UNITED WAY OF CHENNAI

Born Learning - An Early Childhood Intervention.

Prepared for: CPCL
Prepared by: United Way of Chennai
26 July 2017
UNITED WAY OF CHENNAI

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
United Way of Chennai in partnership with UNICEF & The Government of Tamil Nadu (ICDS) has spearheaded
an early childhood intervention to focus on school readiness for children from 0 to 6 years of age. The
methodology used is multidimensional encompassing - Early Child Care & Education, Anganwadi
Infrastructure, Community Engagement, and Health & nutrition monitoring that will eventually lead to the
development of the gross motor & fine motor skills of every child - getting them school ready.

Objective
Developing the local communities along the coastal belt of northern Chennai (Chennai Port to Manali) with the
help of the early childhood education centres (Anganwadis).

Goals
Strengthen the Anganwadi centres around the encircled
areas so as to ultimately promote the communities
surrounding them.

Solution
Provide infrastructure conducive for learning at the
Anganwadi Centres.
Work with the Govt. of Tamil Nadu & Unicef towards
the educational & healthcare needs at each centre.
Conduct round the year activities within the
communities to promote Health & Education.
Develop the Anganwadi centre as the central hub
within the community for education, health camps,
progressive meetings, SHG centres, in line with the
Tamil Nadu ICDS.

Project Outline
School readiness is a significant and growing topic. Whether the focus is on achievement gaps,
vulnerable children or graduation rates, the underlying factor is that many of our children are not prepared
for school and we need to do more to help them be successful. As Dr. Jack Shonkoff, Professor of
Paediatrics and Director of the Centre on the Developing Child at Harvard University, puts it, “There is an
UNITED WAY OF CHENNAI

unacceptably wide gap between what we know and what we do to promote healthy childhood
development.” This is where the Born Learning Campaign plays a vital role.

The Born Learning project will be executed by United Way of Chennai with our wide expertise and directly
overlooked by the Executive Director Shyamala Ashok who has an experience over 35 years in the
Development Sector. The actual implementation will also be carried forward jointly and in partnership with
the Department of ICDS who has been credibly working for the cause for several years. UNICEF will
handhold UWC with the required training on ECCE to the teachers and the staff who will be placed at the
Centres. They will have a grass root hold in the rural areas along wide experiences in working with child
centric programs having education and learning as their prime focus areas. United Way of Chennai will
also use related NGO partners, who have implemented joint programs/projects in the past. (Refer: UWC
Annual Report). The ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services) under the leadership of Dr. Manivasan
IAS will strategise the project for UWC.

Project execution will include stakeholder identification, government-linked relations, training the trainers,
capacity building, laying the project strategic outlay, monitoring and evaluation, documentation and
reporting, would be some of the key areas that UWC steers to ensure the cohesiveness of the project
implementation.

Stakeholders

Primary • Children - Anganwadi is the only multipurpose centre which can give them
an affordable and easily accessible space with health, nutrition and
education at no cost.
• Mothers – Primary care givers for whom the ICDS is the only affordable and
accessible option. They are from low social income usually the labor
communities with very less or no education.
• Families – Emotional bonding being supplied to children for better living.
• Anganwadi Teachers and Helpers – Primary care givers next to mothers.
Foundation of learning, health and nutrition are supplied by these people.
• Village health nurses – Easy reach to ante natal mothers through
Anganwadis.
• Elected Councilors and panchayat leaders.

Secondary • Government Department – Generally the policy and funds for the
Anganwadis are supplied by the government to nearly 75% of the people.

• Community Leaders – Elected and Traditional

• Subject Matter Specialists – will disseminate all information and growth,

challenges faced with the children and anganwadi, research etc.

• Civil Society Organizations working for children below six – NGOs who can
be used to implement the programs at large levels.
Other • Corporate Partners – Volunteering in anganwadis
• Colleges and other institutions – students who come under
• CSR reporting.
• Media
• Bal Vikas Committee - is a committee of Community representatives who
are expected to monitor and support the community Anganwadi Centre.
This committee includes local elected representatives and parents along with
the staff of the centre.

Expected Outcomes

Growth appropriate development of all the children - enhanced early learning abilities such as gross
motor, fine motor, sensory, cognitive, social, linguistic and personal skills. 


Enlightened mothers and young girls with adequate knowledge on nutritional techniques and early
childcare practices which include hand wash and sanitation. 


Fathers showing interest in the betterment of the child’s future especially if they are the first generation
learners expected to complete under graduation or post graduation. 


Better learning environment for children at the Anganwadis and full use of the centre. 


Government departments having several schemes to encourage mothers involving with the anganwadi
maintenance and environment. 


Visibility of the presence of nearby Anganwadi to the entire community in a 5 kms radius from the
Anganwadi itself. 


All children will be provided with a conducive learning environment and teaching learning materials to
achieve the school readiness required for entry to formal schooling (Primary Grades). 


All Bal/AnganwadiVikas Samitis will be constituted and activated to support the local Anganwadi Centre in
all its activities including early childhood education, health and nutrition. 


All Bal / AnganwadiVikas Samitis will run and monitor regular programs for health checkups for children
below 6 years of age. 


All Bal / AnganwadiVikas Samitis will run and monitor regular programs for awareness regarding hygiene
and sanitation and optimal nutrition for children below 6 years of age. 


