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.
Manisha Sheth
Mayuri Kumbhar
Suvarna Kadre
Lego Serious Play: Manali Mitra
Sangam Taares: Suzanne Turnbull
/ Susie Williams
As we entered Year 3 of the VASUDHA program at Awhalwadi we are able to gauge the increasing awareness among our children both to their inner worlds as well as sensitivity to the external Natural Environment . On an average 25 children are still in attendance while there is some turnover of participants. For Year 3, we will be taking them deeper into topics of wildlife conservation, green livelihoods and self awareness.
A book and toy library has been planned and donations of furniture and books are coming in. Visits to sacred grovers, overnight outdoor camps and study tours to understand green industry are also being planned for this year.
A review of the year that passed also including an assessment by the children of the content of the VASUDHA program.
The categories of activities we did with them included Trips, Lectures, Art and Crafts, Games, Book reading, Celebrations , Music and Dance.
The syllabus we create for the children has a broad outline , however we allow the children to have a say in what they would like to learn. As requests arise from them we adjust the sessions to serve these requests and find that their levels of engagement increase when they see that their opinions matter.
To gauge the impact of the VASUDHA sessions we made visit to the childrens homes to sit down with their parents and discuss our observations and take their feedback.These visits allow us to get a deeper understanding of the childrens home environment and what may be affecting their mental states. Most parents appreciated the program and have chosen to continue with it.
Nisarganaad was a wildlife photography exhibition celebrating the rich biodiversity of Pune district. This collection of photos illustrated the existent biodiversity in the city even in the face of rampant and unplanned urban developments. Learning that these insects birds and mammals live IN PUNE CITY alongside human beings made the children appreciate that human habitat is shared with other species. Photographer and wildlife expert Swapnil Thatte and his team hostedthe children beautifully explaining the details of each species to them with great patience. The kids were asked to choose one specie and study it further on their own through research and art.
To develop the patience and interest in close observation we made the children read the book – THERES NOTHING THERE by Karunya Baskar et al.
IN this delightful book a little girl is completely fascinated by the natural world around her. As she hops ans skips alongside her mother she is constantly distracted by so many species of insects birds and trees that she sees !
The Sangam Girl Guides World Center sent us two foreign volunteers as part of their TARE programme. They were with us for eight weeks and led the children in various activities such as computer skills, Spoken English, physical play activities and building basic science tools such as solar energy concentrators, wind turbines, telephones etc.
The NGO Jeevitnadi which has been working on issues of river conservation visited Awhalwadi to take the children to the Mula Mutha river side at the neighbouring village Manjari Khurd.
The children were told about how a river is formed, about the significance of a river for human settlement, about the biodiversity a river supports and also about the need to keep it clean.
Manali Mitra and her team visited Vasudha to lead the children in LEGO Serious Play – an activity that allows the children to express their inner emotions and concerns while playing with Lego modules. They are asked to build with the modules in response to targeted questions that reveal their inner world.
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To continue the conversation on waste management, we requested the Swach team to come and speak to the children about types of waste and understanding segregation. Looking at each material and whether or not it can be reused, the children also did a visualisation of a natural landscape in its pristine state and then with waste strewn all over.
A session on Waste seggregation involved household waste that the children brought from home and a detailed audit, where each material was discussed. The children saw how plastics made up the bulk of the waste they had brought. They also understood how composite man made materials pose a challenge to separation. We discussed the need for Reuse and Reduce at source as well as the possibilties of recycling various materials.
Over three sessions, students explored the water cycle through systems thinking, art, group work, and hands-on activities. They mapped how water moves through their surroundings and began asking deeper questions—like where road water goes. The sessions were facilitated by Dr. Chhavi Mathur, Founder of Curious About Water.
In the interaction with larger mammals children may experience a mixture of emotions such as fear apprehension or awe. Gauram Rampal of the HOrseman Way led a session with the horses at the Yerawada stud farm in Pune where the children had the opportunity to closely interact with the horses in a safe environment. Learning how to communicate verbally and non verbally, experiencing the power of the horse and the emotions that arise within themselves was the highlight of this event. The children were asked to lead the horses in a short walk and recognise how the horse responded to their own inner states.
