The Early Childhood Centre, or Anganwadi, is part of a larger program aimed at empowering children and giving them the tools and support that will allow them to take control of their lives, health and nutrition. A brainchild of Ms Indra Nooyi, former CEO of PepsiCo, who has consistently appeared on the Forbes list of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women for many years, now, the program is designed to facilitate the wholesome development of children, especially in rural India, by providing them with space and access to facilities and trained people who will help them take control of their health, nutrition, childcare needs and also advise them on hygiene matters. The objective is to empower children holistically, thereby bringing resilience to their lives, their families and, ultimately, to their communities.
Supported by Mr Vinod Khosla, founder of the venture capital fund Khosla Ventures, the program is powered by the RMZ Foundation and WeRise Trust, who are developing the WeCare Centre, which is a comprehensive child-focused community and Anganwadi centre that envisages the following
Providing quality creche facilities and early childhood development services for children of women participating in the labour market.
The Integrated Child
Development System (ICDS)
Anganwadis are a part of the Integrated Child Development System (ICDS), launched in 1975, by the Government of India. It is one of the most extensive government-led programs, for the provision of early childhood development in India. ICDS provides a range of services across Early Childhood Care and Education and maternal and child health, including pre-school non-formal education, supplementary nutrition, health-related awareness, immunization, health check-up and referral services. The above are provided through a network of 1.4 million anganwadis, run by approximately 1.3 million anganwadi workers and 1.2 million anganwadi helpers, catering to approximately 80 million children under six years of age, across India. The ICDS program is a centrally-sponsored scheme implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
The pilot program will operate within the following parameters:
GEOGRAPHY: Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are the priority states considered for the execution of Early Childhood Care Centers. The locations shall be of high industrial or farming localities, so children of women working in these sectors can benefit from them.
DEMOGRAPHICS: The target group is children of women participating in the labour market. We plan to identify the demographics of target locations with preference to women working in sectors such as garment manufacturing, electronics manufacturing, precision assembly and software development. In rural areas, preference shall be given to children of women working in the farming sector and agriculture-based industries.
PROJECTED TIMELINES: The objective is to design, develop and commission the Anganwadi Centres within a period of 3 to 4 months. The first centre could take a little longer, as the design, materials and other elements are finalised. The objective is to create a modular development model for the centre and deploy it at various locations across the countries, with the modular design allowing for rapid design and development of the centres.
OPERATING SYSTEM: The operating model of the Early Childhood Development Centres shall be as per norms of department of primary education, health and social welfare of the respective state government. RMZ Foundation shall build these centres with support from impact investors and handover to the implementation partners.
The Early Childhood Development Centers and their Purpose The Anganwadi Centres have been envisioned as state-of-the-art facilities that will be a place for children to study and get nutritional meals in a safe environment, with childcare workers who will be trained to take care of them appropriately. The children will also have access to amenities such as a primary health care centre.
The Early Childhood Development Center is part of a larger program, the brainchild of Ms Indra Nooyi, designed to empower children in the urban and rural parts of India by providing them with space and access to professionals who help them take control of their health, nutrition, child-care needs and also advise them on psychological well being.
The objective is to empower children holistically, thereby bringing resilience to their communities. The program is supported by Mr Vinod Khosla, who is the founder of the venture capital fund Khosla Ventures.
RMZ Foundation and WeRise Trust are supporting the initiative by developing the Early Childhood Development Centre, which is a comprehensive child-focused centre.
The objective is to design, develop and commission the Anganwadi Centres within a period of 3 to 4 months. The first centre could take a little longer as the design, materials and other elements are finalised. The objective is to create a modular development model for the centre and deploy it at various locations across the countries with the modular design allowing for rapid design and development of the centres.
Our partners in the implementation of the program shall be Plan India, the Indian arm of the non-profit Plan International. Plan India shall work and liaise with local NGOs and governmental and non-governmental organisations to execute the plan charted by WeRise and RMZ Foundation. Plan India will interface with the team at WeRise and RMZ Foundation at periodic intervals, for review of progress and to offer technical and other inputs, where needed.
Plan India will also ensure due permissions and approvals are in place, while working with ICDS and district authorities.
Community-based groups, such as village development committees, will be formed and promoted, along with sub-groups, such as for lactating and pregnant mothers, and for parents of children in early education, to take ownership of the project and ensure sustenance of the project benefits.
The Marsur Panchayat presents a unique opportunity to build both an Anganawadi and a social welfare center for women. With a site available that measures 30 x 40, there is ample space to accommodate these important community resources. Additionally, the presence of many nearby industries highlights the need for these facilities to support the local population. Access to the site is also convenient, with roads on both sides providing easy access to the Anganawadi. One of the standout features of this location is the park located beside the Anganawadi, which could potentially be used as an extension of the facility. This lush green space will provide a peaceful and calming environment for those using the Anganawadi and social welfare center. Overall, the Marsur Panchayat presents a prime location for the development of these important community resources.
The Anganwadi Centre is a community and social space to empower women to earn their own livelihood by providing a safe haven for their children during working hours. The purpose of the centre needs to be reflected clearly in its design and integrate all values: Humanistic and inclusive, environmentally-considerate and resilient. The design tenets of the initiative would lie in the 4 Zeroes: Zero energy, Zero Water, Zero Waste and Zero Reliance on External Resources. Building sustainably, using existing materials, involving local people, would all be critical to the success of the initiative. The centre needs to have a real respect for the culture, for the people, for the land, and create a sense of belonging and pride whilst creating a spatial program that creates opportunities for women.
