Samanta Foundation

Samanta Foundation is an education organisation that works with tribal, pastoral, rural and forest-dwelling communities. Its work is based on the forest peripheries of the Shivalik hills and Rajaji National Park and Tiger Reserve, including rehabilitation areas. It works in primary and middle schools, Anganwadi centres (AWCs) and community learning spaces. It works with children aged 3 to 14, their teachers and parents, and young people from the same communities. Its approach combines whole-school change with learning material written for the local context, including material in the Gojri language, and with training local youth to become leaders in their communities. The foundation aligns its work with five of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Major Areas of Work

• Whole school transformation: Working with primary and middle schools on teaching, learning resources and school culture.

• Early childhood and foundational learning: Supporting Anganwadi centres and learning spaces for children aged 3 to 14.

• Youth development and local leadership: Building a group of young people from forest-edge communities who can lead education work locally.

• Skill enhancement: Training, fellowship and internship opportunities for young women, youth and women from the community.

• Community and parent engagement: Involving parents and communities in children's schooling through regular meetings and events.

Major Initiatives and Programmes

• School Resource Centres: Resource centres set up inside partner schools, with structured learning kits for children to work through.

• Contextual learning material: Locally relevant books and handbooks for children and teachers, including a story book and workbook in Gojri.

• Youth fellowships and internships: Fellowship, training and internship placements for young people, with a focus on young women from the community.

• Holistic Education Fair: A community fair where children show their learning through projects and models.

• Sports meetups and parent-teacher meetings: Regular sports events for children and meetings that bring parents and teachers together.

Impact

Samanta Foundation states it works across 30 schools and 11 Anganwadi centres, reaching more than 4,000 children aged 3 to 14 and over 100 youth. Its own site cites more than 3,500 children completing learning kits, fellowship, training or internship opportunities for over 250 women along with young women from the community, and 45 training days for youth and children. It has produced 12 contextual learning books and 6 handbooks. Its partners include Mantra4Change and Aashiyana, and it has been incubated through EduMentum, a programme of the Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiative and Mantra4Change.

The foundation is a small team working directly in schools, Anganwadi centres and villages on the edges of protected forest areas, with communities that formal education systems often reach last. Staff work closely with teachers, children, parents and local youth, and help make the learning material used in classrooms. The work suits people who want field-based roles in education, who are comfortable in rural and forest-fringe settings, and who want to see how school change and community leadership develop together on the ground.