EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION
Item
- Title
- EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION
- extracted text
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Foreword
decade and a half of experience and praxis has
A
;ignificantly contributed to our understanding
a series of patterns of living and learning in
communities we engage with. Though our concern
from the very beginning has been in impacting the
situation of child labour, we realise that the
treatment of this issue or problem confounding and
blocking present day existence essentially has to
move away from a symptomatic cure to that of
systemic understanding and engaging. This is true
for most development related work MAYA has
been engaged with, principally in the context of
socially disadvantaged communities.
/^Consolidating our prior experience and
'^^outlining future directions has led to a more
comprehensive and integrated strategy of work in
addressing early childhood related issues and
addressing the rights of our children towards
quality care and education. This necessitates
strengthening people's articulations through
building local community institutions and facilitating
towards realizing community ownership of the
same.
W
e
believe child
care is
native to all
communities. The Early Childhood Care
and Education approach of MAYA builds on
inherent capacities of communities starting from
where they are. The stakeholders engage in various
processes of institutionalising community
ownership beginning from discussion on the
existing situation and concerns of early childcare in
the community, moving towards articulating and
building a collective vision of caring for their
children.
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i
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organisation of the
publication
follows dimensions that have emerged
from our experiences from within the
programme:
□ Foreword
□ Existing scenario of ECCE
• ECCE in today's context of education
& development
• ECCE in India
□ An alternate approach
he approach is not proposed to be a substitute
t!f
he
T
for absolving the state of its responsibility,
instead is intended to call for a redefinition of the
existing perspective of early childhood care and
education. The publication also reflects the efforts
and resolve of several communities across the
districts of Bangalore Urban and Rural, towards
addressing issues of early childhood care and
education with
sustainability.
immediacy,
efficiency and
□ MAYA and Early Childhood Care &
Education
• Philosophical Premise & Concept
• Operationalising its approach to
ECCE (Organisational approach/
pedagogical approach/child care
approach)
□ Impact, Challenges & Future Directions
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,CCE IN today's context of
DUCATION
&
DEVELOPMENT
n the present scenario so deeply resonant of extensive deliberations focussing
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on the rights of all children and universalisation of education, it would seem that
issues of Early Childhood Care & Education1 have been appropriately addressed.
Even though significantly discussed and debated in various fora, ECCE today
continues to find highly varied interpretations and definitions; largely perceived as
a luxury issue, unaffordable to the majority. Further any governmental intervention
in this regard almost always has adopted a predominantly welfarist approach.
Moving towards evolving a more universally accepted notion of ECCE, recent
attempts have sought to bring to the fore perceived conflicts - that limit
interventions in this area. The most commonly observed 'tension' is understood to
be that of assigning ECCE to either a public or private domain. Across the world,
there are majority instances of ECCE being addressed as either a state or a family
responsibility; while only a few countries advocate complementary roles of the
State and family - the approach being largely determined by the socio-political and
economic proclivity of the State.
Closely related to such an approach is divergence with reference to approaching
ECCE either in terms of a vulnerability perspective or as an education-centred
investment for the future. The former approach addresses aspects of health,
nutrition, etc., based on a view of early childhood as an age that primarily requires
focussing on care and is usually targeted at the younger age group of 0-3 yrs,
through services/schemes offered to families. In instances where early childhood is
regarded as a preparatory phase for children before entering primary preschool,
aspects related to acquiring necessary preschool-readiness skills are emphasised
and facilitated in centres, usually located outside the homes.
Associated with these 'divergent' perspectives, are aspects of reach and structural
arrangements for ECCE that are also found to vary across different initiatives.
Viewing ECCE as requiring a focus on care and health calls for an arrangement
where the onus lies with the family and is supported by the Health, Family/Social
Welfare or Women & Child Department (as the case may be); furthermore, the
target age-group of such efforts are mostly the under 3s. On the other hand,
initiatives that perceive early childhood as children's transition to a formal primary
preschool mainly work with the over 3s and a close collaboration with the
Education Dept may be seen. In addition to influencing the nature and proportion
of financial allocation, the perspective also has a bearing on the kind of
benefits/provisions for working parents in terms of leave, housing, etc.
1 The term 'Early Childhood Care & Education' as used in this document seeks to include an integrated understanding of
early childhood care, education and other dimensions of the child's overall development, as described in subsequent
sections of the document.
Existing scenario of ECCE
ECCE IN today's context of
EDUCATION
&
DEVELOPMENT
In the last two decades, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Dakar
Framework (among other international instruments) have also played a key role
in emphasising the need to focus on early childhood as a significant phase of
children's education and development. Interventions that are thus founded on
such a rights perspective are seen to focus rather on the universalisation of
educational opportunities clearly distinguishing from the need of care, so critical
for the age group below six years of age. This is in contrast to other initiatives, still
predominant in certain areas, which tend to adopt a limited problem-solving
approach for this age-group (for e.g. those remediating a particular vitamin or
nutritional deficiency or efforts to register births in isolation of addressing the
environment in which children are born).
Though each of the above-mentioned approaches stemming from a rights
perspective, an investment perspective or in terms of treating ECCE in the
public/private domain
may not necessarily be found as mono-focal
interventions, they often manifest as 'tensions', leading to a choice of one
approach over another. There are only a few instances of nations that have
integrated the different perspectives in a reinforcing manner. The purpose of
highlighting these perspectives as alternatives here is rather to recognise the
underlying assumptions, the determining influences of various historical, cultural,
socio-political and economic factors, and most significantly, the strong bearing
they have on resultant structural arrangements, impact in terms of scale & reach
and financial allocation for ECCE.
Moreover, what is underscored is the need to reposition ECCE as a significant
phase in itself, necessary for the healthy growth, education and development;
rather than merely as a compensatory mechanism for working parents or a
period for developing preschool-readiness skills, etc. As many practitioners and
proponents of ECCE aver, it is the primary phase to attend appropriately to
children from the beginning, and strengthen the contexts within which they
spend their crucial early years; the foundation for all further social restructuring
processes. The imperative therefore for a universal, integrated and inclusive
approach to ECCE, that is strongly rooted in the local context, while drawing
significantly from the larger scenario.
3
E in India
loser home, the issue of early childhood care
and education has been in discussion since the
60s-70s, when the extent of malnourishment was
recognised as a severe problem in the country. The
National Policy for Children outlined its primary goal
to 'provide adequate services for children, both
before and after birth and throughout the period of
growth to ensure their full physical, mental and
social development'. It is in this context that the
Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) was
first proposed in 1975 by the Dept of Women and
Child Development as a scheme for the wellbeing of
children under 6 yrs, particularly for socially and
economically disadvantaged communities.
C
Reviewing the ICDS initiative within the context of
the earlier-mentioned perspectives of ECCE
highlights a premise that encompasses aspects of
care (health, nutrition) and education with a view to
universalise these services, at least in intent. It
operates from the premise of a vulnerability
perspective that views 0-6 yr old children from lowincome families as those requiring particular care
and attention in terms of health and nutrition. The
scheme also intends to offer preschool education for
the 3-6 yr olds and provide better linkages with the
local (Govt) primary preschools. The ICDS primarily
functions through centres 'anganwadis' that engage a
teacher and a helper.
Despite this however, it is important to note that the
ICDS programme covers only 22 percent of the
total eligible population of 0-6 yrs. Even when
coupled with children enrolled in privatesector/voluntary initiatives (including family day
care homes, nurseries, kindergartens and pre
primary classes), the total enrolment of 3-6 yr old
children is estimated to be 2.23 crores, accounting
for only about 20 percent of the children in this age
group (Report of the Committee on ECE, MHRD,
GOI;2004).
Over the years, there have also been other
initiatives from the state, private and voluntary
sectors in the area of early childhood care and
education. Today, it is not uncommon to find that as
families in slums and low-income areas become
upwardly mobile (on the monetary scale), they tend
to opt for the rapidly mushrooming private ECCE
facilities. Yet, the role of the ICDS as an initiative of
scale that today boasts of being the largest Statedriven initiative worldwide to address the needs of
children aged 0-6 yrs - cannot be ignored.
ECCE in India
The ICDS initiative, though well-intended, originates from a deficit model (focusing on what
people are assumed to lack both materially and in terms of knowledge and skills) and aims
towards the provision of health and nutrition services to low-income families. Furthermore,
the lack of effective materialisation of convergent services between different departments
ensures that such an approach not only magnifies the role of the State as the provider, it also
compels families and communities to function as mere recipients. The tendency of the
resultant programme has been to be message-driven. Little or almost no time is spent on
finding out what parents and other community members already know and do; instead all
efforts are geared towards 'educating' parents and community members about child
development.
Additionally, the stated focus of the ICDS on preschool education has not translated into a
structural continuum that ensures children's enrolment from anganwadi to preschool. The
lack of coherence and absence of similar orientation/organisation of these two services
makes the transition for children and families a fractured and most often imposed process.
There are practically no instances of joint pre-service or in-service training for teachers from
the anganwadis and preschools that could support in building a common vision and approach
to learning. The visibly lower status and importance accorded to anganwadi workers in
relation to their counterpart Govt school teachers, is further reinforced by lower educational
qualification requirements for the former and considerable salary differentials between the
two groups. This difference between the two services and the functionaries is so stark that
any attempt for increased cooperation today might be perceived as a threat. This serves as a
crucial institutional barrier for them to even consider working together, even if other factors
such as geographical proximity were to be favourable. Thus, while preschool education is
cited as a key objective of the ICDS programme, the absence of an integrated approach of
ECCE and primary education in terms of either a perspective or accompanying supportive
structures leaves this flagrantly unaddressed.
