Launched in 2022 by Action Education, the "Ensuring Quality Education" project aims to improve the quality of education in state schools. The aim of the project is to foster an enjoyable educational environment through continuous, constructive and creative engagement between children, teachers and parents. Supported by the Grasim Jana Seva Trust, the project is underway in 20 villages in the Ujjain district of Madhya Pradesh. The initiative covers 12 Panchayats (municipal councils), 25 Anganwadis (early learning centres), 20 primary schools, 13 lower secondary schools and 4 upper secondary schools.
This story takes place in the village of Nipaniya, located in the Nagda block in the Ujjain district of Madhya Pradesh. About 9 kilometres from Nagda, Nipaniya is home to 144 families, or about 750 people, the majority of whom belong to the Gurjar community. Mana Bai, from a financially modest family, is illiterate and works in agriculture alongside her husband. They have four children: three girls and a boy.
In 2022, when Sapna Sen was appointed as an education volunteer under the "Ensuring Quality Education" project, she began talking to parents in the village. During one of these meetings, Mana Bai was informed about the Anand Ghar initiative, a space within the school for the social and mental development of pupils. Initially sceptical, Mana Bai felt that the supervision of public schools was the responsibility of the government.
However, her perspective changed when she went to Anand Ghar to drop off her daughter. Seeing other women from the village taking part in various activities, and finding out about the existence of a mothers' committee made up of 15 women, Mana Bai became interested. Intrigued by the committee's objective, and after being encouraged by Sapna Sen, she began to take part in Anand Ghar's activities while continuing her household chores.
Little by little, Mana Bai overcame her initial reluctance to learn, breaking the prejudice that age was an obstacle to education. Encouraged by Sapna Sen, she began teaching children in her mother tongue, Malvi, and eventually learned to recognise letters, vowels and write her name. With growing confidence, Mana Bai became an active member of the mothers' committee, taking part in discussions and activities.
Today, Mana Bai no longer limits herself to teaching children what she has learnt; she is also continuing her own education. She passes on her knowledge of months in Hindi, days in Malvi, and basic arithmetic operations using her fingers. Her enthusiasm for learning is evident from her active participation in all Anand Ghar's programmes and activities, including the bal sansad (children's parliament) meetings held every Saturday.
Mana Bai's transformation embodies the journey of an entire community towards educational change, demonstrating that the possibilities are infinite for those who dare to go beyond their limits.
