, Bengaluru!

A safe space dedicated to empowering youth with programs aimed at helping them discover their true potential – programs in personality development, life skills and vocational training.

The Café witnessed a fervent welcome from the youth of the area, all filled with hope and excitement about the possibilities that now lay ahead of them.

The Yuva Café was inaugurated by Gandhinagar MLA, Dinesh Gundu Rao and Founder and Chairperson of Makkala Jagriti, Joy Srinivasan, and was followed by some wonderful music and dance performances by our youth. Here are a few glimpses:

Rising together with I-RISE

Makkala Jagriti’s I-RISE team, led by our Chairperson Joy Srinivasan, recently concluded a program with Bhumi Chennai where all the fellows of the Bhumi fellowship program were trained on aspects of community engagement and parent engagement through a 3-day experiential learning program.

As part of our eco-system approach, Makkala Jagriti has always focused on working with parents and equipping them to be more involved and effective stakeholders in a child’s development.

I-RISE is Makkala Jagriti’s wing that offers capacity-building and personal development programs for other organizations. If your organization would like similar training programs for your team, do write to us.

We learn while we teach

“If you’re going to teach, you should always be learning”- unknown.

This quote remained in the back of all our minds when we conducted a workshop for our teachers at the Anganwadis we work with, in partnership with Quess Corp and Careworks Foundation.

This workshop was designed to increase awareness about the importance of early learning and its role in a child’s development. It was filled with experiential learning activities which would enable the teachers to impact the lives of the children in a meaningful way.

“I was happy that we were able to learn and understand the best ways to help our children embark on a journey of lifelong learning,” says Mahadevamma, Anganwadi Teacher.

We’re thrilled to share a few pictures with you.

This training that we conduct has been possible thanks to the contributions of well-wishers like you. Your contribution can go a long way in ensuring the gift of early learning reaches our pre-schoolers so they have the right early childhood experiences, and are ready for school.

28Jul

Empowering Parents for Holistic Child Development

July 28, 2022 makkalajagriti 1

Engaging and Empowering parents for children’s holistic development in this Educational NGO in Bangalore

Children learn every day, in every environment that they are in. Parents are their children’s first educators, and how parents support their children’s learning and development makes a huge difference. Schools provide the formal structure for education and parents shape their children’s values, attitudes, skills, and approaches to learning.

Parent engagement in learning starts from early childhood and continues as children move through school and beyond.We know from the research that significant benefits are possible through strong parent-school partnerships. Schools with effective parent engagement are more likely to increase academic achievements and student wellbeing and improve lifelong outcomes.

Makkala Jagrit (MJ) i, a Bangalore-based NGO for children follows an eco-system approach for improving access to quality education for children from marginalized communities. MJ considers parents as key stakeholders in children’s holistic development and engaging with parents is, and has always been, at the heart of working with children for Makkala Jagriti, although an Educational NGO.

Why is engagement more important for parents from disadvantaged communities?

The parents that Makkala Jagriti works with are from socio-economically disadvantaged communities who face a number of socio-economic challenges in supporting the upbringing of their children. A majority of them lack adequate exposure or background to support their children’s academic, social and emotional needs. As a result, the learning and development of children are compromised. It is important to work with them to ensure there is a conducive and supportive environment at home with positive relationships between the child and the parents.

Traditional Parental engagement in schools

Traditional Parental engagement in low-income schools or government schools is through Parent-Teacher meetings which happen on a quarterly or half-yearly basis where the student’s progress is discussed. Some teachers go beyond and do community visits where they visit the homes of the students and meet with the parents.

However, often there is a tendency for the school to act from a position of authority or knowledge. The school system and teachers do not treat parents as equal partners. They often blame the parents for the children’s behavior or performance without a good understanding of the realities of parents or providing any support on how parents can play their role differently.. Parent-teacher meetings often end up being a meeting to complain about the child.

How is Makkala Jagriti’s approach to parental engagement different?

Makkala Jagriti follows several engagement models to work with parents, at the heart of which lies the following principles which would be useful for anybody who wants to work with parents from disadvantaged communities.

Being empathetic and understanding the realities of the parents’ household helps connect better and relate to parents
Creating a safe, non-threatening and non-judgmental space where parents feel free to openly discuss, share and learn is key
Treating them with dignity and respect makes parents willing to participate and engage
Being Facilitative, not prescriptive is important to make sure we are not talking down and preaching but merely nudging and facilitating and respecting their wisdom
Equiping, Enabling and Empowering parents with the necessary Knowledge, Skills and Attitude is the most important aspect which will give them the confidence to be more to be more effective as parents and create safe conducive environment at home for their children

This is done through a variety of engagement models with parents including day long workshops, residential 3-day workshops, Parents’ meetings in schools and Anganwadis, videos for parent empowerment, community visits and 1:1 conversations in schools.