In other countries — including the Nordic countries and parts of Italy — the transition to
preschool is understood differently. Childhood is viewed as a phase of life with intrinsic
value (at least as important as any other phase) which should not be focused on acquiring
knowledge and skills in preparation for primary preschool. The child is regarded as a
competent and active learner, capable of both formulating theories about the world and
using diverse situations and opportunities to foster learning (Sweden CN, 1999). ECEC
seeks to promote children's multi-dimensional development and learning, but purposefully
de-emphasises preschool-oriented pedagogy (Bo. 1993; Gunnarsson, 1993). Although
these settings are viewed as educational, they are not designed to prepare children for
compulsory preschooling, and quite different teaching and learning traditions have
developed in the two sectors. On the other hand, these countries recognise the importance
for children to possess some of the skills and learning strategies they will need in primary
preschool, and the issue of co-operation between ECEC and compulsory preschooling, and
children's transitions, has been on the agenda for many years (Bergman, 1993). Recently,
there have been moves toward closer collaboration between ECEC services and the
preschools, which has led to cross-influences on the pedagogy adopted in both sectors.
HAND IN HAND: Improving the links between ECEC and preschools in OECD
countries
Michelle J. Neuman, May 2002
ECCE in India
The Government of India began implementing the Integrated
Child Development Services Programme (ICDS) in 1974. This
programme provides an integrated package of health, nutrition,
and early education services to children up to six years of age from
disadvantaged households.......
The main shortcomings of the existing programme are identified
below. First, overall government investment in the programme
has been inadequate. In addition, ICDS has focused on quantity
rather than quality, expanding rapidly in terms of geographical
coverage while under-funding inputs, in particular the training of
frontline service providers. The targeting of children up to three
years of age has been particularly poor, and the coverage of the
most vulnerable households in communities covered by the
project has been inadequate. The programme is intended to
actively involve beneficiaries and integrate the delivery of services.
However, in practice, it has tended to be almost exclusively
government owned and managed, with limited involvement of the
public and the health and education bureaucracies. Finally, the
programme has failed to replicate the successes of other early
childhood development programmes of both the government and
non-governmental organizations in the country, mainly because of
rigidities in personnel and programming approaches.
As mentioned earlier, though the
ICDS is the single largest State
initiative, several reports both from
within and outside the Govt indicate
its limited impact and reach in terms
of age-group and population. It is
posited here that these and other
limitations are implicit in the very
design of the ICDS programme that
is so strongly rooted in a vulnerability
perspective and rests heavily on the
delivery mechanisms of the State.
Consequently, the effectiveness of
the programme is measured by the
presence of the facility rather than in
terms of meeting the specific needs
of the particular community.
Furthermore, while there are serious
issues related to poor quality of
facilities provided by the ICDS
programme, this document
perceives and discusses them as a
consequence of earlier-mentioned
structural issues of the scheme;
rather than as issues that can be
viewed or addressed in isolation.
World Bank support for early childhood development:
Case studies from Kenya, India, & the Philippines
jayshree Balachander, with the World Bank Resident
Mission Philippines in Pasig City, Philippines.
6
ECCE in India
Typically, the description of quality of a particular programme or facility refers to its
quantitative, physical and infrastructural aspects, which concur with certain preset
standards. The ICDS is no exception in this regard. When projected as the largest
State-run early childhood initiative, the aspects described are predominantly in
terms of number of anganwadis, enrolment figures, etc. Notwithstanding that such
quantitative aspects are vital to take into account when considering large-scale
impact, the mere presence of these facilities as static centres would be grossly
inadequate to address early childhood care and education.
Though perhaps initially well-intended, the standards laid down by the ICDS have
today become a serious limitation to realising the very purpose of this programme.
For instance, norms - with regard to the minimum population size or other aspects
related to physical and infrastructural aspects - prescribed for opening of
anganwadis are increasingly extraneous in today's reality of growing migration from
rural to urban areas in search of employment2. When first established, these
guidelines may have exercised certain validity in the context of those times.
However, their subsequent transplantation, devoid of an ongoing review process in
relation to changing communities and their aspirations, is based on the erroneous
assumption that meeting these standards would be representative of quality.
The one-size-fits-all premise of the ICDS programme views children in all
circumstances and environments as the same. As will be agreed, this is not the case
in reality. Children particularly from socially and economically disadvantaged
communities - grow up in a wide variety of different physical, social and cultural
circumstances. However much there is a search for the one model that will serve
everyone, it needs to be recognised that there is no one ideal way to bring up
children. Understanding local practices and patterns and incorporating that
knowledge into programs is crucial if ECCE programmes are to serve the variety of
children and families and circumstances that any macro-level programme is bound
to encompass.
It is believed that issues related to irregularities in distribution of supplementary
nutrition or inflated / duplication of enrolment figures are infact the result of such an
input-driven approach; rather than problems that can be addressed in isolation. The
attitude and disposition of functionaries - be it anganwadi workers, helpers,
supervisors or others to ensure that their 'targets' are met or atleast documented in
that manner, is a natural outcome of operating within such a framework. Therefore,
rather than single out functionaries, there is a need to alter the perspective of ECCE
underlying this State-wide initiative.
2 An aspect also identified and suggested by the Report of the Committee on ECE. MHRD.GOI (2004). "It is dearly time
to review, for example. ICDS norms for opening ofAnganwadis. which were laid down in 1974. "
E APPROACH
review of the ICDS at this juncture is deemed
>ertinent and important, before proceeding to
propose the need for an alternate approach to effect
a meaningful early childhood experience on a largescale. Recent reports from the Govt and other
experienced institutions in this field also iterate the
limitations of the present functioning of the scheme,
emphasising the need for change3. Not denying the
significance of the State's role, such a review rather
emphasises the need to redefine the role of any
secondary stakeholder
the State or other
organisations/institutions - as facilitators, rather than
providers.
A
he Yequana tribals of South Venezuela are far
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removed from modern civilisation. Known locally
as makiritare or 'men of the river', they are famed and
respected for their skill as canoeists and fishermen and
their life is closely associated with the river. But what
has drawn the attention of the civilised world is the
Yequana tribe's method of child-rearing.
From the moment a baby is born, it is constantly in the
arms of either its mother, or some other adult. Never
left alone, it is carried about everywhere and thus, the
child is constantly in touch with the sounds, sensation
and pace of human life. Once it is old enough to walk,
the adults - having great faith in the child's self
preservation instincts - leave it alone to play without
supervision. The child is not forbidden from doing
^anything and is even allowed to handle sharp
iinstruments and climb over fallen trees! Surprisingly,
ithere are no accidents! As the child enters
^adolescence, there is no adjustment problem
whatsoever.
"The success of this method of baby-care is borne out
toy the fact that the Yequanas are a happy and well-
adjusted people.
Amidst rapidly changing scenarios of livelihood and
growing urbanisation, the fabric of life for low
income groups in the urban, semi-urban and rural
areas is coming under increasing stress; stretching
the limits of traditional family and other social
support systems. This coupled with severe
limitations of existing State and private facilities for
these communities, ensures that though the need
for attention and care of the young is felt acutely by
communities it remains unaddressed. Nonetheless,
it is also crucial to recognise that people's lives are
not fragmented as present-day welfare
schemes/initiatives presuppose and often even
entail.
The imperative thus for an approach that views
ECCE as an important phase in itself; rooted in the
culture and diversity of the particular community,
while simultaneously supported to be prepared for
future possibilities. An approach that builds on
experiences and inherent capacities of communities,
rather than attempt to 'train' parents and
communities in childcare.
3
See (i) Report of the Committee on ECE, MHRD. Gol:2004:(ii) The ICDS
in Karnataka. Kavitha Krishnamoorthy; FORCES - Karnataka Chapter
Sutradhar, Bangalore:2004
Early Childhood Care
& Education
Philosophical premise and approach concept
nitiated in 1989 as a development organisation focussing on the
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eradication of child labour, MAYA (Movement for Alternatives and
Youth Awareness) has gradually consolidated its experiences and
reflections to understand and address systemic causes of child labour;
instead of only addressing local manifestations of these causes. The
organisation's related experience with issues of poverty and
empowerment further enabled a richer and more realistic
understanding of socially and economically disadvantaged
communities and the role of other stakeholders.
In its work with issues of early child care, the organisation functions in
the belief that early child care is not a body of knowledge that can be
designed by experts and disseminated irrespective of context or need;
rather that every community can be facilitated to articulate its own
need for early childcare and organise around that need through
people-owned structures. MAYA perceives early child care as
processes to be facilitated in exploring the child's care and learning
needs in the context of their family and community, beginning with the
understanding and practice of ECCE in each community. A core value
of this process is building on the capacities of the community to
articulate and directly address the needs of its children; a strength that
is otherwise undermined by schemes that treat communities as mere
recipients of external largesse.These assumptions and values define
the framework of MAYA's approach for facilitating ownership among
communities to effectively respond to the community's need.
In emphasising the role of secondary stakeholders as facilitators who
respect cultural diversity and build on community capacities - MAYA
takes into cognisance that it is not helpful to have romanticised views of
the ways families and communities operate. In today's scenario of
pressing economic demands and increasing insecurity of work, neglect
of children in socially and economically disadvantaged communities is
not uncommon. For interventions to truly impact children's well
being, there is a need therefore to understand these contextual
realities and support communities in finding an appropriate balance
between what exists and what they aspire for their children.
