eCoexist started work in Awhalwadi in 2017 with the women of the village. In 2024, we decided that we needed to do something for the children of the village too and approached the Zilla Parishad School principle to ask in what ways we could offer our help. The most urgent need was for help with Spoken English and for a library with storybooks. This led to the formation of VASUDHA a natura space for the children, where spoken English could be taught through storytelling. To this we bring in a love for Nature and a sensitivity to all living beings.
VASUDHA, meaning “Earth” in Sanskrit, is a Nature Space initiative dedicated to the children of Ahwalwadi. This program offers a unique opportunity for kids to spend two hours a week immersed in activities that foster a deep connection with nature. Through learning, playing, and singing, the children will explore the wonders of the natural world around them.
At VASUDHA, we believe that nurturing a love for nature from a young age is essential for fostering environmental stewardship. Our mission is to create a joyful and engaging space where children can develop an appreciation for the beauty and intricacies of the environment, while also enhancing their English language skills.
The VASUDHA team that works for the Awhalwadi kids ! Growing with love… with thanks to the support we recieve from all of you !
Our Spoken English and Reading Skills curriculum is designed to enhance the children’s vocabulary and comprehension through engaging, nature-based activities. We review domain-specific words and phrases, particularly those related to science and the environment, to build a strong foundation. By connecting these vocabulary words to real-world examples and scenarios, such as animal preservation and environmental issues, we make learning both relevant and interesting. Just like in nature, where fascinating elements are found at every turn, we encounter new and intriguing words everywhere. This approach helps increase the children’s vocabulary word by word, fostering a deeper understanding of the language and the world around them.
At VASUDHA, we believe in nurturing the holistic development of children, which includes not just intellectual and physical growth, but also emotional and mental well-being. Our Yoga and Meditation sessions are an integral part of this approach, offering children a peaceful and reflective space to develop mindfulness and inner peace. Yoga postures, or asanas, are designed to improve flexibility, strength, and balance. Children enjoy practicing these postures in a fun and supportive environment. For example, they might learn Vrikshasana (Tree Pose) to enhance their balance and concentration. One of the key components of our Yoga sessions is teaching children various breathing exercises. These exercises help them become more aware of their breath and its connection to their emotions and mental state. By practicing controlled breathing, children learn to manage stress and anxiety, promoting a sense of calm and relaxation
At VASUDHA, we use enchanting storybooks from the Kalpavriksh Environment Action Group to teach children about endangered species and foster a love for nature. One engaging activity involved creating a poem on Po the Pangolin, inspired by Sharmila Deo’s storybook. During her visit to Ahwalwadi, Sharmila narrated Po’s story, and the children not only listened intently but also drew pangolins and wrote poems, enhancing their spoken English and artistic skills.
Additionally, creative play is a key part of our program. A memorable activity was making Chitty toys from a simple Corrugated Paper Toy designed by Corugami, which accompanies the Chitty storybook. As the children read about Chitty, they engaged in the toy-making activity, learning assembly and construction skills while fostering patience and perseverance. These activities combine education, creativity, and fun, providing a holistic learning experience for the children.
To accompany the story book Po tricks his foe we brought to the children hand made felt Pangolin toys specially made by a womens group in Jaipur – many of these kids have never seen a pangolin before and this was a delightful session for them.
A Do It Yourself corrugated paper toy was presented to the kids to explore the anatomy of Chitty the dog – where they learnt to assemble the toy piece by piece. Such craft activities complement the reading of the story book and create a memorable experience for the children.
In this edition of Vasudha, the kids at Awhwalwadi learned about bird identification through the book Birds of Pune by Kalpavriksh. The Vasudha team took the children to watch a community of Baya waver birds build their nests, improving their learning through visual aid. The kids enjoyed the interactive session, learning to distinguish the birds by size, colour, beak, feet and eyes.
