AARAMBH - INCLUSIVE ANGANWADIs

Samaaveshi began its journey as an inclusive kindergarten in Kashele village on 3 December 2018 (World Disability Day). From 2018 to 2024, we operated an in-house kindergarten, supporting 30 children each academic year, including 3–4 children with disabilities. Most students were first-generation learners from the Katkari and Thakur (Scheduled Tribes/ST) communities living in Kashele and neighbouring hamlets.

In 2024, Samaaveshi pivoted to a community-based model, partnering with seven Anganwadi centres across Kashele panchayat—the programme's HUB—serving 150+ children aged 3–6, including five children with disabilities. The initiative strengthens each Anganwadi by improving infrastructure with solar power, mini-libraries, smart TVs, and WASH facilities, while deploying trained Early Educators to deliver inclusive, early education from 10 am to 1 pm, Monday through Friday.

JIGSAYA - COMMUNITY LIBRARY/DRC

On 3 June 2019, Samaaveshi established a Community Library & Disability Resource Centre (DRC) in Kashele village to strengthen literacy, learning, and life skills among rural children, especially those with diverse learning needs across Kashele panchayat (the HUB). The centre houses 2,000+ books, magazines, and early learning materials, including 100+ assistive learning resources designed to support the education of children with disabilities (CWDs). In addition, the centre facilitates Unique Disability ID (UDID) card support, referrals, school enrolment assistance, and weekly physiotherapy services for CWDs in the region.

The centre’s flagship initiative is the Weekend Library Workshop, conducted regularly since its inception. These sessions focus on foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN), storytelling, creative arts, and life skills, and are attended by 20–30 children from Kashele and neighbouring tribal hamlets, including a dedicated group of children with disabilities. Looking ahead, Samaaveshi aims to establish a network of five libraries-cum-DRCs by 2030, creating a strong ecosystem for inclusive-ed and community-based support across Karjat block.

SAMAAVESHAK - ANGANWADI TRAINING

In August 2019, Samaaveshi partnered with TISS Mumbai, and the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Karjat, to launch the Inclusive Anganwadi Training Programme. The programme aims to strengthen the capacity of Anganwadi teachers in early disability identification, inclusive teaching practices, and child-centred learning, enabling rural Anganwadis to gradually evolve into inclusive early childhood education centres where every child, with or without a disability, can learn and thrive together. The programme has two core components: (1) a structured series of 12 capacity-building workshops on disability inclusion and inclusive education for clusters of Anganwadi teachers, and (2) the provision of a mini-library resource kit containing 20+ multi-sensory play and learning materials to enrich classroom experiences. Today, Samaaveshi works with 100 Anganwadis (the spokes) and aims to expand the programme to all 300 Anganwadis across Karjat block by 2030.

SMART ANGANWADI TRANSFORMATION

Over 50% Anganwadis (of total 300) in Karjat block DO NOT have electricity. In 2021, Samaaveshi transformed five local Anganwadis without electricity, into ‘Solar Anganwadis’ - to offer uninterrupted access to digital (and assistive) learning to Anganwadi children during COVID-19.

In 2022, Samaaveshi launched 'Smart Anganwadi Transformation' to undertake comprehensive renovation of Anganwadis (physical renovation & painting, classroom furniture, mini-library, smart TV and WASH facilities). This resulted in improved attendance, classroom engagement and learning outcomes among Anganwadi children. As of 2025, Samaaveshi has transformed 20 Anganwadis into 'Solar, Smart Anganwadis'. Our goal is to solarize all 150 Anganwadis in Karjat (without electricity), by 2030.

NIPUN - ZP SCHOOL INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

Post COVID-19 pandemic, Samaaveshi began a new collaboration with the Block Education Office (BEO), Karjat division, to launch the 'Zilla Parishad (ZP) School Inclusive Education Programme'. The objective is to improve the quality of education in public schools by strengthening infrastructure, and deploying a team of inclusive (primary) educators to facilitate ‘universal design for learning (UDL)’.

Starting with one ZP school in June 2022, Samaaveshi gradually expanded the initiative to an all five ZP schools in Kashele gram panchayat (THE HUB), directly impacting the education of 350+ students, including 10 CWDs. Over time, we diversified our focus to include social-emotional learning, STEM (Science, technology, Engineering & Maths) education and teacher-training, showing that inclusion can extend beyond disability to different forms of learning diversity.

Attached is an image of Samaaveshi's 'STEM & INNOVATION LAB' at ZP School (Kashele), set-up with a grant from Amazon India.