NEAID is doing action research to understand the inclusion of Social Emotional Learning in any program design across 13 rural geographies with one belief: children in every corner of India, no matter how remote, deserve to learn, grow, and feel safe with dignity. This initiative works in the cross sections of Social-Emotional Learning, Gender Equity & Inclusion. 

For the past two years, this action-research effort has taken us deep into some of the country’s most underserved regions. Instead of bringing in predefined solutions, we began by listening. By sitting with communities, educators, parents, and young people, we sought to understand what emotional well-being, safety, gender equity, and inclusion mean within their cultural and lived realities.

Today, through Akikaran REACH Fellows spread across 13 geographies, working across more than 1,200 schools, community spaces, and anganwadi centres. Together, we directly engage over 214,000 stakeholders to try to understand the design of localised solutions to integrate SEL into the Indian context which is generally a very westernized concept.

What emerges from this work is not just data-it is insight, empathy, and a shared commitment to building learning environments where every child can feel seen, supported, and empowered.