How One Raigad Anganwadi Worker Is Changing Early Childhood Education, One Child At A Time

Navi Mumbai: What started as a childhood dream of becoming a teacher has grown into a mission to redefine early childhood education for Seema Prasad Gore, an Anganwadi worker from Chikkale village in Raigad district.

 Through innovative teaching methods, persistent community outreach and a commitment to making learning enjoyable, Gore has spent the past 11 years transforming her Anganwadi centre into a preferred choice for parents.

Every morning, after finishing household chores and caring for her children, Gore heads to the Anganwadi where she has served since her appointment more than a decade ago. Teaching, she says, has always been her passion. Even as a child, she would gather younger children around her and teach them lessons.

Winning the confidence of parents, however, was not easy. In the early years, many families were reluctant to enrol their children in the government-run Anganwadi and often shut their doors when Gore visited to explain the importance of early childhood education, nutrition and healthcare services. Refusing to give up, she continued visiting homes, gradually building trust and encouraging parents to send their children to the centre.

Inside the classroom, Gore replaced rote learning with activity-based teaching. She uses songs, actions, games and visual aids to introduce children to colours, numbers and basic vocabulary in Marathi, Hindi and English simultaneously. She believes exposing children to multiple languages from an early age strengthens comprehension and builds confidence.

Her efforts received a significant boost after joining Rocket Learning, a social impact organisation that equips Anganwadi workers with digital learning tools, structured lesson plans and academic support. The programme helped make classroom sessions more interactive and engaging while strengthening foundational learning among children.

Balancing work with family responsibilities has not always been easy, particularly as her husband spends nearly half of every month away for work. Yet Gore says financial independence has been one of the most rewarding aspects of her journey, enabling her to contribute to household expenses and take an equal role in family decision-making.

Looking ahead, Gore hopes to change long-held perceptions about government-run Anganwadis.

"I want the day to come when parents proudly say they want to send their child to an Anganwadi instead of an English-medium school," she said.

Her journey reflects how committed Anganwadi workers can transform early childhood education through perseverance, innovation and close engagement with their communities, ensuring that government-run centres become spaces where children learn, grow and thrive.

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