eCoexist started work in WAGHOLI in 2025 with the women of the village. Wagholi is a village that only recently got absorbed into the Pune Municipal Corporation. Being at the edges of such a large city, its residents are facing rapid urbanisation without the infrastructure required to manage this change. Water scarcity, lack of waste management systems, traffic chaos are some of their problems. The village also now receives many migrant workers who come to work on the several construction projects. The children of these migrant workers are mal nourished, do not fit easily into the local culture and educational system as well.
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 Wagholi kids ! Growing with love… with thanks to the support we recieve from all of you !
The VASUDHA song is a poem written Sri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and we start each class by singing it and discussing the values it encourages.
Meditation is a practise that forms the backbone of all Vasudha activities. Teaching the children to be still and to be comfortable with themselves is essential to helping them focus.
Through games and conversations, the children explore how to introduce themselves beyond names and school education. They try to identify what they like and why; they introduce their friends and siblings to the group.
The first batch of students that we started working with in Wagholi are from a residential area that is right next to the garbage dump in Wagoli – the size of which is almost big enough to be a landfill. Their proximity to the waste has affected the childrens health directly and we immediately observed symptoms in the children. Since Wagholi has only recently been included in the Pune Municipal Corporation it still does not have the infrastructure to manage waste. We will gradually introduce seggregation at source and teach children about composting and other sustainable waste management solutions.
Using paper mache puppets we introduced the children to some common birds of Pune. Discussing how to identfy birds through size, colour, bird calls and flight patterns we prepared them for their first outdoor Nature excursion the following weekend.
The Rupa Rahul Bajaj Center for Environment and Arts, hosted an exhibition titles People and Plants which introduced visitors to various plants in Pune region and their properties. Children learnt a lot about the topic through various exhibits and games that the RRBCEA team led them in. Additionally they went on a tree walk in the Empress Garden where they were told about old growth trees. Each child was asked to draw a speicifc leaf that picked up from the ground.
For kids who only know Indian music through loudspeakers DJs and YouTube.. we were delighted to host a session with Yashoda Joshi Yashoda Joshi …granddaughter of Bhimsen Joshi. She introduced them to his legacy told stories from the story book written by Mandar Karanjkar Mandar Karanjkar and Dakshayani Athalye Dakshayani Athalye founders of the Baithak Foundation.
Learning to focus, to listen, to recognize and filter sound..the kids also played with a harmonium and dholak that we carried for them.
While spoken English continues to be one of the major challenges that rural and semi urban populations face in education, it creates a pressure and a fear amongst children. To make it fun for the kids to learn English we introduce it with games play and storytelling.
Vasudha has been foccusing on the story books written and published by the Kalpavriksh Environment Action Group as study tools to teach the children English while at the same time introducing to them topics of Nature education. Po the Pangolin, written by author Sharmila Deo is all about a pangoli, an animal that not many children are familiar with but which is now on the endangered species list.
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. Together, we can inspire the next generation to love, respect, and protect our planet.
For more information, contact us at 9049146644.
