To promote holistic development of children through experiencing learning and by using ICT as enabler to have better learning outcome.
Integrated Village Development by providing knowledge, electronic and economic connectivity including skilling youth to make them equipped with skills for better livelihoods.
Sustainable and affordable healthcare by educating communities on healthy foods with nutritional values for eradication of issues like malnutrition and anaemia.
Child Education
Presently more than 2.7 million children are enrolled in Ekal Vidyalayas in remote and tribal India and some parts of Nepal. The Vidyalaya works as a sole learning avenue as well as supports education opportunities for children in remote villages. In different areas with rough terrain, Ekal Vidyalaya is the only available option for children in those areas, and where formal government schools are available, Ekal Vidyalaya works as a conduit of support where education post regular school gives better learning outcome and holistic development.
Village Development
Village development is an important aspect of Ekal Model as it ensures and provides integrated and holistic development solutions to village communities. It primarily led by Gramothan Resource Centres (GRCs), Skill Development Centres and special projects for Integrated Village Development. The key activities are training and capacity building of farmers on sustainable agriculture, skill development of rural youth, promoting rural innovations and promoting women participation in productive working linked with income generation programs.
ICT and Digital Skills
This is one of the most critical components of promoting technology for better livelihood opportunities and better learning outcomes. This one component is to promote ICT among children in Ekal Vidyalaya for more interactive learning without compromising on experiencing learning. This is carried out as part of Digital EKAL under Ekal E – Shiksha where in tabs loaded with content are provided to each school. The other key initiative is Ekal-on-Wheel, a mobile IT lab, which will reach at the doorstep of rural and tribal youth to train them on Digital Skills.
Healthcare
Healthcare at Ekal does not only mean providing medicines and medical consulting but also to make interventions that promote better health through a better lifestyle while consuming nutritional food. Ekal Healthcare has driven many path-breaking initiatives in eradicating malnutrition and anemia. In recent years, a new initiative has been taken up to connect the rural community with a competent doctor in a metro city to provide online consulting. This initiative is creating a bridge between communities in remote areas and quality healthcare.
Ekal is a story of Dreamers, Believers and Doers with the commitment and passion to serve communities to make a better world based on the principles of equality and inclusiveness.
Ekal is driven and owned by volunteers which makes it one of its kind models for promoting holistic and integrated village development. Ekal is driven by the spirit of volunteering, promoting experiential learning, creating sustainable livelihoods in the remote areas, ensuring social harmony, promoting equality, adopting technology as an enabler and promoting innovations at the grassroots.
Ekal is a story of Dreamers, Believers and Doers with the commitment and passion to serve communities to make a better world based on the principles of equality and inclusiveness.
Ekal is driven and owned by volunteers which makes it one of its kind models for promoting holistic and integrated village development. Ekal is driven by the spirit of volunteering, promoting experiential learning, creating sustainable livelihoods in the remote areas, ensuring social harmony, promoting equality, adopting technology as an enabler and promoting innovations at the grassroots.
Vision:
To facilitate the process of empowering rural and tribal communities based on the concept of social, economic and gender equality.
Mission:
- Holistic development of villages through empowerment of tribal (vanvasi) and rural communities
- Digital literacy, Skill development for Tribal and Rural Youth with special focus on rural and tribal women
- Health Care by promoting better lifestyles, nutritional foods and providing connectivity for health care through tele-medicines
- Promoting sustainable and natural agriculture
- Promoting rural innovation and entrepreneurship
Ekal efforts at grassroots with the consistency of more than three decades have created many pathbreaking success stories. This has accelerated the process of inclusive development and helps to improve the quality of life of the last men in the row i.e. at bottom of the pyramid.
Ekal holistic approach is the driving force of change at the remotest part of Tribal and Rural India
Ekal model is a well-tested model for complete linking of pedagogical practice of activity-based learning, method of instructions and learning outcome. The model is an outcome of continuous engagement with children in remotest parts of India and has evolved over years of continuous working. Informal methods of learning, the teacher drives the learning curve whereas in activity-based learning a child learns through experience and the teacher’s role is as a facilitator. This is in line with what Swami Vivekananda said, “Education is the manifestation of the perfection already present in Men”.
Ekal Pedagogy is all about encouraging kids to get involved in different activities and thereby learn through experience. This has led to better learning outcomes and has equipped children with practical skills like problem-solving, critical thinking and creativity. Ekal Pedagogy is all about experiencing learning in an open environment without valves in the lap of nature.
