For the past two years, Bhumika has been running Support Centers for women and children in the bastis where the organization works. These Support Centers are open and accessible to everyone at any time. Women and adolescents visit these centers to discuss their personal and family-related concerns with counselors, seek guidance, and receive emotional support. Individual counseling as well as family counseling sessions are conducted based on the needs of the individuals. Wherever necessary, support is also facilitated through relevant service organizations and institutions to help address their issues effectively.
Along with counseling support, awareness programs on various social issues have been regularly organized in all the bastis. Adolescent boys and girls were formed into groups and provided training on life skills, social awareness, and personal development. Through these activities, we observed immense creativity and potential among the children and young people. This inspired us to spend more time nurturing their talents and to create dedicated spaces where they could learn, express themselves, and grow further.
As part of this initiative, this year Bhumika transformed two of its existing Support Centers into Multipurpose Learning Centers. These centers are open to everyone in the community. In addition to counseling support for women facing personal, family, or various forms of violence, the centers also serve as safe and welcoming spaces where women can spend time for themselves, free from daily responsibilities and pressures. The centers encourage women to engage in activities they enjoy, learn new skills, and focus on their own well-being.
Over the last two years, more than 100 women across four batches have completed tailoring training programs. However, many of them did not have access to sewing machines at home, which limited their ability to practice and continue earning through the skill they had learned. To support them, sewing machines have been installed at these centers so that women can continue practicing tailoring and use the skill as a source of livelihood and income generation.
Recognizing the interest many women showed toward education and reading, we also established a small library within the centers. The library includes storybooks, poetry, biographies of inspiring personalities, and books that encourage women to identify role models and draw inspiration from their life journeys. Counselors at the centers support women who wish to explore new subjects, develop new interests, or continue their learning journey. Some women also expressed a desire to learn basic reading, writing, and mobile phone usage. To support them, slates, notebooks, and learning materials have been made available, and the centers are also promoting basic digital literacy among women.
The Multipurpose Learning Center at NTR Nagar was inaugurated on April 10, and the center at Sabarmati Nagar was inaugurated on April 17. These centers operate daily from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Every evening, from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, children from different bastis visit the centers. These spaces are designed as child-friendly learning environments where children can explore and learn beyond their school curriculum.
To encourage joyful learning, the centers provide a variety of books in both Telugu and English, including storybooks, drawing books, mathematics and English grammar books, and biographies of great personalities. Children also participate in creative activities such as art and craft, drawing, painting, skits, role plays, singing, and storytelling. One of the most loved aspects of the centers is the opportunity to play games that stimulate thinking, creativity, and teamwork. Indoor games such as chess, ludo, brainvita, carroms, word-building games, and puzzles are available for children to enjoy.
To improve children’s digital skills, each center is equipped with two computers, and basic computer training is being provided. Awareness on social issues is promoted through short films, discussions, creative writing activities, and the celebration of important national and international days, helping children better understand their significance and relevance.
Malnutrition remains one of the major challenges affecting children in these communities. To address this issue, awareness programs on nutrition and health have been conducted, and healthy snacks such as peanut chikkis and bananas are being provided to children every evening at the centers.
By establishing these Multipurpose Learning Centers within the bastis, Bhumika aims to create safe, inclusive, and accessible spaces for women and children — spaces that support learning, creativity, emotional well-being, skill development, and community empowerment.