At VASUDHA, Holi is more than just a festival of colors; it is an opportunity to spread love, joy, and happiness to as many children as possible. This year, we were thrilled to celebrate Holi with the kids at Ahwalwadi using the completely natural RANG DULAAR colors, lovingly made by their mothers for eCoexist.
The RANG DULAAR Holi colors, crafted from completely natural ingredients, ensured that our celebrations were not only vibrant and joyous but also safe for the environment and the children. These colors were sent to several underprivileged children around Pune, including those at Ahwalwadi, Maher Ashram, Vidya Jyoti School, and Nav Kshitij. This gesture extended the spirit of Holi beyond our immediate community, touching the lives of many more children and filling their day with color and happiness.
The children at the VASUDHA Nature Space in Ahwalwadi were enthralled by his demonstration and interaction, learning and experimenting with khadi, led by the passionate Madhavdada Sahasrabuddhe. Sri Madhav Sahasrabuddhe, one of the last few experts in khadi spinning who has been religiously practicing daily for decades, shared Gandhiji’s vision of each Indian learning to spin khadi.
His visit not only provided a hands-on learning experience but also inspired the children with stories of self-reliance and sustainability.
At VASUDHA, we introduced the children of Ahwalwadi to the vibrant rhythms of the djembe, a rope-tuned, skin-covered goblet drum from West Africa. This engaging drum circle session was beautifully conducted by Varun, who brought the magic of African drumming to life.
The children enthusiastically played the drums and sang “Moribayassa,” a traditional song, filling the air with joy and excitement. The session was an hour of smiles, cheerfulness, and the captivating sound of drums, providing a delightful and enriching experience for the kids.
Varun Venkit of TAAL Inc kindly led this session with the children.
To celebrate Earth Day, the children of our VASUDHA club at Ahwalwadi were taken on an enlightening visit to the Gorus Forest Farm, guided by Ashwin Paranjpe. For many of the children, this was their first glimpse into a forest, making it an incredibly memorable and impactful experience. During this visit, the kids were introduced to the principles of organic farming. They learned about sustainable farming practices and how they contribute to the health of the ecosystem. With Ashwin’s guidance, they identified various tree species, enhancing their knowledge of flora and appreciation for biodiversity. The children also experienced the forest environment firsthand and learned about the different types of food that forests provide, gaining an understanding of how to enjoy and respect nature’s bounty.
Additionally, the children explored the habitats of termites and other forest creatures, which led to discussions about food chains and the interdependence of different species within an ecosystem. Ashwin explained the concept of intercropping and its benefits for soil health and crop yield. The children learned about the typography and geography of the forest, understanding how natural landscapes influence farming and habitat formation.
This Earth Day celebration was made possible thanks to the generous contributions of our donors. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Ashwin Paranjpe for hosting us at the Gorus Forest Farm and for sharing his extensive knowledge with the children. The visit was not only educational but also deeply enriching, fostering a greater appreciation for nature among the children. It was a day filled with discovery, learning, and a newfound respect for the environment. Thank you to everyone who helped make this Earth Day celebration a success.
On Guru Purnima, the children of Awhalwadi visited the Vinoba Janmasthan Ashram in Gagode village to offer seva. They immersed themselves in learning how to plant rice, gaining hands-on experience in sustainable farming practices. Additionally, the children participated in communal cooking, working together to prepare meals, which fostered a strong sense of community and teamwork.
The day was further enriched with storytelling sessions about Vinoba Bhave and his vision of Sarvodaya, or universal uplift. Listening to tales of Bhave’s dedication to social justice and non-violence, the children were deeply inspired. They learned about his transformative initiatives, such as the Bhoodan movement, which aimed at achieving social equity and economic justice. This visit provided the children with valuable lessons in community service, sustainable living, and the importance of striving for social equity.
At J E Farms, children participated in an engaging event focused on teaching them how to care for the medicinal plants they received. The session included:
By the end of the event, children walked away with valuable knowledge and a deeper appreciation for the environment, excited to continue nurturing their plants at home.
