MUSKAAN KINDERGARTEN

Founded and Run by Reality Gives, the Muskaan Kindergarten was the beginning of bringing the original Reality Gives vision to life. It was set up to provide a direct solution to a specific problem identified by residents of Dharavi: The need for quality education for all children regardless of their background or wealth.

Muskaan Kindergarten focuses on the quality of the education provided and uses the teaching methods of Muktangan, an esteemed, non-profit educational organisation in Mumbai. The Muktangan educational model allows the children to be creative and make choices for themselves, teaching them to think independently and not to have decisions forced upon them.

The Muktangan approach has been very successful and offers a genuinely sustainable approach to low-cost, high-quality education for the economically deprived sections of society. The method has similarities to the Montessori, Piaget and Steiner models, but also stresses the importance of the family and community in the development of the child. To find out more, go to www.muktanganedu.org

The Muskaan Kingergarten currently has 60 students aged 2 to 6 years at 3 levels (nursery/ Senior KG/ Junior KG) and, following the Muktangan model, the Muskaan teachers themselves come from the local Dharavi community. The development of our teachers is as important as the children’s. Training and continual support for the teachers is essential for the school's success and several hours daily are dedicated to this, including one hour of English tuition.