All Bal / AnganwadiVikasSamitis will provide a platform for mothers’ meetings for the awareness building
regarding good practices for health, hygiene , sanitation and nutrition at home children below 6 years of
age.
SAMPLE FINDINGS FROM THE ONGOING BORN LEARNING PROJECT IN CHENNAI


Status of Anganwadi


Before
Anganwadi teachers are unable to focus on Early childhood care and education since they have other
miscellaneous works done in community
Since the condition of the Anganwadi is not that good the percentage of children coming to
Anganwadi is reducing
Only half of the children can come by themselves the rest of them are bought by Anganwadi helper.
This create a gap in following ECCE syllabus properly. 


After

United Way Chennai have recruited one Field Extenders for each Anganwadis so that they can work
and coordinate together to strengthen the community participation.
Infrastructure and mural work is going on to make the school child friendly so that the children will be
excited to come to school.
By organising the monthly event parents are getting to know more about the Anganwadi and making
an impact on children.
Field Extenders are requested by the UWC to maintain a baseline survey to measure the impact. 


Converting to Community driven Anganwadi (March 2017 – May 2017)

- One Field extender for each anganwadi was recruited in the mid of March 2017.
- Monthly events were conducted for children with the involvement of community members. This
could help us with the setting up of the Bala Vikas Seva Samiti and equally strengthening
them.
- Currently only few parents are attending the community events. Most of them do not 

attend as they bring in work as an excuse.
- Field extenders and the teachers will visit the community usefully, meaningfully and increase their
number of visits to the anganwadi. This will help to build a good rapport and to increase the
involvement of community at the Anganwadis.
- The Anganwadi will be in such a way that they have their community supporting the teachers and
the children.
- Apparently the level of community involved in Anganwadi will stay high.
- Six Anganwadis have Murals done by Cognizant volunteers and other College students 

and paints sponsored by Nippon paints.
- The entire refurbishment of the anganwadis are completed.


Converting into a holistic child development (May 2017 – August 2017)

- Health Measurement will be done by monitoring the everyday food menu that is available in each of
the Anganwadis, while the helpers of the Anganwadis will also ensure that the child consumes at least
70% of the food given to them on a daily basis. 

- Distribution of protein powder will be recorded. 

- The aspects of the Hygiene is measured by the use of clean vessels, hand wash, 

washing legs after visiting the bathroom, toilets kept clean etc. 

- Effective training of the teachers helps in curriculum building and follow up. 

- Increase of community participation through joint events. 

 - To bridge the gap between the Anganwadi and the community through Field 

extenders so that there will be a smooth flow of functioning at the Anganwadi. 

- Refurbishment of the anganwadis, giving a good ambience through mural paintings, 

availability of play materials and toys, conducing effective events for the children through community
engagement will strengthen the attendance levels of the children at anganwadis. 


COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES


Venue - Ashok Nagar (2nd Avenue -2 centres), Kilpauk (T.P. Chathiram, KVN.Puram) ,Chetpet, Velachery,
Besant Nagar, Thousand Light, Pudupet, Chepauk.

Introduction

United Way Chennai in its Born Learning Campaign appointed and trained 10 field extenders who officially
started working in their respective Anganwadi centers from 13th March, 2017. The Field extenders in
collaboration with the Anganwadi teacher and helper plan and organise each month, a community activity as
an Anganwadi Group Activity with the support and participation from the community people.

Objective
To encourage and attract the children of the community. 


To promote the Anganwadi center into a community-owned central location within the 

community. 


To understand the relationship between the Anganwadi workers, Field extenders and 

members of the community. 


To understand the challenges faced by the Field extenders while engaging with the 

local communities. 


To understand the difficulties faced by the Anganwadi worker, helper and the field 

extenders in organising the activity.


March 2017

ACTIVITY NAME : Holi Celebration
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Outcome -

The 10 Anganwadi centers had a very good response from the community people.

This activity encouraged the community people to start getting involved with the Anganwadi more
frequently. 

A few of the mother's/parents were helpful and supportive only for few centers until 

the end of the activity. 

Field extenders introduced themselves to the Community on this event .

April 2017

ACTIVITY NAME : Vegetable colour print
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Outcome -

The 10 Anganwadi centers had a good response from the parents. 


This activity encouraged the parents to start getting involved with the Anganwadi more 

The mother's/parents were very helpful and supportive until the end of the activity 

The participants of the activity, took charge of the programme and helped in cleaning 

the Anganwadi. 


May 2017

ACTIVITY NAME : Annual Day:
"

Outcome -

The 10 Anganwadi centers had a good response from the parents. 


This activity encouraged the parents to start getting involved with the Anganwadi more 

The mother's/parents, the adolescent girls, community boys participated and made 

the event a grand success. 

The mother's took charge in preparing refreshment for the participants and the other 

community members. 


June 2017

ACTIVITY NAME : Fancy dress:

Outcome -

The 9 Anganwadi centers had a good response from the parents. One of them did not participate as
the construction work was going on in the anganwadi. 

 This activity encouraged the parents to start getting involved with the Anganwadi more often. This was
evident since the mothers had come to the anganwadi despite their work to dress up their kids for the
fancy dress competitions. They had dressed up like Ghandhiji, Nehru, Bharathiyar and Krishnan etc. 

The mothers took charge in preparing refreshments for the participants and the community members. 


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BUDGET

The total budget per Anganwadi centre is approx. Rs. 5 Lakhs. This includes Learning Materials, Salaries
for the teachers, Nutrition, Kitchen Utensils, Parents community meets, Training Costs, Infrastructure, &
program management and reporting.