Nand Ghar, empowering Anganwadis with a tech-first approach

The strength of a country is strongly determined by the potential of its women and children and it's crucial to provide them a comprehensive development ecosystem that fosters their growth. To ensure integrated child development and combat child hunger and malnutrition in India, the Anganwadi program was initiated in 1975. Since then, it has evolved into a strong network of child-care centres with frontline workers who have become the backbone of community development. With over 13.7 lakh Anganwadi centres operating in India, they play a vital role in creating a healthier, happier, and holistic future for the nation.

But with rapid technological innovations transforming every aspect of our lives, it’s time to strengthen the Anganwadi ecosystem also through tech-driven solutions. Project Nand Ghar was launched in 2016 as a dream project of Anil Agarwal, Founder and Chairman, Vedanta to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry. Nand Ghar aims to revolutionize India’s Anganwadi network through modern infrastructure and a range of integrated services such as early childhood education, nutrition, health, and skill development for women. They function as preschools for 3-6-year-olds in the morning and as skill training hubs for women in the second half. But it’s the latest technology and infrastructure that makes Nand Ghar a valuable resource centre for the entire community.

Integrating innovative solutions

While innovation started from the initiation of Nand Ghars’ concept, it was at the execution stage that inventive solutions were created to ensure mass implementation. Three unique models were identified that could be easily adopted across India. The Green Field Nand Ghars are constructed from scratch using the latest Schnell technology which is earthquake resistant and fireproof. The Brown Field Model involves the renovation and redesigning of existing Anganwadis including rented spaces into Nand Ghars to optimize resources and infrastructure. Finally, a more cost-efficient option of Porta Cabin Nand Ghars have been created as a one-of-a-kind flexible and scalable solution to cater to the urban population in dense areas.

Making learning more impactful for students and teachers

In collaboration with world-class partners, Nand Ghar aims to develop a conducive learning environment by providing e-learning opportunities through smart TVs and tablets. The centres incorporate Building as Learning Aid (BaLA) designs to transform the infrastructure into a learning hub and drive more activity- based education. With Added Dimensions Boards (AD boards) for e-learning, Nand Ghars provide an extensive 40-week scientific curriculum. Technology is seamlessly introduced in the child’s daily life through smart kits that support comprehensive child development to help build linguistics, cognitive, and motor skills, among others. The results of these changes have been remarkable and have significantly enhanced attendance, learning capabilities, and school readiness.

While enhancing learning for children, Nand Ghar also aims to expand the skills and learning capabilities of Anganwadi workers or Nand Ghar Didis who are the key to the upliftment of the entire community. Charubala, a former private school teacher from the naxal-infested Nawadih block of Bokaro, Jharkhand knew that the four-day training provided when the Anganwadi centre had opened in 2005 was not adequate to provide the necessary skills and knowledge for early childhood care and education (ECCE). But her full potential was unlocked in 2021 when the Anganwadi centre was converted into Nand Ghar and Charubala received the opportunity to expand her learning. The additional training provided by Nand Ghar’s education partner empowered her to develop the confidence to start training other Anganwadi workers on effective teaching methods.

Nearly 6,000 Nand Ghars have been developed across 14 states in India, and it is just the start. Nand Ghars have highlighted the success of technology in bolstering community-driven efforts and aims to create a lasting impact by uplifting the lives of 7 crore children and 2 crore women across 13.7 lakh Anganwadi centres.