By Atul Lekhra | Manager- Resource Mobilization
Dear Friend,
Thank you for your interest in changing the world!
Congratulations! You’re among the first to donate to our Balwadi (daycare) project, and you are involved in directly helping young children in one of the poorest areas of India not only to get an education, but to escape the horrific effects of malnourishment and ill health. Through your generosity, you are breaking down boundaries, changing lives, and enabling young children to reach their potential, and we can’t thank you enough.
Children aged between one and five in the areas where Seva Mandir works lack adequate care, nutrition, security and a stimulating environment at home. Extreme poverty forces parents including mothers to work either on their farms, government labourers, other construction sites, or travel to forests to collect firewood and fodder. Most worksites do not offer child-care facilities, and those that exist are often of poor quality.
The government's preschool centers are plagued by chronic staff absenteeism and are unable to provide quality services. In the absence of a proper day care where mothers can leave their children while working, children are either taken to work, or left alone at home or in the care of older siblings, who are themselves then unable to attend school. Furthermore, children do not receive sufficient nutrition at home. 44% of children in the age group 0-3 years are underweight in Rajasthan and 75% of children are anemic in Udaipur district. Seva Mandir works to address these issues by starting community-run preschools called Balwadis. These are safe, secure facilities that offer an educationally, nutritionally and developmentally appropriate preschool environment. The Balwadis are run by a Sanchalika, local women whom Seva Mandir has trained to work with young children.
What Balwadis mean to Mothers
Kesari lives in Talai village and works as a housewife, a farmer and labourer. She has been sending her four-year-old daughter to a Balwadi for the last two years. She is happy because, while her daughter is at the Balwadi, Kesari can work with a peaceful mind knowing that her child is safe, learning and receiving important nutrition. Kesari is able now to earn about Rs 100 ($1) a day. She says, “Without the Balwadi, I would find it very difficult to earn enough. I am also very happy to know that at the Balwadi my daughter is being given nutritious food, which I would not be able to provide. I tell all my friends that they should send their children to the Balwadi so that they too can enjoy peace of mind and a good future for their children.”
Seva Mandir has been running full day Balwadis for the last 14 years, and as of now, we are facilitating 178 Balwadis. Due to sustained philanthropic support, Seva Mandir has been able to run these Balwadis for a long time and that has enabled us to make continuous improvements to them, in all of its entire three primary domains – day care, pre-school education and health component.
We are immensely proud of the improvements which have been made in southern Rajasthan and with great support from well-wishers like you we hope to reach even more children in need.
Thank you so much for your trust in us.
Regards
Atul Lekhra and the Seva Mandir Team
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