Art is essential to learning. The Saturday Art Class is a group that conducts art sessions on Saturdays in several cities across India. They came to Pune to showcase their work and share their processes. The Vasudha kids spent an afternoon at Mona Lisa Kalagram, Pune to take a look at and create art with the SAC team that had come for this event. Alongside, some of the elder kids also had a chance to visit an ongoing art exhibit at the MonaLisa Kalagram Art Gallery and interact with professional artists there.
At the visit to the Vinoba ashram, the children were gifted packets of organic turmeric powder grown at the ashram. In the following session we discussed the medicinal properties of turmeric and simple ways they could include it into their daily diet uch as drinking milk with turmeric powder at night. We also used the turmeric powder to make art together so they could experience the beauty of the pigment.
Nikhil Desale is on of the older kids in Vasudha at Awhalwadi. He is a talented child with many different interests one of which is feather collection and identification. After the introduction to bird watching, Nikhil requested to conduct a session on feather identification for the other children. He explained the parts of the birds body and the differences in feather types. He introduced such as size, colour, texture as well as the way the feather falls to help identify which bird it has come from. Nikhil is a skilled artist and had made hand drawings of the feathers and birds to illustrate his session.
eCoexist has been working on the issues of pollution caused by the Ganesh festival for nearly 17 years. The main problem in this festival is that the materials used to make idols and decorations, when immersed in natural waters, cause a lot of pollution. For Ganesh Chaturthi in 2024, we conducted three sessions with the children to speak to them about materials and help them handle it to understand. Natural clay – shaadu maati – idols were made by the children.
After the idols had dried, the children were taught how to make natural paints using materials such as turmeric and red earth in the second session.
At the end of the Ganesh festival, in session three, the children conducted an eco friendly immersion and learnt about the possibilities of recycling clay through the Punaravartan campaign.
Additionally, a DIY session was conducted with paper Ganesh idols gifted to us by Sky Goodies. Children learnt how to assemble the idols from paper cutouts – each child could bring this idol home.
The Pune Maha Metro was launched recently and many of the Awhalwadi children had never experienced this form of public transport. We reached out to the Metro authorities to request for a session for the children to help them understand how the metro worked. We also requested the PARISAR team who works on sustainable transport to come and speak to the children about traffic and transport issues. The session was delightful as the children had the opportunity to see the city of Pune from above , something they had never experienced before.
On the occassion of Diwali, the women and children of Awhalwadi all gathered together in the temple to celebrate. The children made Rangoli designs using completely natural colours made with turmeric, indigo, and rice flour. Integrating art activity with cultural reference and team spirit and competition.
In November 2024, the state level elections of Maharashtra were being held. We took this occassion to explain governance to the children by holding mock elections. The children created three parties among themselves, with three leaders. The names of the parties were: Tigers Attitude ( TA), Kamal (K) and Bharatiya Janata Sahayak (BJS). They were asked to present their manifestos and campaign to the larger group. Secret ballot was held and the children voted one by one. It was interesting for us to observe how the kids identified themselves into groups – all the Zilla Parishad kids came together and were mainly concerned about issues such as cleanliness and child safety. The private school going kids gathered around issues such as dance classes for girls. All the boys in the group came together in a party but quickly disagreed on the leader. After the voting, the Zilla Parishad school kids won. They discussed how even though two of the partoies had exactly the same number of members , one of them won over the other in the final count. After the election, they also learned that even the losers had to step up and work alongside the final winner for the welfare of the larger community.
In the following session, the children had been asked to identify one issue of importance at the village level along with evidence of the problems. They came prepared to speak to one of the previous gram panchayat leaders, Smt Manda Satav, who explained to them how decisions are made at the Panchayat level. Issues chosen were : Potholes in roads and road safety, Overflowing sewage from drains and thirdly beggars and homeless people arriving in their village.
