Bridging Educational and Nutritional Gaps through Maa Badi Centres in Tribal Rajasthan

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Project Details

Category: Education
Project Title: Strengthening of the Quality Education Program of Maa Badi Centres—Domains of Quality Education, Health and Hygiene of the Children
Department or District: Tribal Area Development Department & SWACH Project, Udaipur
State: Rajasthan
Start Date of the Project: 1st April 2010
Website: https://tad.rajasthan.gov.in/

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Tribe(s) that the Project Covers: The Maa Badi program covers Scheduled Tribes residing in the tribal belts of Rajasthan. These communities are often geographically isolated and socioeconomically disadvantaged.

Keywords: Tribal Education, SWACH, Nutrition, UNICEF, Community Participation, Capacity Building, Tribal Governance, Inclusive Education

Maa Badi Centres, a pioneering initiative by the Tribal Area Development Department of Rajasthan in collaboration with SWACH (Sanitation, Water and Community Health Project), aim to provide a holistic response to the twin challenges of poor educational access and undernutrition among tribal children. These community-driven, decentralized centres operate in remote tribal regions where children are often deprived of schooling due to distance, poverty, and social neglect. Designed to serve as both educational and day care institutions, these centres cater to children aged 6 to 12, ensuring they receive both foundational learning and two nutritious meals a day.

The Project

Implemented across 12 tribal districts of Rajasthan, the Maa Badi program is an inclusive educational model that integrates health, hygiene, and community participation. It provides full-day care, schooling, and meals to children while employing local youth as teachers and women as cooks. Originally focused on nutrition, the project has been enhanced with a strong education component, enabled through collaboration with UNICEF. Through structured training, supervision, and a child-centred curriculum aligned with state education standards, the project now ensures that children from remote tribal areas can transition smoothly into formal government schools.

Problems that it Intends to Solve

The project addresses multiple interlinked problems: lack of access to formal education for tribal children; absence of structured early education; high rates of seasonal migration among families, leading to disrupted schooling; and malnutrition. It also responds to the scarcity of trained teachers in remote areas and the limited participation of tribal communities in formal education structures.

What was the Need

The need for the Maa Badi program arose from persistent educational inequities faced by tribal communities in Rajasthan. Children had to either travel long distances to school or forego education altogether. Parents working as daily wage laborers could not ensure regular schooling for their children. There was also a critical need for integrating health and hygiene practices, along with providing safe environments where children could learn and grow.

What Hindered its Introduction

Key hindrances included community apathy toward education, logistical difficulties in reaching remote villages, and lack of trained personnel. Initial government interventions focused heavily on nutrition, neglecting educational quality. Furthermore, the absence of community participation mechanisms limited the sustainability of earlier efforts.

Process Followed for Implementation

The Tribal Area Development Department designed and funded the initiative. It appointed officers at multiple levels—Project Managers, Officers, and Coordinators—to oversee implementation. Policy direction, funding, and administrative support were ensured by the state.

SWACH, the NGO wing of TAD, was tasked with executing the project. It coordinated with UNICEF to undertake a social assessment and develop a two-year roadmap. SWACH designed training modules, conducted teacher training, and developed supportive materials and supervision frameworks.

Community participation lies at the heart of Maa Badi. Village Development Societies were established to govern each centre. These societies identified teachers and selected mothers of beneficiary children to serve as cooks on a rotational basis. Community ownership has ensured continuity and cultural relevance.

Solutions Implemented

The project introduced comprehensive reforms including structured teacher training based on child-centred pedagogy, local-language teaching materials, observation tools for supervision, and a Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) framework. Full-day daycare centres offered meals, education, hygiene routines, and play activities. Sector meetings were institutionalized as platforms for academic discussion and review.

Details of the Coverage of the implementation

The initiative spans 2593 centres across 12 districts—Udaipur, Dungarpur, Banswara, Pratapgarh, Baran, Sirohi, Jaipur, Tonk, Pali, Rajsamand, Chittorgarh, and Dausa. Each centre enrolls about 30 children and employs one teacher and two cooks. Over 78,000 children are beneficiaries, and an equal number of women participate as support cooks. Around 3,500 teachers from local tribal communities have been employed.

Innovation and Unique Features

The project is a rare example of decentralized, community-led governance in education. It integrates nutrition, education, and hygiene in a single model. Teachers are sourced locally, enhancing cultural sensitivity and sustainability. With the inclusion of mothers as cooks, the model offers both social and financial inclusion. Furthermore, the convergence with UNICEF and the state education department ensures academic rigour and smooth transition to formal schooling.

Capacity building was prioritized through structured training and regular sectoral reviews. Although not tech-intensive, the program emphasized human resource development and culturally grounded methods using local language materials and indigenous teachers.

Village committees comprising tribal elders and members oversee centre management. They select teachers and decide on daily operations, making the program a reflection of tribal ownership and collective wisdom.

Initially centred on nutrition, the project expanded to prioritize education. The shift was informed by stakeholder consultations and social assessments. The structure of sector meetings and training modules was adapted based on field experiences.

Challenges Faced Before Implementation

• Limited capacity of teachers and officers, absence of structured teaching methodologies, and lack of pedagogical materials.
• Poor infrastructure, seasonal migration, resistance from the community, and inaccessibility of locations.
• Collaborations with UNICEF, extensive community engagement, creation of localized training modules, and establishment of village committees helped mitigate these challenges.

Challenges Faced During Implementation

• Maintaining quality across a large number of centres and ensuring consistency in training delivery.
• Geographical barriers, linguistic diversity, and fluctuating community interest.
• Frequent sector meetings, feedback loops, and sustained hand-holding support from project officers and coordinators helped in addressing these issues.

Outcomes

2,593 centres have been established, benefitting 78,000 children. 3,500 teachers have been employed, and 78,000 women have participated as cooks. Transition to government schools has improved significantly.

Improved learning outcomes, enhanced community ownership, better nutrition and hygiene, and increased self-esteem among teachers and cooks. The model has created a positive environment for child development and parental involvement.

Monitoring is achieved through monthly sector meetings, teacher performance reviews, and field-level coordination. Observation tools and reporting formats guide evaluation.

Primary beneficiaries are 78,000 children aged 6 to 12 years. Secondary beneficiaries include their mothers (as cooks) and local youth (as teachers), leading to comprehensive community upliftment.

Replicability / Scalability / Sustainability

• The model aligns with the Tribal Development Framework and the Right to Education. It is embedded within the state’s tribal development strategy.
• Funded through the TAD Department and supported by SWACH, the program utilizes local manpower and cost-effective materials, ensuring sustainability.
• Initially piloted with 155 centres, the project scaled up to 2,593 centres, proving its scalability. The model is fully replicable in other tribal and marginalized contexts.

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