Every morning in Moraiya's industrial belt, thousands of labourers leave for construction sites and factory floors. For families who move frequently in search of work, early education often becomes the first casualty. Children miss out on the most formative years of learning, and many never fully enter the schooling system.
To address this gap, a new Early Childhood Development Care and Education (ECDCE) Centre has opened at Kesar City in Moraiya village, offering children between the ages of 3 and 6 a structured space for learning, nutrition, and care. The initiative is a collaboration between the Dawoodi Bohra community's Project Rise and Delhi-based nonprofit Deepalaya.
Inside the classrooms, the focus is simple but critical. Children are introduced to basic learning through play, guided activities, and social interaction, while also receiving daily nutritious meals and regular health check-ups. For many, this is their first consistent experience of a classroom environment.
The launch of the new centre was attended by Ms. Yamini Pandya, Former Assistant Principal Commissioner of Municipal Corporation, Vadodara, and former programme officer at ICDS.
"The early years determine whether a child stays on a learning path or falls behind. For children of migrant workers, continuity is the biggest challenge. What this centre provides is not only education, but stability."
— Dr. K. C. George, Chief Executive, Deepalaya
Fakhruddin Jadliwala, a member of the Dawoodi Bohra community in Ahmedabad, said the location was chosen with care: "Moraiya was identified as a priority location due to the concentration of migrant labour families and the absence of structured early learning facilities. This initiative is designed as a holistic intervention. Based on outcomes from Moraiya, similar centres will be considered in other high-migrant clusters where early childhood access remains limited."
The initiative builds on an earlier centre run by the same partnership in Sanjay Colony, New Delhi, where over 300 children have received early learning support. The Moraiya centre adapts that model to Gujarat's industrial workforce, where clusters of migrant families often remain outside the reach of formal early education systems.
Members of the Dawoodi Bohra community in Ahmedabad will support the centre through regular engagement with educators, medical professionals, and volunteers contributing to learning activities and health awareness.
For parents, the impact is immediate. With a safe and structured environment for their children, they are able to work with greater assurance. For the children, it marks the beginning of routine, interaction, and early learning.
The centre will function alongside local Anganwadi services under the Government of India's Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme, complementing existing public infrastructure. The initiative also supports efforts to expand early childhood education access for girls under the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao programme.
