We are only just now beginning to understand the magnitude of the impact of the pandemic and subsequent closure of schools in India, on our children, with stark learning losses, increases in mental health and behavioral issues, and spikes in school dropout rates.

Ambuja Manovikas Kendra, Ambuja Foundation’s school for differently abled children in Ropar, Punjab bagged the 23rd Punjab State Special Olympics Overall Championship Trophy yet again. AMK athletes secured 21 Gold Medals, 9 Silver Medals & 1 Bronze Medal in different sports event.

At just 18 years of age, Beant is no stranger to social work. She got her first taste of it at the age of 11 as an Adolescent Peer Educator, and was hooked! As the primary driver of Ambuja Foundation’s Women Empowerment Programme in her community, Beant is a busy teen – juggling social work duties, studies in Tally, household chores and of course – all important time with friends!

Bhendvi is a multi-language, tribal village on the border of Maharashtra and sits close to the border of Telegana, where people speak one or two of five different languages. As a result, school numbers are low, with many children finding the language of instruction, Marathi, difficult.

Walk into rural government schools, and you will often find a number of the teachers ‘absent’ from the classroom. In fact, according to Pratham’s ASER study, before the pandemic, approximately 30%, or roughly one in three teachers, were found to be absent on any given day in rural areas. The cost of this? Teacher absence in India in 2019-20 cost the country approximately Rs. 333.97 billion (USD 4.6 billion)*. However, the cost to children is much higher - the loss of their education and future potential.

The inspiring stories of Ambuja Foundation’s beneficiaries have been captured in a stunning coffee table book format – highlighting their perseverance and ‘unstoppable’ drive in pursuing their livelihoods and passions.

Many of us assume that higher classes and board examinations are the only critical parts of a child’s education journey. However, this assumption couldn’t be further from the truth. It is the early school years, between the ages 3-8 years, which are the most important, as this is where core foundational skills such as ‘reading’ are developed – and without them firmly in place, children flounder as they progress through school.

When COVID-19 closed the doors of his classroom in 2020, Giridhar Panghate hadto think outside the box to reach, and teach, his students. What started as a WhatsApp group of 3-4 students, swelled to 6000 students on Zoom, when Giridhar tried his hand at making educational videos and lvie streaming in classes.

When the lockdown of 2020 was relaxed and support staff returned to the AMK campus, they found it in complete disarray. The 2.8 acre campus and sprawling gardens were a mess – a far cry from the clean, manicured gardens AMK usually sports.