10
MAYA and Early Childhood Care
& Education
The organisation holds that for ECCE to be facilitated on a model of
scale that is appropriate to the specific context and need, it necessitates
an approach with which to redefine the role and relationships between
different stakeholders through the formation of new institutional
arrangements.
In doing so, what is represented is not a zero-sum relationship between
the State and communities. Rather, it goes beyond either a lesser role of
the State or a condition where the state merely provides inputs within
its existing bureaucratic framework, leaving the rest to be addressed by
the community. Instead, what is proposed is a mutually-reinforcing
relationship between various stakeholders that transcends traditional
boundaries and terms of engagement mired in their inherent social and
political inequities; rather forging a synergistic engagement, within a
non-statal public sphere a space that represents a truly democratic
alternative instead of merely an either/or role of the stakeholders.
In order to actualise this understanding and experience, the organisation
has identified the significance of engendering such an institutionalised
process of ownership for early childhood care and education to be
addressed in a dynamic and relevant manner, with various stakeholders
engaged in a continuous process of action and reflection.
Another key element governing MAYA's approach to early childhood
care and education is its perspective of learning. It is believed that the
present-day 'expert1 paradigm and the corresponding emphasis on
knowledge-transfer and rote-learning limits and, most often, prevents
individuals from identifying and building their capabilities. Instead, as the
organisation's experience has demonstrated, when communities
articulate their collective vision of education, the fabric of learning shifts
from one of static knowledge to one that is contextually appropriate and
therefore dynamic.
Operationalising its approach to ECCE
Recognising the imperative of institutionalisation, at a primary level MAYA seeks to first find a means of engagement
between various stakeholders, moving on to then institutionalise this engagement. Given the inequalities in the
existing social and political structure, mechanisms to facilitate a basis for articulation of diverse opinions of all
stakeholders are perceived as critical to address factors that might otherwise set limits to working together. New
institutional arrangements that enable terms of engagement between the stakeholders and are truly empowering
for the community, instead of tokenistic participatory measures, are thus, the main focus of this effort.
In order that different stakeholders come together to discuss the issue of early childhood care and education,
MAYA facilitates a process of dialogue to enable collective reflection and draw proactive responses, with regard to
addressing children's well-being. This is perceived as important for the stakeholders to even consider each other as
'shared' stakeholders in the process of early childhood care.
onadasapura village of Doddabanahallli Gram Panchayat is located 5kmsfrom K.R.Puram
K
within the East Taluk. As part of our data appraisal the need for an ECCE facility seemed
essential to the team of ECCE facilitators, thereby expanding our work to this GP since May
2004. Although the village earlier housed a government supported anganwadi, it was
discontinued due to the problems the village members encountered with the teacher who
belonged to a nearby town. The anganwadi was then relocated to Nimbekaipura, a village at a
close proximity. Subsequently members did make an attempt to renew the functioning of the
anganwadi but it was denied on the basis of lack of community provided space, a prerequisite
for sanctioning an anganwadi.
More than 2500 members inhabit the entire village, of which only two pockets were
identified and surveyed, which contained a significant child population. Of the 347 households
and 1800 population surveyed by the community volunteers, a total of 141 children were
identified of which I 18 remained at home in the absence of accessible facility for the younger
children. Like most peri-urban areas around the city of Bangalore, Konadasapura has seen
people moving into the village in search of employment. For the most part, adults here are
employed in agricultural labour or as workers in nearby factories. Despite it being the largest
village in the GP and the election of 3 members to the Panchayat from this village, the absence
of any facility for younger children had remained a critical concern; forcing the mothers either
to take their children to work or stay at home or leave them in the care of older siblings (who
thus missed out on schooling). A preliminary visit and informal discussions with community
members to assess the situation of ECCE, followed by an information survey (conducted by
locally identified individuals) and comparison with secondary data sources such as the local
office of the Women & Child Development Dept (DWCD) and the Gram Panchayat office
aided a deeper understanding of the village. This interaction also helped identify individuals in
the village who would play an active role in steering the process. In the case of Konadasapura,
it was the GP president Nagamani who was instrumental in initiating the facility.
Sharing the collected information on the village at a Sabha (meeting) with community
members and parents initiated a discussion and debate on the need for such a facility and
possible ways of addressing it. Several communities having experienced welfarist
interventions tend to expect another scheme to be delivered upon gathering for a meeting.
The GP member's participation towards the process seemed to negate this effect. Nagamani
took it upon herself to organise the identified parents, members of the two Stree Shakti
Sanghas and the Yuvaka Sangha for the Makkala Sabha. She further substantiated aspects of
community taking initiative as opposed to waiting for a scheme to be delivered. Yet another
GP member, Laxmi, strongly advocated for the need of such a facility and the need for the
community to take responsibility for its organization. *
Further discussions resulted in a few interested community members keen to take the
process forward. In addition to identifying the need for a local teacher, nominal fees to be paid
by parents and ongoing support from the local community, the role of the larger community
including that of MAYA, the State and other institutions was also addressed. The active
interest taken by the two GP members subsequently saw the Sabha resulting in certain key
decisions: the identification of a local teacher and an assistant teacher, a nominal admission fee
of Rs 25/-fee and monthly fee of Rs 25/-to be paid by parents, a common space to be allocated
by the community and other contributions from community members such as local sanghas,
individual donors, etc. It was concluded that though the school could provide for its basic
needs certain supplementary resources needed to be identified for its efficient functioning
over a longer period of time. The preschool within the span of three months, has generated
the teacher's salary without any financial support from outside, parents have contributed to
the initiating costs, duly substituted the teacher on days of training, planned & budgeted for
school requirements, supported teacher in purchasing and generating materials for the
preschool and articulated their expectations from the school in turn marking out teacher
respons
The varying pace of collective decision making in different local situations is reflective of the
inherent diversity of their contexts and experiences determining their preparedness in
addressing various development issues. Though often through our facilitation we realize that
communities such as Konadasapura exposed to an active youth group & practices of women's
self help group actively participate when compared to groups who lack such exposure. This
group of women take pride in the fact that they were solely responsible in creating such a
facility for themselves.
12
_____ ________
Organisational approach
FINDING A MEANS OF ENGAGEMENT
BETWEEN DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS
Relevant & accurate early childhood information
he experience that any facility/service can be truly effective only when it responds to a
T
specific need, coupled with the absence of an authentic and community-validated source of
information, provides the basis for initiating a process of information-collection on early
childhood care and education at the local level.
Utilising information as the basis to engage various stakeholders of the local administration
(Taluk, Gram Panchayat), and the Women and Child Development Department results in
initiating a discussion on early childhood care in their context and the collation of relatedinformation. These discussions also identify the existing gaps in a facility for a certain GR Based on
this process of secondary data collection, villages (of the particular GP & taluka) that completely
lack dedicated early childhood facilities/services are identified.
Having thus identified a need in these villages, a preliminary discussion involving some of the
significant stakeholders (Anganwadi worker of a neighbouring village/ local Govt school
teacher/SDMC’members/ GP members/village elders, etc) is facilitated. Their understanding of
early childhood care and education, their experience and the perceived need for a facility is
deliberated upon. This preparatory meeting also helps the village members identify a local
volunteer to undertake the house-to-house survey that would constitute the primary data
collection process while also cross-validating the already existing data.
This process of data collection and collation places different information pertaining to early
childhood care and education in the context of identifying and addressing the specific need of the
particular village as articulated by community members. This process therefore, also puts in
perspective, the real purpose of collecting this information; to serve as a valid basis for
engagement with stakeholders and to support local institutional structures to plan and
implement, based on accurate and relevant information.
4 SDMC refers to the school Development and Monitoring Committees comprising parents as elected members, instituted in each Govt
school in Karnataka by the State Education Dept in 2001.
Finding a means of engagement between DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS
Why
Identify need
and gaps
Validate need
and preliminary
interaction
Institutionalize
Ownership
Gamering
community
support
Primary
Process
Secondary Data
Collection
Local Area
Survey
Village level
meeting
Planning &
Budgeting
Parental
expectation
meeting
Resource
Generation
Workshops
Health
processes
What
WCD/ CDPOs,
taluk & gram
panchayat
House to house
survey by local
area/village
volunteer
Facilitate
decision making,
form community
structure
Scope
requirement and
contribution
Map learning
& Care
outcomes
Material creation by
parents
Workshops for
care, health
facilities, nutrition
Involve parents in Child’s learning and care
14
MAKKALA ARAI KE MATHU
Sh IKS HANA SAB HA
ollowing the process of data collection and initial
discussion, a village-level meeting on the issue of early
child care (Makkala Araike Mathu Shikshana Sabha) is
facilitated: comprising all relevant stakeholders, particularly
parents, local elected representatives, local government
preschool teachers, SDMC members and other village elders.
This meeting is organised with the support of the same locally
identified volunteers at a place and time convenient for the
stakeholders in that particular village.
F
The information collected (primary and secondary data) is
collated and analysed prior to the meeting and then presented
to the stakeholders at the meeting; in a manner that
establishes the veracity of the information while also
supporting the community to identify the need for addressing
early childhood care and education in their context.
