Kalike

June 4th, 2018

Rajeshwari, worker at Anganwadi in Vadnalli village is noted as an active facilitator of pre-school education (PSE). She is busy from 10 am to 1 pm engaging children in varied activities. Children flock her center knowing that their day would be filled with fun filled activities and also would learn something new. On a normal day around 25-30 children are bustling in the center.

 

The young worker has been in service for the last 7 years unfolds a  chapter “two years before” from her memoir, “The center was not flushed with adequate teaching-playing-materials and neither did I have an good understanding of  PSE. There were about 6-7 children coming into the center and the days were spent with couple of action songs and a story. I felt it was fine. The resistance was strong when my center was selected for conversion as an observation Anganwadi. Priya madam (Program coordinator) started visiting regularly with her inputs, invited me for training. My immediate reaction was – it’s an additional burden. But Priya Madam persisted".

 

In about 3-4 months Rajeshwari’s transformation began. Today, she is an effective Anganwadi worker who delivers her ‘significant time to her other’ role to her children unhindered and gets started with records and home visits in the second half of the day. She is motivated to influence stakeholders in the village to leverage support to improve the center. “I understand children’s need and the way to cater to them” says the confident worker with secondary education who has volunteered to play the peer mentor role.

 

“Rajeshwari is extremely adept at doing activities with the children & in effectively utilizing TLMs and the children also participated enthusiastically”- Ms. Naaz, External Reviewer  

 

“Children talk of animals and things they see on the wall and they also share their experiences. Some children tries to copy them on running board”- AWW, Horuncha

“They enjoy playing in sand. Children call me to show their castles, moulds...”- AWW, Wadnalli