Parents-using-simple-teaching-aids-at-home

Changes we have seen in parents

Over the years, Makkala Jagriti has worked with thousands of parents and seen several mindset shifts and behaviour shifts some of which are –

Parents are more effectively involved in their child’s learning and overall development and spend more time with their children
Parents understand their own role as a parent and their own parenting styles
Parents are more self-aware by knowing their self-worth, strengths, limitations, and values and also aware of their own biases, stereotypes, assumptions, and mental models
Parents have taken steps to create a conducive environment at home for the child’s learning and development
There is increased trust and empathy towards their children
Parents recognize that every child is unique and support their child’s education, learning and holistic development
There is improved communication between the school and the parent

When schools, parents, caregivers, and communities work together to support learning, children tend to do better in school, learn well and receive a strong foundation for their future.

30Jun

A Brand New Yuva Café: Growing Makkala Jagriti’s Youth Outreach!

June 30, 2022 makkalajagriti 1

A Brand New Yuva Café: Growing Makkala Jagriti’s Youth Outreach!

The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow. At Makkala Jagriti, we ﬁrmly believe that empowering youth from marginalized communities to discover their potential can bring social transformation. We set up Yuva Cafés – spaces for the youth & by the youth where youth from diﬀerent communities can congregate and access opportunities to learn and grow.

In June 2022, we opened a new Yuva Café in Gopalapuram, not too far from Bengaluru’s Majestic bus station. This is Makkala Jagriti’s third Yuva Café, after our Malleswaram and Halasuru locations, since the inception of our flagship youth empowerment program Yuva Jagriti in 2017. The Yuva Café is a safe space for youth to explore self-expression, interests and engage in various activities.

While there are many programs designed to elevate youth from under-resourced backgrounds towards their socio-economic upliftment, our direct work experience in urban poor settlements in Bangalore over 18 years reveals a harsh reality. Most often, we find these youth opting out of jobs, unable to sustain and leverage opportunities presented to them. These jobs do not match their aptitude, interest or skills, leaving them frustrated and disappointed. Efforts at building employability in youngsters do not nurture their emotional intelligence or life skills, which could help them to find fulfillment in their work and thus sustain a vocation.

Our youth program – Yuva Jagriti – is anchored in the belief that capacities can be built to understand and achieve their dreams, through well-rounded self-development, and not just vocational training. The Yuva Café serves as a platform that provides them access to opportunities to fulfill their aspirations and also prepares them for life by equipping them with the necessary life skills.

A visit to a Yuva Café would reveal a wide variety of courses that contribute to youth development and empowerment. Programs in Computer Literacy, proficiency in Spoken English and Life Skills are among the popular draws for youth, and these programs are available for them without any prerequisites.

Students who have discontinued school studies owing to a variety of circumstances have the opportunity to seek support at our Yuva Cafés, do what’s needed to catch up on their studies, and gain guidance on available pathways that match their interests.

With a growing library, a computer lab and everyday sessions this space aims to facilitate the youth of the community to achieve their aspirations. For youth from marginalised communities, this is something of great importance, considering opportunities for education and personal growth are still far from accessible.

Through the Yuva Cafés, our Yuva Jagriti program has reached more than 1,000 youth over the last five years, with discernible outcomes:

They have become role models and change agents within their communities.
They have grown in their leadership qualities and are able to work together and come up with solutions to problems.
There is greater emotional stability and control.
They are able to enter the mainstream workforce and sustain themselves in their positions.

At the end of the day, all our youth need is an environment that enables freedom of expression and promotes confidence, and this environment must be run by the youth, for the youth. That is the essence of our Yuva Cafés.

24May

Building Capacities Within

May 24, 2022 makkalajagriti 1

Building Capacities Within

We’re rich here at Makkala Jagriti – with over 130 full-time employees bringing with them a variety of backgrounds and experiences. Imagine the myriad inputs that come in with a singular focus in mind – holistic development of children and youth. Of course, as time goes, needs change – needs of our children, needs of our organization, needs of our society. To keep up with these evolving needs, Makkala Jagriti, an NGO for children in Bangalore, is committed to continuous improvement and capacity building of its team members.

So, what do we mean when we say “capacity building”? As the words suggest, we can define capacity building as the process of developing and strengthening skills, abilities, resources, and processes that individuals and organisations need to adapt and thrive in a fast-paced world. Each and every one of us in the organization gains tremendously from such capacity building exercises. Not only are we well-equipped to grow in the positions in which we are and the tasks we are assigned to do, there is a huge amount of personal development that comes along with these exercises.

Joy Srinivasan, Founder and Chairperson of Makkala Jagriti, says, “Continuous investment in building capacity in the team at Makkala Jagriti at all levels has resulted in the teams’ greater understanding of the organisation’s core purpose, values, culture and ethos without gaps. In turn, it has resulted in the teams working with great awareness of self, and an interpersonal and system-level understanding; irrespective of what roles they play in the organisation. The Makkala Jagriti team exhibits a high level of commitment, passion and accountability in their day-to-day tasks, ensuring efficiency in achieving the organisation’s goals year on year.“

An example of the type of personal development and capacity development exercise we conduct is a series of workshops we organized for our Coordinators. Coordinators at Makkala Jagriti are the bridge between program decisions and program implementation. Coordinators ensure that changes, developments and improvements are communicated to the field teams in the way they are intended. The aim of conducting a workshop for Coordinators is to also help them embark on a track towards leadership.

