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Beyond the Wilderness: What an Anganwadi Habba Taught Me About Early Learning

Home / Blogs / Beyond the Wilderness: What an Anganwadi Habba Taught Me About Early Learning

Boarding the traveller from Bangalore to visit a work site in HD Kote felt like stepping into the unknown, a journey toward the wilderness, the lush green, and the quiet that waits beyond the city’s edges. Half of me was excited to soak in this landscape; the other half was focused on documenting the work at hand. But when I reached Kote, it wasn’t the wilderness that greeted me. It was a celebration!

Parents and children curiously observing the activity

Annuru Taluk, where the Anganwadi Habba was being held, was not as remote as I had imagined. A vibrant community had gathered,  parents, teachers, and children, all united in honouring early learning. The warmth was immediate. The habba felt familiar: joyful, intentional, deeply rooted in community spirit. Children were brimming with excitement, parents stood fully present, and teachers led with a confidence that instantly drew me in.

And it was the teachers who left the deepest impression. They didn’t just take part in the habba; they owned the space with grounded clarity. Their pride in early childhood education showed in every gesture, every word, every beautifully planned activity. These were educators who understood, deeply and intuitively, the why behind early learning, the long-term impact, the purpose behind each activity, and the powerful role they play in shaping a child’s future.

 

 

 

But the reality beneath this celebration is complex. HD Kote has a large population of families from the Scheduled Tribes (ST), and early childhood education here faces real challenges. Nationally, only 13.1% of ST children attend pre-primary education, which is a stark reminder of the access gap (Choudhury, Joshi & Kumar, 2023). And even where anganwadis exist, the quality is often uneven, with centres lacking structured activities or adequate teaching–learning materials.

This is where the work we do at Makkala Jagriti feels relevant. Over the past year, through the Early Childhood Program supported by the HCL grant, the team has been strengthening early learning ecosystems in some of the most underserved pockets of HD Kote.

Teacher showing a story card to a childThe teachers I met at the Habba truly embodied this shift. They spoke with such conviction about why every activity matters in a child’s growth and understanding. Their grasp of how each experience nurtures cognitive, physical, emotional, and social development was deep and intentional.

They shared that government trainings had given them a strong foundation and clear direction in early childhood education. And the Makkala Jagriti sessions added another layer, helping them connect each activity to specific developmental domains and understand the deeper intentionality behind structured early learning.

This understanding transformed the way they taught, especially in settings where formal TLMs are limited. They showed me how early learning can thrive through everyday objects, songs, stories, nature walks, and community interactions. In their hands, the absence of materials became space for creativity. It reminded me that impactful teaching doesn’t begin with resources; it begins with understanding.

Watching these educators lead with conviction, I realised once again: early childhood education isn’t just foundational for children. It is foundational for equity, dignity, and lasting change. And its true strength shines not only when resources are abundant, but when educators know why they do what they do,  and how to bring learning alive even with the simplest of tools.

Reference: 

Choudhury, P.K., Joshi, R., & Kumar, A. (2023). Regional and socioeconomic inequalities in access to pre-primary education in India: evidence from a recent household survey. International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy, 17(13). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40723-023-00117-4

Written by – Neeraja Anupama, Senior Coordinator, Communications

 

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Empowered Teachers Create Better Learners

To ensure children get quality pre-school learning opportunities in the Anganwadi, we empower the teachers and helpers through enhancing their knowledge, skills and attitude towards early learning and development.

“Through Anganwadi trainings, I have changed in a positive way and gained confidence about myself – especially in terms of catering to all domains of early learning. I have even started making learning materials by myself to teach children”.

– Nirmala, Anganwadi teacher, Rojipura

We train teachers and helpers on experiential learning methods that can be practiced at their centres. We also organise Mothers’ Meetings and regular mentoring visits to provide on-the-job support and guidance to teachers. Anganwadi helpers are empowered to become co-teachers and have an important role in the children’s learning process, thereby not confining them to just cooking and cleaning.

“I was used to just cooking and cleaning in the Anganwadi and did not do much else. However, after I attended the ECCE trainings, I realized I had a lot of potential and could engage and teach the children just like a teacher. Now, when the teacher is absent, I engage children in preschool learning activities.”

– Rukmini, Helper, Jyothinagar Anganwadi

From giving little time to learning, to prioritizing pre-school learning and spending more quality time with children, Anganwadi teachers and helpers have come a long way.

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A Library with Toys!

In an effort to ensure that every household in the Anganwadi community had access to child-friendly learning materials, we started a novel initiative called ‘Toy Library’, which allowed parents to borrow toys and learning resources for their children.

“The Toy Library has been very useful for children. Whatever we teach at Anganwadi, they can continue learning at home independently. Parents also feel more equipped to engage their children at home. No wonder, within just two months of its launch, over 100 toys were borrowed from our Anganwadi.”

– Bhavya, Anganwadi teacher

The Toy Library concept was welcomed by the community and the time spent on learning at home increased!

“My child always preplans what he’d like to take home from the Toy Library. He has also become very responsible in maintaining the toys because he knows he must return them! In the past 3 months, we have borrowed 20 times already.”

