Ananda Bharathi started functioning on the 25th of June 1989 in a veranda of the Y.M.C.A, Tarnaka, Secunderabad by Janaki Iyer# and Bhagyalakshmi. After a door-to-door survey of the hutments in and around Tarnaka, the prospective girl students were identified and a beginning was made with six girls. Support came from well wishers and friends.
Janaki Iyer was the co-founder and spirit of Ananda Bharathi. Please read more about our late founder - Remembering Ja.
In 1991 Ananda Bharathi became a registered society and in June of the same year CRY (Child Relief and You) came forward to fund the effort. This gave us financial stability and helped us to set up the essential infrastructure.
As time went by, we found that some of the girls wanted to join the mainstream, despite their difficulties as first generation learners. We started sending our children as private candidates for the 7th class public examination. We have also been admitting some of them to the Residential Schools run by the Social Welfare Department (in class 6 or 8) and other Government schools in the city.
We continue our association with these students by way of academic help and career guidance. They have been doing well - in extra-curricular activities as well as academics, securing first class in the SSC public examinations. Those who are unable to pursue formal education, stay with us as long as they can. We have come to believe that, when they leave us, many of them are better equipped for life than they were earlier.
Features
Friendly, non-competitive and peaceful atmosphere at the school
Innovative teaching methods and child oriented practices
Children learning at their own pace, receiving individual attention
Emphasis on developing learning skills
Focus on vocational skills along with subject learning
Games, dramatics, songs, drawing and painting add colour to the day-to-day routine
Runs only in the afternoon to suit the children’s working hours
Telugu is the medium of instruction. English and Hindi are also taught. Girls are encouraged to appear for examinations conducted by the Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha
Interaction with parents is given due importance. Teachers visit homes on a regular basis
Use of the neighbourhood to develop study and social skills in our pupils
Formal state syllabus is followed from class III onwards, selectively
Activities
Simple experiments with inexpensive material to strengthen the basic concepts.
Study of current events such as Elections, War and Visits of celebrities to India
Study of natural phenomena like earthquake and eclipse which also help to counter superstitious beliefs
Days of national importance such as Independence Day are celebrated with talks, discussions and relevant activities
Field trips to places like Golconda Fort, the Science museum, the Zoo, the Railway Station, the Post office and the Planetarium as an integral part of learning.
Discussions on social issues relevant to their lives which help the children to share their problems, think together and find solutions
Reading out stories, the most enjoyable group activity helps the children to get interested in books. Stories include “Komaram Bheem” (the tribal hero who fought the British), Helen Keller and ”Samudra Theera Gramam" (Village By the Sea)
Learning to stitch, knit and embroider. Every year there is a sale of articles made by the children. A part of the proceeds is divided among the children and the rest is used for buying the material for the following year
An Annual Newsletter is sent out every June to update friends of Ananda Bharathi
