The Anganwadi Project

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Babyccino Charity – The Anganwadi Project

October 17th, 2009

Welcome to a new Babyccino feature: the Babyccino Charity. We’ve been thinking a lot about how very lucky we are in this world, and about how our ‘everyday’ problems pale in comparison to the huge challenges that many other moms and children face. So we’ve decided to shed light on some lesser known charities that are close to our hearts, hoping to bring much-needed attention to some organizations which are doing a lot of good.

Our first charity is the The Anganwadi Project, founded by my dear friend Jodie. Jodie is the owner of Bholu, a fantastic interior furnishing company based in Australia. She started The Anganwadi Project when she was visiting Gujarat in India and saw the urgent need for safe, clean pre-schools (locally called ‘anganwadis’). This being Jodie, an energetic girl to say the least, she did not hang around too long musing about it. Within 3 weeks the first of 66 new pre-schools was built…

Here is her story:

I never thought that something as devastating as an earthquake could turn my life around in such a wonderful way and send me on a new mission of understanding of people, poverty, humanity and childhood. It was a few years after the horrific 2001 earthquake in Gujarat, India that I stopped what I was doing at the time (costume designing) to help rebuild the homes and lives of communities on the border of Pakistan and India. I had never experienced such a raw perspective on humanity, and being with people who have absolutely nothing but their clothes on their backs but still want to give you everything. I was fortunate enough to have lived and worked with the most beautiful families during this time, and it was during this time that I met the traditional Kaatchchi women whose skill is incredibly traditional embroidery which they use only for their own clothes and their daughter’s dowry.

I knew I had the opportunity to give something to these women and help get them back on their feet. I starting designing cushions and beds throws, which were merely a canvas for these women to do their embroidery. Little did I know, they found my minimalist and graphic designs quite amusing and likened the designs to the drawings of their own children, who they affectionately called their “Bholu’s”. ( Literal meaning is a term of endearment to a small child, or a descriptive word for niaviety or innocence). The light went on in my head and I realised that their children could become involved by drawing the designs and then I could turn these into the embroidery for the textiles. It was from here, Bholu was born.

Now, every year I spend time going into slum communities and taking art/craft workshops with young street children who are not in school and are being deprived of a childhood. I come bearing fruit and fresh water, crayons, paper, stickers and glue, and for a few hours these children can just be children. It is complete chaos but so incredible to see them forgetting to work. After many of these workshops I ended up with mounds of golden ideas and divine illustrative creatures which could only ever be imagined by a child. From here came the Bholu Bubalah range, a delightful and quirky range of children’s toys, designed by the children and hand made by their mothers, aunts and grandmothers. A wonderful circle of creativity had started.

Inspired by how little the school cost and how little time it took to make, that The Anganwadi Project began. An “anganwadi” is the name of these preschools, where young children between the ages of 2 and 5, receive one meal a day, education, hygiene, discipline and love in some of the poorest and lowest socio-economic communities in India. The Anganwadi Project is set up to rebuild preschools for slum children and is now run hand in hand with Manav Sadhna, an NGO based in Gandi Ashram, Gujarat and AWF, Architects Without Frontiers- Australia.

Through The Anganwadi Project we aim to rebuild and renovate 66 anganwadis in the slum areas of Ahmedabad, Gujurat, India. Our architect volunteers transform a tiny, ill-ventilated, galvonised iron lean-to into beautiful, safe, clean, ventilated and light space for the children. Often the design of the Anganwadi has educational elements including water catchments, hygiene games like snakes and ladders mosaics ( made by local artisan women) on the floor of the school which sends a dirty child back into the bathroom and many more architectural elements to make learning fun.

We make sure the anganwadis are constructed by local labourers, sustaining local employment and use largely re-cycled materials in order to support the Manav Sadhna philosophy of ‘Re-Use, Re-Cycle, and Reduce.’ It is so exciting to think that since September 2007 The Anganwadi Project we have completed the build of 8 Anganwadi’s with over 300 children now in school. This is all possible thanks to an earthquake, the time and skills of incredible volunteers, part profits from the sale of Bholu products and generous donations from companies and individuals. We aim to make this project sustainable for the teachers, mothers, children and the local contractors for the next 5 years with our goal to complete all 66 anagwadi’s in the area.

When you see the children’s faces and you see them getting a little bit fatter and healthier every year and you hear the happy voices coming from the schools, it is such a treat and all so rewarding. It certainly makes you really think about how lucky our children are and how a little goes a long way.

If you are interested in sponsoring the Anganwadi Project or helping out in any other way, click here for more information.