– Shwetha, Parent, Vijayanagara Anganwadi, Doddaballapur

anganwadi school

Nammoora Anganwadi

We have seen great transformation take place when parents and community members are involved in shaping learning spaces for children and understand the importance of preschool education. The Anganwadi at Katamnallur, Bengaluru, transformed from a dull space to a vibrant and colourful learning centre, where children love to visit every day and parents and community members gather to participate in various activities.

“When we started our intervention, we saw that the environment at the Anganwadi was not safe or conducive for children. Although the community could contribute to the Anganwadi’s development, there was a major gap between the community, local leaders and Anganwadi teachers.”

– Gouri, Coordinator

Through community celebrations and fun events, we involved community members in the Anganwadi activities. As their participation grew, their understanding about the significance of early learning and development also increased and they readily contributed to the centre’s development.

“Community involvement in Anganwadi is so important. Inspired by Makkala Jagriti’s work, we saw the community, parents and Bala Vikas Samithi members come together and show greater ownership towards the Anganwadi.”

– Subramanya Swamy, Doddabanahalli Gram Panchayat Member

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Equipping parents to become positive influencers

Manoj, a 12-year-old boy, hails from a family of garment workers who had migrated from Andhra Pradesh. On moving to Bengaluru in 2018, he joined the Government Primary School in Ulsoor. The drastic change in his environment and culture left him feeling withdrawn and fearful. He refused to speak or participate in any school activity. Over time, he confided in our HDLC facilitator about feeling neglected by his parents in such difficult circumstances.

Manoj’s mother was invited to participate in Makkala Jagriti’s parents’ workshop. The two-day residential workshop allowed her to reflect on her own mindset, biases and relationship with her son. At the end of it, she made a conscious decision to work on rebuilding and restoring her relationship with Manoj. At school, our facilitator noticed that this had a direct impact on his performance. He became more participative and improved in his academics. Manoj later shared with the facilitator that his relationship had become more harmonious and positive with his mother.

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Breaking the language barrier for migrant children

Barnalli, a seventh grade student at Government Primary School, Somasundrapalya, is a child of migrant parents from Assam. Unable to speak the local language, Kannada, she found it difficult to adjust to school and struggled to mingle with other children.

“When you are new to a place and don’t know anyone, it is hard to fit in. She didn’t have any friends in school.”

– Barnalli’s mother

Makkala Jagriti’s language development program came to her rescue.

“Although I was in a higher grade, the HDLC facilitator taught me Kannada right from the basics. The different activities and sessions helped me grasp the language easily and quickly. Over time, Kannada moved from being just a new language to my favorite subject. Learning Kannada helped me enjoy school a lot more. I became a class leader and also started representing the school in inter-school competitions!”

– Barnalli

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How the education of one girl can impact generations ahead

Both of Mercy’s parents worked in the unorganised sector, who could not afford her school fees. She joined Makkala Jagriti Learning Centre at the age of 11, and always found the facilitators to be warm, welcoming and encouraging. Makkala Jagriti also supported her to pursue her education.

“We had a lot of freedom to explore our interests and talents. They taught us life skills and values. It was a new world for me.”

– Mercy

Through the Yuva Jagriti career guidance programme, Mercy received the right kind of insight and encouragement that led her to pursue a degree in Commerce, that too through a merit seat. Being the first girl in her family to study that far, she set an example in her community and made choices that allowed her to move beyond the circumstances that she was born into. Mercy now works in a reputed bank and is among our celebrated many who not only made a difference in their own lives but continue to do so in that of others.

anganwadi centres

Turning a Misguided Youth into a Community Leader

Prabhu was a teenager when the old, dilapidated building in which his family lived collapsed, leaving them without a home. While they were still grappling with the situation, Prabhu lost his father, the sole earning member of the family. Unable to process his difficult circumstances, he found strength in hanging around with his friends, who often indulged in gang wars and all forms of abusive behaviour.

Prabhu was a shy yet playful boy when he joined the Yuva Jagriti centre at the age of 15. He expressed, “I feel I am at crossroads, not sure which road to take”. Following our support and guidance, he decided to pursue an internship at Makkala Jagriti. He was entrusted to work with children from Shelter Homes. Today, Prabhu is a sought-after Creative Facilitator and Coordinator at Makkala Jagriti, managing three Community Centres. A silent yet sound performer, he brings in diverse and highly creative ways to engage children and help them learn and grow.

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From a 10th Std. dropout to a World Taekwondo Champion

Murali lived in Bengaluru with his brother, while his parents lived in a village in Tamil Nadu. After his 10th grade, he lost the interest and inclination to study further. When he joined Yuva Jagriti, he started learning Taekwondo at our centre, which helped him become calmer and more focused. He also showed immense capacity to work with children, especially in the areas of sports and creativity, and this landed him an opportunity to work with Makkala Jagriti. Alongside his work, he pursued Taekwondo and competed at the District, State and National levels. He won a number of Gold Medals.

Today, Murali is an accomplished Taekwondo instructor, teaching at many schools in Bengaluru. He brought great accolades to the Nation when he won two bronze medals at the World Taekwondo Championship in Korea in September 2017.