The architecture of the centre will tread lightly on the planet and will respond to the needs of the community, blurring distinctions and creating equalized humanity whilst fostering pride, dignity and well-being. The key principles that drive the design approach are Adaptability, identity and sustainability. These principles combined would yield a centre that is resilient and self-sustained.
The context would play a key role in bringing an identity to the centre. The design playbook explores various options on how to bring personality and identity to each of the centres. These would look at elements that could be driven by the local art form in the region.
The identified geographies are replete with art forms, textile designs, folk embroidery, and vernacular architecture. Many such elements can be integrated with the architectural design for a contextual approach. The floors, the walls or the ceiling could act as canvases to receive the talent and knowledge of the community, children and bring unique identity to each of these centres.
Nurse, Nurture & Nourish are the purpose of the centre and the spatial program caters to the anthro- pometrics and spatial adequacy of the same.
Vital for ease of construction and facilitating the growth of the centre organically. Designing and constructing buildings that apply standardised elements or modular designs for materials and products, lend themselves seamlessly to a circular approach to building construction. These:
Anganwadi aims to be a well-designed non-engineered structures for shrinking the ecological footprint of buildings using green skills and locally sourced green materials.
Urban Centers
The architecture of the urban centres would have to be customized for the site and the
context however sustainability will be at the heart of these developments. The focus would
be more on construction, efficient use of resources and circularity as the luxury of land,
roof and collection potential would be limited owing to the tight urban context. Salvaged or
recyclable materials can be reinvented to give the Centre a unique identity.
Rural Centers
The architecture of the rural centers would be an assembly of environmental devices that
serve an environ-mental purpose apart from forming a shelter: such as water collection,
ventilation, shade; whilst the footprint of the centre is determined by its carrying
capacity in terms of energy and water. The centres would have to be optimally designed to
capture the maximum solar and water potential and allow for neutrality.
Design that has the ability to grow with time and site availability.
Defined individual modular units that grow without a planned program
Defined individual modules units that grow as per planned program
Design that has the ability to seamlessly integrate communal spaces.
Individual blocks under a large roof, allowing for flexible circulation and gathering spaces.
Defined footprint with flexible internal space. Planned around a central social space.
Defined individual blocks planned around a central social space.
Design in modules of 6’ expanding in lateral or longitudinal direction as per the functional program.
Architectural design features, such as courtyards, parasol roofs, overhanging eaves and thermal mass, are effective environmental devices.
Design with cradle-to-cradle material for minimum environmental impact, such as stabilized earth blocks, bamboo and locally-available stone.
Achieve neutrality for Energy, Water and Waste.
Anganwadi aims to be a well-designed, non-engineered structure that will shrink the ecological footprint of buildings, using green skills and locally-sourced green materials. Roof form for shade and water collection, artisanal elements integrated as rain chains for water collection, traditional patterns integrated with Jalis or the Mashrabiya to facilitate thermal comfort and natural ventilation would be integral to design.
The architecture of the urban centres would have to be customized for the site and the context. However, sustainability will be at the heart of these developments. The focus will be more on construction, efficient use of resources and circularity, as the luxury of land, roof and collection potential would be limited, owing to the tight urban context. Salvaged or recyclable materials will be reinvented to give the Centre a unique identity.
The architecture of the rural centers will be an assembly of environmental devices that serve an environmental purpose, besides forming a shelter. These would include, but not be limited to water collection, ventilation and shade. While the footprint of the centre is determined by its carrying capacity in terms of energy and water, the centres will be optimally designed to capture the maximum solar and water potential and allow for neutrality.
Roof form for shade and water collection, artisanal elements integrated as rain chains for water collection, traditional patterns integrated with Jalis or the Mashrabiya to facilitate thermal comfort and natural ventilation would be integral to design.
The geographies chosen for the centre are all very different and would command a different environmental response. Whilst solar and rain protection would be of utmost importance, passive strategy for Telangana would require passive cooling techniques such as evaporative cooling since the climate of hot and dry, meanwhile Tamil Nadu would require ventilation or induced ventilation to address humidity.
The building materials would play a major role in achieving the sustainability goals and carbon neutrality. Local materials and reclaimed materials would help set the road towards carbon neutrality for the centre. Also, materials with a cradle-to-cradle lifecycle would help achieve circularity in the building lifecycle assessment.
56% GC. 10’ x 10’ modular grids Relief Semi-open spaces doubling up as multipurpose rooms or play areas North has maximum open pockets while South and South-west is built space
56% GC. 10’ x 10’ modular grids Relief Semi-open spaces doubling up as multipurpose rooms or play areas North has maximum open pockets while South and South-west is built space No. of students it will cater to at 0.5sqm per student = 35.5.5/0.5 = 71 Students
The first center is scheduled to open in 2023, becoming a vital resource for the community. It is expected to serve a significant number of beneficiaries—150 and more. Among them, 30 women will complete upskilling courses to acquire new skills and knowledge that can enhance their lives and opportunities; 30 children will benefit from the center's Anganwadi services, which offer a safe and nurturing environment for play and learning. The center's quick impact on the community suggests that it will continue to be an important resource for years to come.