Nihar Shanti Pathshala Funwala Expands Early Education Support to 100 Anganwadi Centres in Bahraich

Lucknow, February 25, 2026: Nihar Shanti Pathshala Funwala (NSPF), Marico’s education-focused CSR programme, in partnership with Sesame Workshop India, has expanded its early childhood education initiative to 100 Anganwadi centres in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh. Bahraich is identified as a NITI Aayog aspirational district with comparatively low early childhood education indicators.

The programme has reached over 1,700 children aged 3–6 years and focuses on strengthening Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN). It also supports Anganwadi workers, helpers and parents through structured training and community engagement.

According to the organisers, 100 Anganwadi workers, 100 helpers and 1,500 parents or caregivers have been enrolled so far. The initiative adopts play-based learning methods aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework 2022.

Key components of the programme include training for frontline workers, the use of teaching-learning materials through the Chalo! Sesame Street App, and deployment of Pico projectors to enable video-based learning in low-connectivity settings. Community participation is promoted through positive parenting sessions and Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) melas.

Amit Bhasin, Chief Legal Officer & Group Counsel and Secretary, CSR Committee, Marico Limited, said, “At Marico, we strongly believe that strong foundations in the early years are critical to shaping lifelong learning outcomes. Through Nihar Shanti Pathshala Funwala, our focus has been on building an ecosystem that empowers the people and spaces that are central to a thriving childhood. By aligning our efforts with government systems and supporting play-based learning in the early years, we aim to create lasting impact for children in underserved communities.”

As part of the initiative, Marico and Sesame Workshop India also hosted a multi-stakeholder convening titled Early Foundations, Bright Futures, bringing together officials from ICDS and SCERT to discuss Early Childhood Care and Education priorities.

NSPF is part of Marico’s broader education initiatives, which have previously supported government schools across Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Rajasthan, reaching over 12 lakh students and 62,500 teachers.