The framework underlying the facilitation of this meeting
seeks to primarily establish the significance of each participant
at the meeting, attempting thereby to overcome traditional
barriers of gender, caste, religion, etc. that divide the
community. The process of information-collection and the
initial discussion with key stakeholders is shared at this
meeting, before proceeding to present the information and
place it for discussion. The information sharing helps provide
the context for a discussion on the existing situation and
concerns of early childcare in the community, moving towards
articulating and building a collective vision of caring for their
children. It also entails that the community considers its own
practices and understanding of early child care.
Keeping in mind its specific priority as articulated by the
community- in terms of care and preschool education, or
a combination of the above aspects the community is
supported in examining various possibilities to
appropriately address this need. The joint decision of the
community to initiate a preschool facility in the area to suit
these needs is further elaborated in terms of personnel,
material and other resources. A mapping exercise follows
to determine how these resources can be met - within the
community and using external support.
The exercise of mapping needs and resources takes the
power of allocation of resources from a select few and
brings it to the public domain where in true democratic
practice; people get to decide the utilisation of available
resources. This also brings with it a feeling of capability and
empowerment to the community. The issue of early child
care then becomes relevant as a public concern,
necessitating the community to be the prime decision
maker in organising and supporting the initiative.
In addition to enabling an understanding of the
community's early child care needs and facilitating the
articulation of their concerns, the Makkala Sabha also sets
the basis for institutionalising the process of stakeholder
ownership of early childcare, through formation of a
village level parent structure.
he village of Girigowdanadoddi, Somanahalli GP of Uttarahalli hobli with 82 households with a
population of 450 is the last outpost of the Bangalore Urban district. With access being
restricted, the village does not enjoy many facilities except for a Government Lower Primary School.
Catering to the population of 79 children, is the single Government Lower Primary School .On
completing education till the fifth grade, the children have to go to Mookodlu or Kagglipura for higher
studies which are about 3 and 5 kms respectively, away from the village. The main occupations are
agriculture and casual labour. A quarry nearby also draws in migrant labourers from Tamil Nadu who
often leave their children at home and go to work at the quarry. Many of the women travel to
Bangalore city to work as domestic help. The government bus that visits it twice a day, is the only
transport available; at other times, people need to walk the 2 kms to the main road in order to access
any other transport.
T
There was an immediate and urgent need for full-time care for the children of 2-6 years as the nearest
anganwadi wSs 1.5 kms away at Mookodlu. However, for reasons of accessibility and insufficient
population, the request for an anganwadi was turned down by the Dept, of Women and Child
welfare; since according to the ICDS norms, one anganwadi can be sanctioned only for a population
of 1000. The people of Girigowdanadoddi therefore had to grapple with the lack of childcare on
their own. For an anganwadi to be sanctioned the criterion for minimum population for the habitat is
marked as thousand, thereby already eliminating any chances for access through anganwadis.
Because of its remoteness and size, Girigowdanadoddi is always tucked away from the notice of the
public as well as the State administration leading to its continuous isolation and lack of services. While
assessing the situation of early childcare in Somanahalli GR the facilitators met with all the members
of the Gram Panchayat, to discuss the issue and share our concept of community owned childcare.
As part of the initiation process, when the team member met with the GP President, Patlamma who
was also Pancbayat member for Girigowdanadoddi, was quick to respond to the issue of initiating this
facility. The GP and the SDMC members had also been supportive and actively interested in the
functioning of the local school, which had relatively good facilities for the children. An ex GP
member, Gundanna keen on the facility, took it upon himself to organize a volunteer in the village to
undertake a survey of the children in the 2-6 age group. 25 children were identified and a discussion
among the GP member, SDMC member and few interested parents was conducted prior to the
larger meeting in the village. People already enrolled to the idea of initiating such a facility in turn
enrolled people to be present at the Makkala Araike mattu Shikshana Sabha. Even during the Sabha,
Gundanna played an important role in persuading the parents to pay a fee, explaining that the village
could not otherwise access any child care from the government and that a nominal fee of Rs 25 was
necessary.Ably supported by the local government school teacher and the SDMC president, the
people of Girigowdanadoddi assembled to address the issue of childcare after a survey of the village
by a local volunteer revealed that 28 children were of pre-school age without any facility.
Though there was an initial hesitation about parents sending food for their children and paying a fee;
during the discussion, the entire community rallied together to support the preschool- donating
mats, low benches, colours, toys etc. The govt, school teacher allotted a room within the govt school
premises for the preschool. The relationship within the facility and the community members, were
strengthened with subsequent processes of- mapping parents expectations, planning and budgeting
with the parents, parents generating learning materials continually ensuring that parents in turn send
their children very regularly to school with food and fees paid on time. The parent committee of the
preschool and the local representative are very committed to the effective functioning of the facility
which further strengthens the community's effort at childcare.
The approach to facilitating community ownership in creating the facility reveals that when
communities have relevant information to act upon and are facilitated through contextualised and
appropriate mechanisms, they are able to take responsibility for their immediate local needs.
Girigowdanadoddi is just one among thousands of little villages scattered across the country- that are
equally if not more remote and have no access to the services provided by the government.
Girigowdanadoddi highlights the fact that community ownership does not come in tandem with
schemes or edicts and does not require prior criterion to be fulfilled. Rather it is the simple coming
together of people as a community to own and address their life issues wherever or whoever they
maybe.
16
Makkala Araike Mathu
Shikshana Sabha
et 2.5 kms off the highway, Nagnayakanahalli in the Sommananhalli GP of
S
the Uttarahalli hobli, is reached by a long winding road that cuts through
the surrounding greenery till one reaches the group of 97 houses tucked
away in the foliage. Further on are the two hamlets Gudipalya and Mallipalya.
Access to these places is through the government run bus that comes in
twice a day which in turn determines the timings for the Govt Lower Primary
School. There are no other facilities in the village for children necessitating
that older children walk a long distance to school while young children loiter
and play around the village as they are not able to walk the required 2 kms to
reach the nearest anganwadi.
There has been very little representation of the community's issues at the
local administrative level. The tradition of appointing the member from a
higher caste background has been followed even though there is only one
family of the higher caste in the village and the rest of the people of the village
belong to a 'lower' caste. Based on the secondary data collected in the
Uttarahalli hobli it did appear the village required an efficient early child care
& education facility, which was then reconfirmed by the GP President.
The School Development and Monitoring Committee of the local
Government school primarily took up the responsibility of initiating a facility
in the village. Ably supported by the local school teacher who was
appreciative of the difference such a preschool facility would make to the
continued education of village children, a survey was undertaken of the
village and the neighbouring hamlets, identifying 70 preschool aged children.
The parents, SDMC members, Stree Shakti Sangha members congregated to
discuss the issue of Early Child Care in a Makkala Sabha.
This discussion on issues of ownership and accountability was a totally new
perspective, triggered by a discussion on the issue of fees. Since the first
reaction is a comparison of the community approach to the government run
anganwadi, there was an intense discussion on what the community could
determine for itself.
A person donated Rs. 200 for any materials that
needed to be purchased. The govt, school teacher later accommodated the
preschool within the govt, school premises and the community run
preschool began to function with a total of 26 children. The community of
Nagnayakanahalli managed to run their preschool completely of their own
volition for a period of three months before they initiated processes to
strengthen their facility by seeking outside donor support.
The Makkala Sabha is crucial in that it marks the coming together of different
stakeholders traditionally divided by various social and economic barriers
on the issue of early childhood care. The equal emphasis on each individual to
participate in the meeting, express opinions and arrive at a collective
decision, binds the gathering into a 'community'. It also ensures that decision
making about such a critical issue is not the privilege of a favoured few but the
right of every stakeholder; equally significantly, it ensures that all members
present share the responsibility to realise this collective vision. The shared
concern and will of the community to address its need for early childcare
finds expression in the joint decision to share available and new resources
while also assumingresponsibility to mobilise externally whatever else might
be required.
17
Makkala Araike Mathu
bout a kilometer off the Anjanapura main road and yet reminiscent of an
A
island in a dried-up stream, such is the isolation of this little colony of
people in Avalahalli. Labeled Avalahalli Quarters, this is a group of families,
from a predominantly Muslim background, who have been relocated from
Bangalore South Ward (J.PNagar) area in a slum resettlement deal to a place
with no access to basic amenities such as water and electricity. There are
around 500 similar looking houses and little lanes teeming with children,
many drop-outs of school and many who have never been enrolled to school.
The women, who are not out working as domestic help, sit around chatting
and making beedis or leisurely going about their chores. The small children,
ever visible, are mostly unattended.
o
A lone Government Urdu LPS in recent years and another private
organisation for the past seven years strive to keep the children off the
streets and in the school but to very little avail. One of the main reasons
being that the children are their little brothers’ and sisters' keepers as there is
no anganwadi or childcare facility and their mothers are otherwise occupied.
The fathers are employed as coolies or as auto drivers; and incomes are
adequate though not high. Nevertheless, parental concern about issues of
nurturing and educating young children is abysmal. This lack of active
concern has been compounded and strengthened by years of looking upon
the community as beneficiaries to either government or private donor
support.
Given this scenario, the facilitator discussed the situation with the local
headmaster, and enlisted his support in initiating a community process to
evoke and articulate the community's concern for early childcare.
