At an Anganwadi in Malwadi, Pune, a child named Prisha, known for her boundless energy and difficulty sitting still, now participates enthusiastically in her ECCE class. Her transformation moving from constant redirection to demonstrating a newfound love for learning reflects the profound impact of Madhi’s programs in tackling India’s foundational learning crisis. The urgency of this crisis is clear: the ASER 2018 report found that 73% of Std 3 students cannot read a Std 2 level text.
Madhi is dedicated to ensuring every child can acquire the foundational literacy and numeracy skills needed for their dreams. Their work is a catalytic partnership with Samagra Shiksha and the Tamil Nadu State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT), driving the state-led Ennum Ezhuthum Mission (launched 2021) with a vision to attain universal foundational skills for children in Std. 3 by 2025.
Meet the team
Madhi Foundation, on LinkedIn
Merlia Shaukath, CEO
Meenakshi Ramesh, Executive Director
Teaching Learning Material (TLM) & Training: Creating culturally relevant, skill-based materials and tech-enabled courses to improve teacher competencies.
Tracking & Targeted Communication: Collecting meaningful data for informed policy decisions and using advocacy efforts to raise awareness among stakeholders.
Tutoring at home & Technology: Empowering parents and creating simple, scalable tech tools.
VallamAI (Launched: 2025): This bilingual, AI-powered teacher-support application translates assessment and observation data into clear, classroom-ready prompts. Designed for low-resource contexts with offline features, it provides continuous coaching support to teachers, allowing them to focus on the learning process.
Veedum Vizhippum (Launched: 2022): Focused on parental and community engagement, this project builds awareness around foundational learning goals. It strengthens parental agency by equipping caregivers with the knowledge and mindsets to support their children's learning at home and advocate for their right to quality foundational education.
Sandbox Schools (Launched: 2021-proposed): Acting as incubation centers, these 5 model schools validate new pedagogical and administrative research before they are scaled. They feed valuable evidence back into the system through the Centre for Research and Innovation on Foundational Learning (CRIFL).
By focusing on primary education as the essential first step, Madhi is laying the foundation for a nation of independent readers, thinkers, and innovators.
