Lotus Flower Trust works in very remote areas of the Himalaya. Twelve years ago, the Ladakh Hill Council asked the Lotus Flower Trust if we would raise funds to construct 30 Anganwadi (Kindergartens). So far, we have funded the construction of 18. Recently the India Children’s Development Society (ICDS) has asked us to fund the construction of a further 12 Anganwadi. One is in Sato Village which is reached by crossing the second highest navigable pass in the world, Chang La, at 5,300 meters. The others are also in very remote areas and reflect the challenges we face when supporting Himalayan Anganwadi projects.

For poor families, education is not a priority. People in remote areas work as subsistence farmers or as ‘coolies’ for the army, and some have government jobs. Mothers carry their children on their backs or leave them in the village when they go to work. To encourage parents to send children to the Anganwadi, they are built in the grounds of village primary schools where mothers are happy to leave their children in the care of people known to them. The staff, all village women, are trained and funded by ICDS.

By going to the Anganwadi, very young children (2-6yrs) get used to attending school regularly, ready for when they start full-time education. Numbers attending vary, from 10 to 50, depending on the size of the conurbation. Anganwadi built to date are very successful, releasing parents to work and promoting the idea of regular school attendance to the infants.

Can you help fund one of 12 more and break the cycle of poverty?