The
headmaster identified a volunteer, Waheeda from within the community
who conducted a survey of the colony, which threw up the shocking fact that
over 100 children in the preschool age had no organised care. Taking this to
the leaders of the community, the facilitator organised a meeting with the
local representative, the Maclrasa committee heads and a few parents to
initiate a discussion on the issue of early childcare and education. The initial
reaction from the community was to find out what this particular “scheme”
offered them. On elaborating on the experiences of other such community
owned child care facilities there was a lot of skepticism among some and total
cynicism among others especially on the subject of parents taking
responsibility for the facility and paying a fee. Nevertheless, since Waheeda
and the facilitator pressed for a discussion with the general parent body, they
offered the use of a bus driver's rest room as a place for the preschool.
Taking it up as a challenge, Waheeda backed by the facilitator went ahead and
invited the parent community to a discussion of the issue.
Contrary to the leaders' expectations, the parents responded eagerly to the
discussion of early childcare as they felt acutely, the lack of any such facility.
The process of the discussion, the unspoken respect that underlies the act of
being asked their opinion, the value attached to the decisions of a group of
people who hitherto had not thought about such matters, goes a long way in
reinstating a sense of dignity and responsibility amongst people who until
now alienated from the very care of their children. The community of
Avalahalli quarters responded to the process of the Makkala Sabha with the
decision to initiate a facility for their children that would be their
responsibility to sustain.
♦** 7
1JP
Planning & Budgeting
meetings
dentifying parents as a key stakeholder group, MAYA facilitates specific
processes to find a means of engagement with and between parents. The
process of budgeting and planning for resources needed in the preschool, is an
occasion to review and affirm the community’s contribution and ownership of
the individual preschool as all the preschools access the basic resources of
space, teacher and fees from within the local community. This process also
serves as an oppurtunity to build and strengthen the facility seeking external
support.
I
The planning & budgeting meeting is conducted at the end of the first quarter of
the preschool initiation, during which the preschool is entirely supported by the
community seeking only locally available resources. After which the process
occurs biannually engaging the community in a discussion, mapping the
requirements of the preschool and providing an opportunity to reflect & discuss
with parents- the organisational aspects of early child care and education both
within and outside their respective communities; resources to be locally
generated and externally sought in a manner most suited to their needs.
Each community is found to be at a different pace and confidence in garnering
local & external donor support. For instance the preschool committee at
Avalahalli is at a stage meeting all preschool requirements from only amongst
the parent group, whereas the preschool committee of Konadasapura
proactively supported by the women's sangha and the GP seem to exhibit more
confidence in garnering resources for two other schools in their locality, from
close by factories, of their own volition, preparing a list and an application to
meet with the managers of the factories
20
Parental expectation
; E !GS
he parental expectation meeting is also a process to find a means of
engagement with the parents; designed to support parents in
defining their children's learning outcomes at the preschool. Being
viewed as key players in defining children's learning outcomes was a
seemingly alien and a new concept for parents at the outset. This was
not unexpected considering the existing scenario of Govt and private
facilities accessible to socially disadvantaged communities; where
parents are most often called upon either to receive certain free
schemes or to pay fees which may well be beyond their means. Neither
do they engage with the parents in understanding their aspirations and
concerns for their children.The parent expectation meetings is
intended to build a framework determining the contents of the
classroom sessions in keeping with what the parents want their children
to learn. Even more importantly for the parents, it supports in fostering
a sense of real involvement in their children's learning while reflecting on
the relevance of education. It leads them to think beyond the preschool
years to the schooling that they intend for their children; therefore
often viewing preschool education on a continuum with school learning.
T
The preschool teacher's learning framework is then a derivative of the
learning outcomes and expectations as outlined by the parents,
facilitating them to articulate their expectations beginning from where
they are and not imposing externally set standards. Every year
commences with a process of mapping parental expectations from the
preschool which could be outlined broadly into categories of
expectations on learning; and that of care & safety. Parents come
together to discuss and define more and more accurately each learning
outcome of their children. The process when newly initiated was filled
with biases of the sort claiming that “as illiterate parents we will not be
able to mention what our children are expected to learn at this school”.
The facilitation of this process is directed towards parents being able to articulate
the simple commonplace expectations and support we give our children in
helping achieve the learning outcomes. It ranges from child learning to eat
independently, and to be toilet trained to partaking collaboratively with other
children in performing the preschool activity. Most parents are able to easily
identify and articulate these outcomes because despite any academic input
parents inevitably expect their child to learn the language and speak simple words
from their own environment; and be prepared for adjusting to the local
government school. Collating such information has over a period of time enabled
the team of facilitators to brief themselves with an ability map which the preschool
should hone in their children. Apart from deriving a common framework most
communities also throw up their specific expectations for instance many Urdu
speaking communities do expect their children to learn Kannada as well as English
both being languages of preference.
Every cycle of expectation mapping is also linked with engaging -the parents as a
significant stakeholder group- enhancing the extent of parent ownership and
participation in the preschool processes; affecting their quality of knowing which
in turn would tangibly change their expectations. This would imply affecting
preparedness of parents through re-examining their assumptions about their
roles & responsibilities; their views about the experience their children are living
and taking a participative approach towards the whole school experience.
Drawing from various processes of defining outcomes by parents held across all
community owned preschools, a framework of learning outcomes has been
outlined as an ability framework-
-ability to perform tasks independently and complete tasks
-ability to support other children in performing their tasks
-ability to seek support
-ability to communicate (develops reading, writing, language & numeracy
skills; follow instructions; speak and express their individual meaning forms)
-ability to care for material in their learning environment; share & collaborate
with other children
-ability to recognize and construct meaning of various concepts
Although parents in the beginning stages are not able to explicitly outline each of
these skills befitting as abilities, the facilitators support parents in articulating and
consolidating their expectations in outlining a framework of learning to be
undertaken in the preschools, which are relevant to their contexts.
Parent's workshops
ttempting to find various means to engage parents in the process of early
childcare, MAYA also facilitates parents' workshops that focus on
preparation of identified learning aids by the parents or planning on aspects of
nutrition and health of the young children. The workshop creates an opportunity
for parents to partake in the activities of the school and relate to each other as
parents with a common concern. In the making of several resource materials they
established and strengthened their links with the preschool, simultaneously
building their capacity to sustain the preschool and enrich their children's learning
environment.
A
22
Institutionalising
The Process Of Engagement
entral to MAYA's approach to early childcare is
the recognition of the essentiality of
institutionalising processes of engagement between
different stakeholders. Institutionalising this process
of engagement is therefore a core process that the
organisation facilitates. Efforts in this regard focus on
building new egalitarian structures, rather than
working within the prescribed limits of existing
structures of authority and power.
C
• Preschool committee
comprises 3 Parents & a Teacher
Preschools
23
ach preschool is represented by a preschool
committee comprising three parents and the
preschool teacher. This committee is supported in
identifying and mobilising local resources for their
preschool. A 6-monthly planning and budgeting
exercise is facilitated in each of the preschools with
the teacher and 3 parents. This process focuses on
supporting the committee to build on the
organisational aspects of their preschool and
institutionalise the relationship between the teacher
and parents towards development of the preschool.
E
Cluster level structures
ased on its experience of working extensively with communities
and early childcare, MAYA has perceived the need to form such a
cluster-level structure to institutionalise the engagement of
stakeholders at this cluster level (10 preschools to a geographical
cluster). Through the formation of such a structure, parents and
teachers are supported in building on the learning's from their
individual preschool to view the issue of early childcare at the broader
level of their community and environment; sharing experiences and
relating to different preschools; collectively planning for addressing
early childcare at the cluster level (on aspects of health, learning,
expenditure and support); identifying possible resources and
accessing these resources both within and outside their immediate
community.
B
With the purpose of building community capacities in institutionalising
the approach to care and education and its effective functioning of all
preschools within the cluster, cluster level processes are facilitated,
wherein representatives of ten preschools in the cluster 3 parents and
the teacher from each preschool - come together as a group that is
responsible for developing relevant plans (including financial plans) for
each of the constituent preschools. This group then selects a three
member structure of cluster representatives-2 parents & I teacher
forming the cluster level structure. The cluster-level structure draws
from individual preschool experiences and assumes responsibility for
formulating plans and implementing these plans through identifying
preschool requirements, raising necessary resources from within the
local community and externally. They are also responsible for
maintaining cluster bank accounts and are signatories to its operations.
The cluster level committees are strengthened through capacity
building processes of skill training provided by facilitators enabling an
efficient system based on the above aspects. Structural and
institutional inputs are essentially provided in each cluster coming
together and organizing the routing of resources through a cluster
wise bank account. Representatives are elected from amongst all
preschool level committee structures in a given cluster, to undertake
responsibility of signatories of that account, looking into and
monitoring of resources towards the expenses and support of each of
these preschools.
community created by the edict of the government Beedi worker's colony in the
A
suburbs of Kengeri is, as the name suggests, a colony of people linked by their
occupation of making beedis. A rather recent community, it came into being around the
year 2000 since the government allotted houses to certified beedi workers. A registered
co-operative society of Beedi workers with a membership of 1800 people, and registered
in 1998 as a cooperative seems to be the focal point of implementation of several
government schemes- 570 houses constructed with the support of subsidy from the
Central Government under the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Scheme and an interest free loan
from HUDCO; inclusive of health schemes, rain and drain water harvesting schemes with
a cost effective model brought in together by the Dept of Labour Welfare.