To sensitise children to the need for incusion and disability awareness, we took them to watch the feature film Sitaare Zamein Par by Aaamir Khan on the topic. In a fun and entertaining way the kids understood that each one of us is unique – not less or more than the other. They laughed and cried and the film left a deep impression on them. It is our hope that gradually we can gather children with special needs in the village to also join us at the Vasudha sessions. The kids are aware of specials needs as they either have such children in their own families or in their neighbourhood .
In the spirit of the film we had just seen, we bought them basketballs to start playing with and encouraged the girls to get as involved as the boys.
We are hoping to install a basketball hoop close to our class so that the children staying nearby can play whenever possible .
As physical fitness is an integral part of the childs development we organised a visit to the Kaivalyadham Yoga Institute for the children of VASUDHA. Here they were introduced to the basics of yoga , to the legacy of Sw Kuvalyananda and to the importance of meditation.
Festivals provide opportunities for the children to practise their creativity by making things used in the ritual. For Rakshabandhan , we spent time with them making rakhis – in any such handicraft actiivity discussions ensue about materials and their lifespans. The pros and cons of using wooden beards rather than plastics, the materials threads are made of etc. By making these products with their own hands the children come to appreciate the labour involved and hence are able to valeu them more.
The POOP Book is a delightful story book by the Kalpavriksh Environment Action Group that was read with the children to appreciate the role faeces plays in the ecosystem and how different animals use it to mark territory, to deflect insects and to mark scents.
Story telling is a way to introduce spoken English in a fun activity.
SOIL as an element was introduced to the children through various sessions as follows:
The session at RRBCEA including fun activities such as sculpting various food items out of soils so that the children have a tactile experience of playing with muds. See the laddoos they made using soils and seeds only !!
In Year 3 we are planning to introduce the children to hand work where they will see how sustainable crafts and enterprises can create income without damaging the natural environment. As a preparation for this we took them to visit the Dastakaari Haat Exhibition in Pune, where they were able to see and study a wide range of handicraft and interact with the artisans. This gave them a glimpse into alternative career options, into the beauty of arts and crafts and also understanding of how natural materials can fulfill many human functions.
Led by insect expert Varad Bansod, the children took a walk in the morning to look for and study insects at the campus of the Maharashtriya Mandal Nature Education organisation. They saw a variety of insects from ants, to butterflies, caterpillars, wasps, bees and spiders. They understood the basic anatomy of the insect family. And learned to use basic entomology tools such as magnifying glasses. They were told about the immense diversity and subsets within each species. They learned about food habits, prey – predator and how insects build shelters.
Continuing their study of biodiversity and ecosystems we took the children to visit the Rahal forest which is being restored and conserved by the Adhiwas Foundation at Shirkoli near the Panshet catchment. The children were able to see a forest ecsystem and were introduced to several species of trees. They were told about the difference between trees, creepers, bushes etc. The WEB OF LIFE game was played for them to see the interconnection between all life forms, and a demonstration of soil erosion explained to them how forests help conserve soil and water. They heard several bird calls and saw a Changeable Hawk Eagle perched from afar. They also saw a Cat snake up close and were explained its behaviour . They saw how a thatch hut can be constructed using only local materials.
Dakshata Parab from the Poornam Ecovision team, led a hands on session on how to make compost from food waste in a small jar at home. Starting with layers of coconut husk, ready compost, soil and topped with food waste she covered it with a little more soil. She spoke about how microbes multiply with the culture of the ready compost and explained the dos and donts of compost making at home. She introduced the children to aspects of composting such as fungus and smell.
To onserve the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, we took the children to the vinoba Janmasthan ashram in Gagode to offer shram seva and help the community there to harvest turmeric. In a span of two hours the group harvested enarly 100 kg of turmeric tubers. The activity taught them about the turmeric plant and gave them a sensory experience of harvesting it by hand.
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.
To onserve the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, we took the children to the vinoba Janmasthan ashram in Gagode to offer shram seva and help the community there to harvest turmeric. In a span of two hours the group harvested enarly 100 kg of turmeric tubers. The activity taught them about the turmeric plant and gave them a sensory experience of harvesting it by hand.
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.
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.
