Anganwadi Leadership Workshop held in Keyi Panyor

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Yachuli, 11 June : In one of the largest district-wide gatherings of frontline childcare workers in Keyi Panyor’s history, 113 Anganwadi Workers representing 118 Anganwadi Centres participated in a District Anganwadi Workers Leadership and Capacity Building Workshop held at Government Higher Secondary School, Yachuli, on Thursday.

The workshop was organised under the Comprehensive Action Plan for Education (CAPE), a flagship initiative of the Keyi Panyor Mission Plan 2040 (KPMP 2040). With nearly 96 percent participation and almost 99 percent women participants, the event highlighted the crucial role of Anganwadi workers in strengthening early childhood care and development across the district.

Anganwadi workers from six educational clusters Param Putu, Yachuli, Yazali, Pitapool, Deed and Pistana attended the programme, which was spearheaded by MLA Toko Tatung of the 16-Yachuli Assembly Constituency. The workshop focused on transforming Anganwadis into centres of learning, care, community participation and universal enrolment.

The programme was attended by the Zilla Parishad Chairperson, Zilla Parishad Members, Gram Panchayat Chairpersons (GPCs), officials of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Department and members of the CAPE Core Team. Participants were welcomed by Keyi Panyor CDPO Taba Anu, while the vision and objectives of CAPE and KPMP 2040 were presented by Vijayan MJ, CEO of CAPE and KPMP 2040.

Built around the theme “Every Anganwadi a Centre of Hope, Learning and Community Leadership” and the campaign slogan “Our Anganwadi, Our Pride,” the workshop adopted an interactive approach aimed at encouraging Anganwadi workers to view their centres as institutions of learning and community leadership rather than merely nutrition delivery points.

A major highlight of the workshop was a role-reversal exercise in which participants assumed the roles of Panchayat leaders, administrators, parents and community decision-makers. Through this exercise, workers discussed priorities for strengthening Anganwadis and emphasised the need for improved infrastructure, nutrition support, accountability and child-centred development.

The CAPE training team, led by Mujahid Nafees and assisted by Evita Das, Mitra Ranjan and Rajeev Ranjan, facilitated discussions on three key priorities: making Anganwadis centres of trust and community ownership, creating vibrant spaces for early learning and ensuring 100 percent enrolment, attendance and retention of eligible children. The training module was developed by Right to Education activist Dr Anil Roy, while Aneil Deepak, CEO of Ekluvya, also supported the programme.

Participants worked in groups to prepare village-level action plans focusing on child mapping, parent engagement, enrolment drives, nutrition monitoring and community participation. Workers also shared concerns related to infrastructure, logistical support and departmental coordination, which organisers said would be incorporated into future planning under KPMP 2040.

Addressing the gathering, MLA Toko Tatung reiterated his commitment to strengthening the Anganwadi ecosystem in the district and making Keyi Panyor a model for early childhood development.

“Arunachal is the first place where we see the rays of the sun and from here it moves to the rest of the country. The Anganwadi should be that and I am there at each step. Most of the issues stated are logistical and consider that in my term the work has already started. But this is not about electoral politics. You are like the pillars of our house without which there is no education. I dream and want to see the Anganwadi of Keyi Panyor become the model not in Arunachal but an example to be referred to in South Asia,” he said.

The MLA also announced a district-wide Anganwadi Excellence Initiative, under which all six clusters will identify and nurture high-performing centres. Outstanding Anganwadi workers and centres will be recognised and supported through exposure visits and learning opportunities.

The workshop concluded with participants signing CAPE Commitment Cards, pledging to work towards universal enrolment, improved attendance, stronger parent engagement, enhanced nutrition monitoring and better quality of learning and child development.

In her valedictory address, CDPO Taba Anu appreciated the dedication of the Anganwadi workforce and called for continued collaboration among communities, institutions and frontline workers to ensure every child receives adequate care, nutrition and educational support.

The event reinforced a key message of the CAPE initiative: “Education does not begin in schools. It begins in Anganwadis.”