Proposed to be a model colony of 570 houses, with a scheme in place for every aspect, it
nevertheless revealed a startling lack of plan for the numerous young children in its 3000
populace. Barring the only welfare scheme catering to 60 preschool children, there were
no other facilities for the younger children. Even to attend primary school, children travel 2
kms to get to a school; depending upon a bus service that is none too regular, often
necessitating a long walk to school. Only later, in June 2004, a Government Urdu Lower
Primary School was started in the colony to cater to the children from 6-10 years.
Simultaneously, a private school also was initiated during this period.
Characteristic of the residents of the colony, Umera also moved into the colony with her
family from Ramnagaram taluk in Rural Bangalore. She found the absence of adequate
facilities for children very perturbing, the situation made even more piquant by the high
concentration of young children and a majority of mothers engaged in beedi making.
Having already been a part of one of our community owned preschools as a parent in
Ramnagaram, she felt that it was necessary for the community here to be facilitated to
create similar facilities for themselves instead of waiting for the Government to provide
the next welfare scheme. Taking the initiative and backed up by her prior experience of a
community childcare facility, she conducted a survey of the children in her area (pocket of
100 households), finding 48 children in the age group of 2-6 years, 30 of whom did not have
access to any facility.
She organized a meeting with their parents and discussed the issue of early child care
facilities in the colony, initially finding it difficult to garner support given the prevailing
mindset of dependency. Finally upon much deliberation, they came together to a decision
to organize their own preschool, deciding upon a monthly fee, space, teachers, and
timings. They opened the preschool in Umera's home on May 10,2004 with strength of 20
children creating in every sense, a community owned preschool, born of the felt need of
the working mothers for full-time, reliable, quality child care. It was at the same time, an
important step forward for this community towards a stance of determining how to deal
with the various factors that affect their life on their own.
After a fortnight, the teacher approached the MAYA facilitator requesting support for their
initiative as they felt that outside support would help improve the preschool facility in
terms of training as well as material support. Having conducted the initial processes in a
systematic and transparent manner, MAYA facilitated the formation of a parent structure
towards undertaking responsibility for the effective functioning of the preschool. The
parents planned and budgeted for the school and proposed that MAYA support the
preschool. Given the strong community foundation of the school, the teacher finds co
operation from the parents who are very involved in the daily process of the school,
leading to the growth of the number of parents enrolled to the idea of early child care,
resulting now in 30 children attending the preschool.
25
Our approach to ECCE has also required recognising the mind-set of the community,
particularly against the backdrop of a culture that offers Govt schemes, where the
community is viewed merely as a passive recipient. The plethora of schemes intended to
empower often make us wonder to what avail might it be to people who first form the
group of project targets by the policy makers; and as they realise the scheme define
themselves as project beneficiaries. How empowering can such an experience be?
Juxtaposed with the existing situation wherein all members of this community are flooded
by welfarist schemes, this preschool is unique in that it has taken shape without the
patronage of local leaders or the bureaucracy; and solely on the efforts of working women
as an independent attempt to address their own needs.
Pedagogical approach
FACILITATING LEARNING
hile recognising the limitations of a perspective that only views the preschool as a
preparatory period for primary schooling, MAYA also perceives the critical need for an
approach that offers an advantage to children from socially disadvantaged communities by
facilitating a meaningful learning experience from an early age. It is well-known that enrolment to
school is not a natural transition for these children, thereby necessitating an environment that
supports learning that is relevant and useful to that context. Moreover, if enrolled to school, the
argument of education for education's sake does not translate into a life support tool or
empowerment for these children; since the quality of education accessible to them at the local
Govt School is most often limited and disconnected to the existing market realities.
W
It is believed that for learning to be truly empowering, there is a need to focus on building
capabilities of individuals and enhancing the relevance of education, rather than on promoting
rote-learning in an instructive manner. MAYA has attempted to integrate this perspective of
learning in its approach to early childcare; thereby redefining the process of training which forms
an integral part of capacity building processes of teachers as well as the community. Having
identified the local volunteers as teachers (a young woman from the community or a young
mother) MAYA as the facilitating organization, supports them in a manner garnering their skills to
be new age ECCE practitioners in their own communities of dwelling, taking care and nurturing
theiryoung.
eacher: The training of teachers, an ongoing
T
process, includes three main aspects: Preschool
management, Health and Learning, is conducted on a
regular monthly basis for every cluster, supported by
weekly follow up sessions of teacher circle meetings.
Ongoing teacher training also provides a space for
teachers to reflect on how to better their skills and
overall learning levels of their children. The varying
background of teachers often ensures that we only
begin from where they are and not at an externally
determined level. For instance every cluster
facilitator is also responsible for their own teacher
training, knowing each teacher's learning level and
where to begin from. Teachers during the weekly two
hour session at the teacher circle get together at a
cluster preschool to undertake planning for their
preschools; sharing and problem solving;
documentation and using it as a space towards
learning new concepts with help of older or lead
teachers.
Every cluster is supported by a lead teacher who has
had the experience of organizing a preschool with the
community and is now able to share that experience
with teachers who require support to do the same
and have been newly initiated to the training
programme. Every twenty five to thirty preschools
are supported by a lead teacher- a teacher who has
been with the preschool programme for a significant
period of time and now supports and strengthens
other preschools by partaking in organizing
community processes; regular monitoring and
ongoing maintenance related issues.
The preschool management related aspects are
spread over first initial months; interspersed with
sessions over health and learning which ensure
expected learning outcomes and transactions of
children within the classroom. The framework of
training encompasses various concepts, practices and
processes to be undertaken by the community in
supporting the learning and care of their children.
Every practice is undertaken as an aspect for the
teachers to be trained on; and to derive a framework
prior to the process being undertaken in the
community jointly by the facilitator and the teacher.
he classroom: On keeping with the parental expectations
we organize the entire day in an eclectic manner deriving an
organic approach which is appropriate to meeting these
expectations. For instance, the theme of the week provides
ground to help children recognize and make their own meanings of
the theme and its related concepts. A typical day at the preschool
flows through- free play, talk time, reading & writing, break, lunch,
creative activity and group games which provides a framework for
teachers to initialise work with thirty children.
T
The concepts though drawn from the list organized by parents and
teachers together are initially structured into sessions to help
teacher plan and prepare for better understanding about the
concept. The classroom sessions are in effect an initializing tool for
the teachers to get an understanding of how a classroom can be
organized reaching out to as many as thirty young children.
Progressively the teachers are encouraged to work without this
tool and be more fluid (free flowing) in their approach at engaging
with various concepts. Most teachers over a period of time are
encouraged to take contextually relevant themes and organize
activities and discussions around it in a manner which flows from
one session to the other the objective clearly being to enhance the
ability of children to recognize and comprehend concepts, building
their own meanings of concepts related to the theme. But
underlying every different stage following either a structured or a
non structured classroom format the teachers are facilitated to
observe in essence a set of guiding principles to organize their
classrooms and the processes they undertake within. Some of the
guiding principles are enumerated as recognizing-every child learns differently
- a non threatening environment is conducive to learning
-a stimulating environment supports children express themselves
better
-understanding and relating to a child is essential for learning
-conversations around experiences, memories, thoughts and ideas
of children often allow children to understand a concept and
attribute it own meaning
-teacher engagement with child begins only after the child has had
27
time to adjust to the preschool surroundings
Valmikinagar near Mysore Road is a predominantly Muslim lowincome area that is home to a population of around 10,000
ssessment: The mapping of parental
expectations of the preschools in various
localities helped us experience that caregivers/
parents articulated both academic and non-academic
expectations of the preschool. These expectations
formed the basis of reflection in framing an
assessment process in the preschools. The
assessment process entails familiarizing the children
with different concepts at the preschools over a
period of one month (as defined in the expectations),
followed by a mother's meeting enquiring and
engaging them in the process of child's learning and
knowing the child's learning level. The parents are
encouraged to visit the preschools during the class
hours to work with their children on various
activities. Drawing a parallel to the pedagogical
strategy used in the preschools the process of
assessment is open to various interpretations and
expects changes in its formulation over time in
keeping with the methodology of learning suited to
community expectations.
A
people. The long narrow lanes teem with life, colour, industry
and above all children ranging all sizes and ages. Small industries
of every type- mechanics, auto repair workshops, agarbatti
karkhanas, beedi making units, scrap and recycling shops,
butchers, bakers, small time vendors of vegetables, fruits,
clothes can be found at every turn.
Amidst all the flurry of movement and activity one nevertheless
senses the steady, unhurried pace of life obvious in the small
groups of men and women gathered around to discuss local
♦
news and events. Tucked away in one of the lanes, children's
voices chorus “ Machili jal ki rani hai”. Closer up, one can see
three women organising a class of 35 children, occupied with
rhymes and writing, while two are involved with some children
who are filling up booklets spread out before them on the floor.
We have stumbled upon a preschool, one among the ten other
preschools in this area, where the children are filling up a
The objective of the assessment is to- ensure that the
parents and teacher are both aware of the child's
status with regard to levels of learning; understand
the level of learning of the child without conveying to
the child that he/she is being judged or examined;
have a record of the child's level of learning for the
parents to use during admission processes to other
schools; and provide the child with a more interesting
method of expressing what the child knows.
booklet. One may be excused for thinking that the woman so
involved with the children is the teacher, however it turns out
she is the mother of one of the children, who after supporting
her child to complete the booklet, has stayed on to encourage
and support another five children; while the teacher looks after
some of the other children. This parent is one of the many
parents who through their involvement with the preschool in all
The process facilitating parents to articulate their
expectations on children's learning is conceptualised
as a process of engagement bringing to the parents
the consciousness that the community owned
preschool requires them to outline their values and
meanings in defining the roles & responsibilities of the
preschools in their communities. In the effort to
provoke and sustain the interest of the parents in the
child's learning, the process of assessment is only a
tool that has been used to plant the seed of
questioning the values and attitudes of the current
education system and its impact on children both in
terms of learning and development of the concept of
the self.
its various aspects display a sense of ownership both of the
facility as well as their children's education.