- Emilie

Aidila Razak. Ahmedabad
The Vadaj Tekra slum area of the city, a section surviving with inadequate means for long, was enlivened with excitement when the third anganwadi was inaugurated on Friday last. The anganwadi, which stands on land donated by a local resident, will provide pre-school education, health services and nutritious meals to more than 30 children in the area. Meals will also be provided to young and expectant mothers in the community.

The Vadaj Tekra slum area of the city, a section surviving with inadequate means for long, was enlivened with excitement when the third anganwadi was inaugurated on Friday last. The anganwadi, which stands on land donated by a local resident, will provide pre-school education, health services and nutritious meals to more than 30 children in the area. Meals will also be provided to young and expectant mothers in the community.

The establishment is built as part of the anganwadi project, which is jointly initiated by local NGO Manav Sadhna, Australian organisation Architect Without Borders and Sydney-based home ware company, Bholu.

The anganwadi, named Bholu 3, is designed by AWF volunteer Leeanne Marshall, who along with fellow Australian Harry Gardiner and other local builders, spent about two months to complete the project in record time.
Addressing parents, volunteers and other community members present on the day Marshall said, "I am grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of this community, and for the many things which I have learnt during my stay."

A number of AWF volunteers are making their way to Ahmedabad which means more anganwadis can be expected to crop up soon. Plans are in place to rebuild six existing anganwadis and renovate six more before the upcoming monsoon season.
"It is my dream to see the 86 anganwadis in the Tekra slum get reconstructed and renovated through the Anganwadi project. And I am sure we will be able to do this with the help of AWF volunteers," said Bholu founder, Jodie Fried, who also celebrated her birthday yesterday.

Bholu, which has received multiple awards for responsible business in Australia, was inspired by the sophisticated skills and craftsmanship of the women artisan in the region of Kutch.

 Ahmedabad - This renowned designer has woven a success story to create a global homewares brand with the help of Gujarat's women and slum CHILDREN. Now, she is ploughing the profits back to better their childhood. Designer Jodie Fried’s brand Bholu (referred to a child endearingly in Gujarati), modelled on drawings of slum children and brought to life by Gujarati artisan women, sells in top boutiques across the globe.

Last month, Bholu Pty Ltd, along with Ahmedabad-based NGO Manav Sadhna opened an anganwadi, Bholu 2 School', in the poor neighbourhood of Wadaj where about 180 kids study. This is the second Bholu school, the first pre-school was opened last year in the same area.

"A big development in this project is that Bholu has now joined forces with Architects Without Frontiers - Australia (AWF). Together we have raised money from Bholu profits, donations and fund-raising to continue the building and development of these schools," said Fried, who was inspired by Gujarat's traditional art during her stay in Kutch as a relief worker after earthquake in 2001.

Two Australian architects are working full-time in Ahmedabad on the designs of six schools that the Australian firm has adopted.
"The idea is Jodie will adopt as many schools as she can. We manage 66 pre-schools cum nutrition centres in Ahmedabad serving over 3,500 children and 700 mothers every day under state government's integrated child development scheme. Presently, Bholu Pty Ltd has adopted six schools for infrastructure upgrade and providing better facilities," says a Manav Sadhna volunteer.

If Bholu products have already created waves across the world, Bholu Schools have made a bigger impact. "Last month, we got a four-year old son of a poor scrap vendor operated up for an eye disorder from our anganwadi funds," said the volunteer. The stitch in time saved the kid's eyesight.

That's called vision.

Ahmedabad -  As many as 66 anganwadis in and around Ahmedabad are now being reviewed and redesigned by an architect and coordinating supervisor duo from Australia. Leeanne Marshall (32) and Harrison Gardner (19) have come from Melbourne and Sydney as volunteers for the project. Several other anganwadis will also be constructed under the project, which has been undertaken by the Melbourne-based ‘Architect Without Frontiers’ and the Sydney-based firm, Bholu.

Leeanne, who has specialised in slum development, and is a practicing architect in Australia, said: “We have already started work and constructed an entirely new anganwadi. Three others have been redesigned.”

He added: “A common problem with most of the existing anganwadis has been inadequate light and poor ventilation, while many do not even have toilets. We are designing a low-cost alternative that takes care of the aforementioned requirements, with the help of local labourers, who know how to whorl with local raw materials.”

Harry, who has been coordinating the project, said: “The construction and redesigning expenses have been coordinated by a local NGO, Manav Sadhna, which has been working for the anganwadis. The work will continue till March next year and the total expenses will be borne by the two Australian companies.”