Play and physical activity are a very important part of helping children handle their abundant energy. We set aside time for play in each session, with games that improve team building and health competition. Physical fitness is also a benefit.
In the last week of November, we had a visitor from the USA- Craig Krishna Leek – is a 12 yr old child who was born with cerebral palsy. Krishna spoke to the children about his disability, inviting them to experience what it was like to walk with crutches, and understand the concept of balance of posture. He highlighted the lack of accessibility on Indian roads for the disabled and also gave them a short introduction to the American Disability Act. The children spoke about the need to be sensitive and inclusive to special needs.
In collaboration with the KEM Hospital, we hosted an Ayurvedic medical check up camp for the kids of Vasudha Awhalwadi. Dr Suvarna Khaladkar, Dr Thakur and Dr Mandlecha checked each child to gauge their health status. Common concerns included: poor digestion, respiratory issues due to the ongoing construction in the village, aneamia and focus issues. For this they were recommended activities such as pranayama and tratak, along with internal Ayurvedic medicines for all. 25 children benefited from this camp. Since Ayurvedic medicines are not easily accessible in the village, we need to help some of the families source them. We were also asked to install exercise and play equipment for the kids who have abundant energy and find it hard to focus.
In collaboration with the Rupa Rahul Bajaj Center for Environment and Arts ( RRBCEA) , Pune we took the children for a session on Trees and Medicinal Plants at the RRBCEA campus in the Empress Botanical Gardens. Here the children learnt about various medicinal plants, about butterfly feeder plants, other ground insects , about old growth trees etc. Following the tree walk, they participated in fun activities where they learnt about the classifcations of plants into trees, bushes and creepers and also used leaves to make art.
Nearly 30 students have been attending VASUDHA sessions at Awhalwadi. In the second year of our time with them, there is a sense of ease and familiarity in the group, and we can visibly see the difference our time with them has made. Sitting down one-on-one with parents, we also enquire into the physical and mental health of each child and how they express themselves at home. The idea is to go deeper with them this year, revisiting topics we had just introduced to them briefly and delving further into these. We will also bring in life skills such as handling savings, an introduction to computers, and understanding their own immediate environment in the village.
The children graded us teachers at Vasudha this session. They chose the criteria and decided our grade…when we assured them they could be free with their feedback they changed their minds…the delight in their grading was total!!
The idea of judging an elder was completely new to them.
The criteria they chose were the teachers personality, their attendance, whether they were understanding, whether they had good communication skills and finally of course simple- whether they were FUN to be with!
To gauge the impact of the VASUDHA sessions on the children we invited parents to come and speak to us one on one and discussed with them about the mental and physical health of the child. Aspirations of the child and the parents become clearer as well as we gain a deeper understanding of the family environment the child is growing up in . Often if both parents are breadwinners, the child does not get enough parental attention. Biases towards boys also emerge and we counsel the parents as best we can.
As we believe that training in self awareness is an equally important aspect of education, VASUDHA includes an exposure to traditional and indigenous philosophies. A trip to the Chinmaya Vibhuti ashram at Kolwan, Pune was an exposure to the work of the Chinmaya mission in reviving ancient Indian knowledge systems. The Swanubhuti Vatika introduces the idea of self reflection to the children through art and story telling.
An early morning visit to Vetal Tekdi was hosted for us by Ranjeet Rane – an avid bird enthusiast who has been fighting to protect the Vetal Tekdi and ARAI hills. The children watched and learnt how to identify 41 species of birds in real life. Close up photos taken by Nachiket Likhite helped instantly to show the kids up close what the bird looked like.
We need help to continue our work. Volunteers, sponsors, books (from Kalpavriksh), nature toys, and musicians are all welcome. Our VASUDHA club is growing, and we currently have 30 kids participating in two villages of Awhalwadi and Wagholi. Together, we can inspire the next generation to love, respect, and protect our planet.
For more information, contact us at 9049146644.