A subsequent meeting to discuss the children's learning and its
documentation was held.
The clear understanding of the
values behind understanding children's learning levels as
opposed to mainstream standard testing and its impact on
children is a telling endorsement of the commitment those
parents had towards the wellbeing and education of their
children. This is made even more striking by the fact that most
of the parents were illiterate. The parents of the Madrasa
preschool are an example of the slow but sure impact that is
fostered by the community's involvement in education. It holds
out hope that a further involvement of parents in their
children's higher education will bring about changes that can
ensure that learning becomes a meaningful process for
children. The community owned preschool is one of the first
steps in that direction.
28
H
ealth being an integral aspect of care of young
children, MAYA's ECCE approach, seeks to
address it through distinct community processes that
ensure that the health and well-being of the child is
looked at holistically; and rather as a public concern
than in isolation of the preschool alone or relegated
to the individual responsibility of the family.
Addressing health of the young child as a community
agenda calls for complete involvement of the
caregivers in the health related processes of the
ECCE facility. Given the prevailing situation of the
young child in the country (47% of children aged
below three years are undernourished and 58% of
children -in the 12-23 months age group-are not fully
immunised)5 addressing issues of health by the State
has become a critical concern, especially in terms of
creating access to these facilities & organising both
preventive & curative measures.
The approach entails addressing three different
aspects of care, rooted in the context & experience of
the community- the nutrition; preventive & curative
care; and accessing health services. Beginning from
prevalent practices already existing in the
communities, the caregivers and the significant
others in the communities are encouraged to build on
health related understandings and experiences in
promoting the young child's health. The various
aspects are addressed in a manner enhancing
community capacity- be it in the parent's committee
taking responsibility towards providing
supplementary nutrition to their children; or parent's
negotiating with the local PHC (Primary Health
Center) to make possible regular visits of the ANN
(Auxiliary Nurse Midwife) and doctors; or teachers
and parents together organizing immunization
camps. Underlying the health related tasks are
processes facilitated by the group of ECCE facilitators
and lead teachers, towards strengthening
communities in organizing continual care for their
children. Hence most activities do not seek only
tokenistic participation of the parents acting as mere
beneficiaries instead lay emphasis on enrolling
parents beginning from identifying child care need,
planning and organizing towards its fulfilment and its
implementation.
5 NFHS-2 conducted by International Institute of Population
Sciences Mumbai.
I. Nutrition:
Nutrition being mainly the responsibility of the parents, the
community owned preschool tries to inculcate the awareness
of and the need for good nutrition especially for young
children. This takes the form of dialoguing with the caregivers
on aspects of nutritious food content. This input is often a part
of community health meetings involving mother's as
participants mapping what could be enhanced in a child's diet.
The apathy towards child care so acute in urban low income
areas characterized by atomized families and often strained
employment conditions of parents, is often the cause of
neglect of child's dietary needs. Although over the years with
all community owned preschools we have been able to bring
about a culture & habit of parents partaking in the child's
development- all children coming to the preschools are seen
carrying their lunch boxes with a can of water.
Although the preschool level committee members have over
time expressed the need to support their facilities with the
provision of supplementary nutrition, organizing its provision
by the preschool committee on an alternate day basis. In fact
several urban centers requiring a nutritious meal supplement
provide the snack to the children before they leave for their
homes. Involving the community entirely in the process of
providing supplementary nutrition, from preparation to
actual distribution and ensuring each child gets a regular share
ensures that the community continues to take primary
responsibility for their children's nutrition. The parents are
trained to prepare a health drink that is made from locally
available cereals and grain.
Supplementary nutrition is
provided 4 times a week in the form of a health drink, fruit,
milk, and egg in the evening, before the children leave for
home.
Most preschools in the rural and peri-urban areas closely
linked to the local government schools have also been able to
extend their mid day meal schemes to reach out to even the
younger children in their villages. In some spurred on by the
interest of the local school master whereas in some it is
through the volition of the local GP member. Having
effectively run their own schools without any external
support for the first three months and then generating
resources from within to support their schools has only
confirmed their belief in being able to organise early child care
and education facilities by themselves only seeking external
resources for further strengthening their facility. Most
external support sought by the communities is then allocated
for providing meals or towards enhancing the monthly
honorarium requirement for the teachers.
2. Accessing health facilities:
The teachers of the preschools with the support of the
parents create and maintain individual Child Health
Records that document the medical history of the child,
including immunization. Apart from check ups during
times of illness, most parents were not seen maintaining
their child's immunization records and very rarely
accessing the local general hospital for accessing vitamin
supplements and de-worming dosages.
Characteristic of the present system is the gap in
information between the people- service target groupsand the various government departments. The health
department in liasoning with the ICDS has a convergent
policy which helps the government to finally reach out to
children in adverse eco-socio circumstances. The existing
service of the local Government hospitals extended to the
Government Anganwadis include a monthly visit by the
Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) to provide regular de
worming, vitamin and iron & folic tablets; and ensuring
that appropriate vaccinations are given on time. This is
supplemented by an examination of the children by a
Government doctor once in three months.
In providing the community with accurate information
about the various services which can be accessed by them,
annual health processes are undertaken briefing them on
the locally accessible service and the manner in which they
could plan and effectively organise its access to all children
in their areas. The cluster committees then plan for
organizing health check ups with their local hospitals and
prepare lists of number of children, addresses of various
preschools to be appended with a formal application in
extending the community health services. For instance,
the committee members of Azadnagar & Farroqianagar
cluster met with the superintendent of the local general
hospital which also houses the Urban Ward Centre in
organizing quarterly check ups by the doctors and visits by
the AN Ms on a monthly basis across all community owned
preschools in their cluster for the complete academic year.
Such processes reflective of community institutions
engaging with state run services to access health and
articulating their expectations of such services in terms of
extent and coverage is indeed a step towards communities
defining and building on ownership towards their facility.
30
3. Preventive & Curative care:
The aspect of organising preventive & curative care of children entails working with the caregivers in a
consistent manner over a period of time building capacities to actualize many of the tasks. For instance,
the teacher is specifically trained in maintaining & preparing child health records before a health check
up by the local doctor. It involves the teachers to undertake a house to house survey of the children of
the community owned preschools in recording their immunization details ( helping recall in case of
missing cards) and organise the mothers to meet before the actual commencement of the health check
up, emphasizing the significance of immunization and keeping a track of each child's health status.
Following which each teacher is trained to also monitor growth of every child and share the
information at mother's meeting, using that as factual data with which to begin discussions on provision
of healthy nutritious food and development of the child. Training sessions of teachers on health;
ongoing processes with the mothers; and follow up processes with both the above group of caregivers
form the core of formulating processes & activities around preventive and curative health care.
a.
Immunisation
Immunisation being the most important issue of preventive health care, which is primarily provided by
the State health services for the low-income groups, the community owned preschool partner with
the Health department at the local levels in ensuring the complete immunisation of all the children who
attend the preschools. Almost every local general hospital is involved in ensuring complete
immunization of all preschoolers in the community owned preschools and in extending health check up
and referral services to them as in the anganwadis. This has proved effective in garnering the support of
the larger community and providing recognition for the many community owned structures that
organise the preschools.
b.
Monitoring of growth
Given the age group of the children, the teachers of the community owned preschool are trained to
monitor the growth of the child through a quarterly checking of the child's height, weight and mid-arm
circumference. This information is shared with the parents to ensure that they remain informed and
aware of their child's growth while observing any signs of malnutrition which is rather common among
young children in low-income groups.
Besides this, the individual attention paid to each child would offer indications of changes in health
which the teachers will be trained to observe through an awareness of health related issues that are
generally common in children of this age. Specially-abled children requiring specific attention are also
referred to appropriate sources of treatment and care. These processes of monitoring are adequately
reinforced by the regular visits of the ANM and the Government doctors.
c.
Health Check up:
The community is supported to organise an annual health check up for all the children of the preschools
through the local government hospitals. This health check is useful both for the children and their
parents in identifying any medical problem of the child while also providing the community the
opportunity and the learning of organizing & accessing facilities from the larger community for the well
being of their children.
Preventive & Curative Care
Nutrition
□ Immunizations
□ Extending mid day meal scheme
□ Health check ups
□ Preschool committee organizing supplementary nutrition
□ Referrals
□ Growth Monitoring
Access to health facilities
□ Accurate information collection & dialogue
□ Negotiation with local state service provider
vp/-Orgaprzingjpommunity.to access the service
Impact at micro & macro level
SOUGHT AND SO FAR
Partnerships
FOR SUSTAINABILITY
Building upon MAYA's organizational
belief that communities can organize
themselves in a manner to meet their own
needs the initiative attempted at
strengthening the local parent institutions
through identifying and articulating their
concerns and finding ways and means to
access them. Although fees collected from
the parent and contributions from the GR
reflective of community's ownership of
the facility, are essentially to provide a
teacher with an honorarium and to buy
some basic materials for the preschool,
often low income communities feel the
need of support through access to
supplementary resources.
