In the remote tribal village of Uhapaka, Rayagada Odisha, the local Anganwadi Centre was once a place of worry for parents and children alike. The building had a leaking roof, broken windows, toilets and unsafe drinking water. Learning often happened under trees and during the monsoon, the centre became completely unusable. Children missed out on early education and essential nutrition, while parents constantly worried about their safety and wellbeing.
Everything changed when Prayatn Sanstha implemented SBI Gram Seva Project, in collaboration with SBI Foundation. Uhapaka’s Anganwadi was one of five centres renovated under the intervention. The project focused on multiple intervention and improving early childhood education is among them for overall wellbeing in remote villages through targeted support.
Key village-level institutions like the Gram Seva Committee (GSC), Farmers’ Interest Groups (FIGs) and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) were formed and strengthened to ensure that development work addressed the real needs of the village. These groups provided a platform for villagers to collectively identify challenges, prioritize interventions and plan activities. In one of the GSC meetings, members specifically raised concerns about the poor condition of the Anganwadi Centre, highlighting issues like the leaking roof, broken windows and unsafe facilities, which guided the focus of the renovation work.
The renovation transformed the centre into a safe, welcoming and stimulating environment. The roof was repaired, kitchen and toilets upgraded, drinking water made safe and walls decorated with bright BALA (Building as Learning Aid) artwork to make learning interactive and fun. Attendance improved and children returned to the classroom excited to learn. Mothers now gather at the centre to discuss health and nutrition, making it a hub of activity and learning for the community.
Anganwadi worker Ms. Shantimani Kandagari shares: Earlier, children would avoid the centre when it rained. Now, with safe spaces and colorful walls, they come every day excited to learn and play it makes us so happy to see them.
The Uhapaka Anganwadi is now more than a building it is a place where children can dream, play and build a brighter future. It seems that they can change their nursery rhyme – ‘ Rain, rain go away, Little Johny wants to play’ to ‘Rain, rain, don’t go away, our centre is safe, we can still learn and play.’
