Anbagam III :

Anbagam III: Crèche in Katchur

Anbagam III, Share and Care’s third crèche or day care centre, was started in 1998 in Katchur. It responds to the need for poor working mothers of backward castes or scheduled tribes to place their small children in a safe environment for the day. Because they usually work as seasonal labourers, their income is very low, and the children are undernourished and frequently neglected. At Anbagam III the babies and children receive health care, nutritious food, pre-school education, and lots of love.

Originally ten women entrusted their babies to Share and Care, but with the positive results, the crèche now cares for almost sixty children. This increase in numbers also indicates a shift in attitude among the villagers about development and the importance of education.

Every day the children receive a nutrition-packed lunch, and any medical needs are attended to. The older children do a basic pre-school education programme, learning rhymes, songs, the alphabet, numbers and colours. They play and rest, and by the time they leave the crèche at five or six years old, they are ready to enter the same school as more advantaged children.

Anbagam III has had a very positive effect on the local communities. Because the mothers know that their children are being well taken care of, they are able to be more relaxed when they return home from work, and family life is more stable. The mothers are grateful for the pre-school education, and for the increased possibility that their children will survive in good health, with brighter prospects for their future.