Learning from our experience of initiating
preschools that had no other support
mechanism besides the parent
community, the initiative liasoned with the
Sarva Shikshana Abhiyaan (SSA), for
support to the preschools which were
initiated by the community. The SSA, as a
strategy towards universalisation of
elementary education, had earmarked a
budget for preschool education. The SSA
forthcoming in their support of a 100
community owned preschools in the last
year established an exemplary record of
the interaction of the statal and civil forces
in reaching out to communities in need.
The total budgetary support included
supplementary resources such as
honorarium for teachers, learning
materials and infrastructural maintenance
costs for the children. Such a linkage may
be defined as a beginning of practices
whereby the resources available from the
government for the purpose of education
and child care are directly linked to
people's initiatives, via locally accountable
bodies such as the Gram Panchayat or
SDMC, setting a desired precedent for the
manner in which public money is
disbursed and utilized to the optimum.
Ch-/ CV
09033 P°T
BTB - a low income area - adjacent to Banerghatta Road in the city of
Bangalore, till a few years ago, faced a predominant culture of older siblings
staying at home to look after younger ones, coupled with a sheer lack of
facilities to take care of the learning needs of the young. The history of high
employment of child labour, especially in the surrounding garages and petty
shops only compounded the propensity of children to eith* * enter the
workforce at an early age or dropout of school ori enrolment, like many
neighbouring slums and low-income areas.
It was in this context that a dialogue was initiated with the parents and other
community members to address the issue of early childhooci education as a
priority; building on their inherent capacities and existing experience in this
area, Following several discussions, a few community mernoers toon cr.e
initiative co sttirt a oreschool in their area. The space a community-allocated
room (a Madrasa) was identified co house the preschool for the whole day;
providing a learning and stimulating environment for the children and respite
for their parents who are engaged in coolie work, beedi/agarbathi rolling or m
petty vending. Despite their daily struggle to earn a stable $nd secure income.
these community members were able to enroll other parents to support their
children's learning.
Since its initiation in 1998. the BTB school has steadily built its capacities in
providing an enabling learning environment to its children. The teacher has
been consistently trained by the facilitators on a monthly basis on aspects ofchild learning, child care, interactions with parents & community members
and with external support organizations. Over the years more than 250
children and their families have benefited through this facility. The local
community with a high incidence of child labour has gradually been enrolled
into the culture of early child care nnd education, critical to the child's
development.
The parents have continually strengthened the school through- allowing the
usage of their home spaces on non availability of the community space,
substituted for the teachers in their absence, ensured regular payment of fees
etc. This active participation of the parent's and community through the years
has now evolved into more sustainable linkages with the school. For instance
the parents now have a formal body of four members who are responsible for
monitoring the school, planning & budgeting for the school requirements,
substituting for the teacher, defining children's learning outcomes and teacher
responsibilities, and most importantly accessing supplementary resources for
enhancing the school's capacity for providing an enabling learning
environment for their children.
The Early Childhood Care and Education initiative presently reaches out to
over 4600 children through 180 community-owned preschools, similar to
BTB School, in the low income areas of Bangalore Urban and Bangalore Rural
districts.The initial years experienced the organisation supporting all
supplementary costs for the preschools through accessing resources from
private donors. It saw us eliciting more of community participation, which
manifested in various ways such as enrolling local self help groups and
federations to partake in the activities of the preschool. Over time, the focus
to create more sustainable longer-term partnerships and establish a sense of
social responsibility between the stakeholders has led MAYA to build further
linkages between the parents, the local community and other supportive
institutions-^*pinent, individual and other donors.
32
, often weaken peoples resolve
differing political interests
caste still maintains the divide amongst people-affecting
decisions they make
community wants government schemes
perceiving it to be more permanent
community preschools are competition for the private facilities
convincing other stakeholders about
the viability of this approach
will this approach be able to impact and change the
existing child care system in the state
. their lives without
asa7inwhathaPP—
^-^dWery situation
•lt a demand/
build our (team ) capacities to meet the
challenges of community owned ECCE facilities
creating structures and formalised systems in unorganised x
and informal scenarios
th the
along*'1
j rneet'Oo
to attend rd
tefuseto
often re'
lb the preschool a furlong away, through swift turns, quick crosses and narrow
lanes...
you start to wonder whether this would lead to a noisy overcrowded place teeming
with children and you are faced with a paradox.
Challenges
At Suraya School, thirty little children diligently work at their creative activities and
not a stir, apart from a nod or a low-toned ' salaam walekum' and back to their
projects. With walls covered with colourful charts and mobile toys, and a teacher
like Suraya who is a new age practitioner, researcher and spokesperson redefining
the perspective of early childhood education, the children appear organised and
engrossed in pursuing their interests.
Till a few years ago, this locality - a low-income area on the outskirts of Bangalore faced a predominant culture of older siblings staying at home to look after younger
ones, coupled with a sheer lack of facilities to take care of the learning needs of the
young. The history of high employment of child labour, especially in the
surrounding silk-reeling units only compounded the propensity of children to
either enter the workforce at an early age or dropout of school on enrolment, like
many neighbouring slums and low-income areas.
It was in this context that a dialogue was initiated with the parents and other
community members to address the issue of early childhood education as a
priority; building on their inherent capacities and existing experience in this area.
Following several discussions, a few community members took the initiative to
start a preschool in their area. The space, a community-allocated room was
identified to house the preschool for the whole day; providing a learning and
stimulating environment for the children and respite for their parents who are
engaged in coolie work, beedi/ agarbathi rolling or as petty vending. Despite their
daily struggle to earn a stable and secure income, these community members were
able to enrol other parents to support their children's learning and provide a large
part of the basic needs for their children in enhancing the capacity of the preschool
as an enabling learning environment for their children.
The school initiated as the first of its kind in Channapatana in 1998, having reached
out to more than 250 children over the last six years threw up an interesting insight
during one of our training sessions. In keeping with our goals of reaching out to each
and every child in the area, every cluster was to undertake an area survey. It
seemed significant for the programme and the facilities to consolidate their
strategies based on accurate children and local information. The teachers Suraya,
Ruhi and Husna belonging to this cluster continuing with their convictions of
enrolling the children to school, undertook the survey with great ardour. The
collated data reflected that of the 181 children in the area, 78 were enrolled into
the three community owned schools and 56 were already in the first standard in the
two local schools and 47 children had no access to any of these facilities. On
mapping our concern with the teacher in strategizing the next steps the facilitator
came up with a challenge which we earlier did not pre-empt. Since the existing
schools could not further enrol as they were filled up to their capacities in
proportion to space, the facilitator suggested initiating one another facility with the
help of the existing teachers and parents. Suraya, the veteran teacher was of a
differing opinion suggesting if another such facility opened their schools would
suffer in the next academic year for a lack of numbers!!!
A pause, it made us realize that a simple functional system of reaching out to all
children had over the years gathered more complexity in having to sustain itself as
an institution in its own right. The concern had now shifted from not only enrolling
children and their parents into the culture of schooling but manifesting its
institutional needs both of the teacher & the school to retain its much acquired
shape and identity. Though what followed in the series of discussion helped analyze
that most children could not wait being in the critical circumstances they were in.
Not relating to the children at the earliest might implicate writing them off to the
insidious cycle of bondedness and labour. This instance is an articulation in point,
revealing many such challenges to come, slowly apprehending the extent to which
we can influence the communities especially the trained facilitator (teacher in this
case) in making decisions now affecting the tricky balance of ownership.
n operationalising this approach, we
I
realized the need for more effective
and sensitive facilitators, who have an
awareness of the varied social
contexts and the ability to articulate
appropriately. For such an approach,
building skills of facilitators through
traditional training methods was not a
viable proposition, as these
interventions required developing
one's understanding as the processes
evolved. The initiative needs now to
pay attention to the fact that to
address an organic issue like early
childhood to impact state structures
and practices; it has to respond to the
dynamic needs of an evolving society,
thereby necessitating in its facilitators
& functional practices- an ongoing
process of reflecting and doing.
Future direction
The experience of building institutional capacities of communities in organizing and
supporting their own early child care facilities has convinced us of the approach,
that community ownership of any issue forms the basic premise to initiate any
engagement with communities and develop further in enhancing its capacity. It then
seems significant to draw interpretations, upon consolidation of these experiences
for the larger system, in a manner that translates the approach to impact systemic
conceptualizations and ways of functioning.
Without limiting this experience to confines of a good alternate model we propose
to derive an approach impacting the existing largest child scheme in the country, the
ICDS. The aspects drawn from our approach could clearly be on impacting the
learning of children in the anganwandi; building of community ownership towards
the facility; redefining roles of the teachers; and role clarity for supervisors and the
ICDS hierarchy. This can truly be attempted in liaison with the existing government
machinery administering the scheme- the Women & Child development
Department, comprehending their structure and functioning and supporting
processes which would only enhance the quality of the care & learning entitled to
every child.
36
MAYA welcomes individuals and groups interested in knowing more about
the work and issues we address. You could visit us at www.mayaindia.org for
more details about our work or could contact us at 111, 6th main, 5th block,
Jayanagar, Bangalore - 560041
Telefax: 91-80-6639857/6658134/6346053. e-mail: mayaindia@vsnl.com
Position: 6150 (1 views)