“Coordinators at Makkala Jagriti play a significant role – they think collectively with their managers about program plans, and work with the field level staff to implement these plans efficiently. Hence, building capacities for this level is very critical. Each Coordinator transforms into a better leader with a proper understanding of self, attitude, required knowledge to play the role, and owning smart skills to hand-hold the team. This brings in a paradigm shift in the organisation for best practices in program management and implementation at the field level“, says Ms Srinivasan.

Since 2003, Makkala Jagriti has recognized the importance of, and invested in, personal development. This practice has propelled an NGO for children like Makkala Jagriti towards the kind of organization that continuously supports teams to rejuvenate, innovate, and shed inhibitions – all the while playing their roles with clarity, interest, commitment, and passion. When people thrive in an organisation, the organisation further thrives in achieving its core purpose and goals. “It is for these reasons that I wish organisations prioritise investing in ‘people development’ as it is the people that form the organization,” says Ms Srinivasan.

29Apr

Summer Camp – Sounds Like Fun, But Why Have It?

April 29, 2022 makkalajagriti 0

Summer Camp – Sounds Like Fun, But Why Have It?

Summer holidays are an exciting time for children. That very moment the last bell of the day rings, children throwing their bags up in the air and screaming with joy… all to set off a few weeks of play, fun, and a whole lot more. This is the story of children all over the world, and the children studying in government schools supported by Makkala Jagriti, an NGO for Education, are no different.

After a tough year negotiating the transition between learning at home, returning to the classroom, and getting back to speed with the regular lessons. However, it’s tremendously important to keep children engaged with some activity to stimulate them and their development. Year after year, we organise Summer Camps so our children in various forms. This year, it was special – after a two-year-long gap, children could finally get back to summer camp in person.

Summer Camps, as we organise them, have a multitude of activities. We have them all – from arts and crafts to sports, from singing and dancing to showing movies, from outdoor games to spelling bees.

Why do we do this, though? What are the benefits of organizing summer camps in the first place? It’s important to be conscious of the advantages of such camps and the impact they have on our children:

Improved social skills

Summer camps promote interactions between children outside of the classroom. Beyond the limits of academic achievement, summer camps bring children together to feel a great sense of community. Children also build an appreciation for individual differences and get to celebrate diversity among themselves.

Teamwork

Team-based activities, such as sports and quizzes, and similar competitions that rely on collective thinking, encourage children to find ways to contribute and hear their peers out. There is a lot of character built within children when they acknowledge the role each team member must play. Rather than finding ways of dealing with tasks on their own, children will see the value of teamwork as a solution.

Confidence and Self-esteem

For children, painting their first piece of art, writing their first story, crafting their first mask – these foster a sense of achievement from creating something new, something they can be proud of. Summer camps allow children to find a new talent and grow within it. When they find joy in doing something new, it goes a long way in increasing their self-esteem and confidence.

Independence

Time spent at summer camp is the child’s own time – time away from school and time away from parents. This is a crucial time as children begin to build their own identities and explore their interests and strengths. Such independence leads to responsibility and encourages exploration, and educational NGOs in Bangalore, like Makkala Jagriti, provide children with a safe and vibrant environment to make decisions independently.

Resilience

Resilience is an important life skill. Activities with challenges that allow children to not succeed, find ways to overcome disappointment, and figure out how to overcome these challenges build up resilience in children and teach them the value of effort and determination.

Intellectual engagement

When children are away from any academic engagement, there is a danger of being cut off from any mental stimulation, even if it is for a few weeks. To ease the transition between their academic years, children need to be involved in intellectually stimulating activities, like our vocabulary and spelling competitions.

Moving away from screens

Now, this is a big one. Playtime has gradually been replaced by screen time, and that does not bode well for children’s long-term health – immediately too, we observe risks of sluggishness. We at Makkala Jagriti design Summer Camp activities to ensure a lot of fun while being “hands-on”… “eyes-off” any screens, of course!

Being one with nature

Many of our activities are connected with nature. In fact, that’s the theme of Makkala Jagriti’s Summer Camp 2022: the Five Elements of Nature – Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Sky, and the activities we designed would help children get curious about nature, climate, and science in general! Being close to nature allows children to get physically active and creative, with natural materials forming the basis of any art or craft project they begin.

Finding purpose

Children feel a deeper connection with their community through Summer Camp activities like singing, dancing, or playing sports. As a result, children grow up to value community highly and may feel more inclined to impact the world around them positively. In addition, community involvement provides children with a sense of belonging, combats loneliness, and improves overall well-being.

With so much going on at Summer Camp, boredom is no longer an excuse! Have you been to a Summer Camp as a child? What’s your favourite memory? Write to us and tell us all about it!