What is PANKH?
Partnership for Nurturing Kids Holistically.
PANKH is a practitioner’s forum committed to driving lasting systems change in early childhood development across India. By bringing together members with specialized expertise in early education, health, nutrition, disability, gender, child rights, and community development, we work synergistically to strengthen the ECD ecosystem and support holistic growth for young children.
that every child experiences nurturing care, meaningful learning, and safe, inclusive environments.
PANKH aspires for all children up to 8 years in India to be included, embraced, and nurtured, celebrating their diversities and respecting their intersecting needs to promote their holistic growth & development.
To champion for equal opportunities for marginalized children, across all diversities and intersectional identities, by strengthening the ECD ecosystem in India through knowledge sharing and collaborative learning and action.
January, 2024
Where It Began: Appreciative Enquiry
Eighteen organizations came together to reflect on what had worked and what hadn't in earlier efforts to build an ECD network. The honest conversations about the felt need for collaboration, the limits of online-only engagement, and the over-focus on structure before purpose seeded a new kind of collective. One that would start with relationships, not rules!
February, 2024
Flowing Together: First Collective Retreat at TERI Centre: Gurgaon
Members gathered in person for the first time as an emerging collective. They placed the child at the center, mapped their collective superpowers, and began dreaming aloud about what they could do together that none could do alone. Three working groups were born. The seed was planted!
May-November, 2024
Working in Action: Working Groups & Online Plenaries
Four working groups took shape and got to work: on intersectionality, child friendly spaces, narrative building, and collectivization. Regular online plenaries kept the full membership connected and aligned. A member engagement survey showed near-universal endorsement of the collective's vision and mission.
November, 2024
When the Rivers Meet, Second Collective Retreat, TERI Centre, Gurgaon
The collective deepened its bonds through Kinship Circles and the "Recipes for Collective Being" exercise. In a moment members described as magical, 17 people voluntarily stepped forward to form the WIT (Whatever It Takes) group- a transitional leadership body to carry the collective forward with full ownership!
January-June, 2025
From Chaos to Chorus, Proposal Development & JAMs:
The collective moved from dreams to deliverables. Over 12 group meetings, 50+ bilateral conversations, and countless iterations, member organizations mapped their interests, negotiated roles, and co-developed a collective proposal and budget for the next phase. The Shared Leadership Council was formally established, with a Convener, Co-conveners, and Working Group Anchors.
August, 2025
Growing Together, Third Collective Retreat, Hotel Hilltop Palace, Udaipur
Now called PANKH (Partnership for Nurturing Kids Holistically) the collective gathered for its summer retreat with a new name, a funded roadmap, and a governance structure it had built itself. Funders reflected that what makes PANKH unique is its insistence on holding the whole child. Members looked inward and forward, celebrating their journey and committing to the work ahead.
2025–2027
The Road Ahead, PANKH in Flight:
Now called PANKH (Partnership for Nurturing Kids Holistically) the collective gathered for its summer retreat with a new name, a funded roadmap, and a governance structure it had built itself. Funders reflected that what makes PANKH unique is its insistence on holding the whole child. Members looked inward and forward, celebrating their journey and committing to the work ahead.
The early years are a critical window where love, safety, and responsive care shape a child’s lifelong learning and wellbeing. Believing every child deserves an equitable start, PANKH India serves as a mission-driven collective dedicated to strengthening early childhood development and education.
Solving collectively what we cannot achieve alone
PANKH India brings together the reflections, ambitions, and priorities of diverse organizations dedicated to Early Childhood Development. By moving away from linear plans and single-factor approaches, the Seeing, Doing & Being framework focuses on the power of collective sight, collaborative action, and relational transformation to ensure no child up to 8 years old is left behind.
What do we visualize as a thriving childhood?
SEEING is Co-Envisioning
By bringing member organizations together, we co-envision shared goals, build a unifying charter, and collectively measure and evolve our impact over time.
How are we executing together?
DOING is Collective Action
By uniting member organizations, we co-create impact through collaborative programming, amplify our message with unified narrative building, and secure sustainable growth through shared fundraising.
What will success feel like?
BEING is Relationships & Impact
By bringing member organizations together, we co-envision shared goals, build a unifying charter, and collectively measure and evolve our impact over time.
- Internal culture: A thriving ecosystem of active member organizations built on deep personal connections, collective leadership, and shared knowledge.
External impact: A resilient, reshaped landscape where community well-being is elevated and a higher quality of life becomes the baseline for every child.
Four Pillars “What we do”
At PANKH India, our true strength is our togetherness. Every member organization lends its voice and efforts to one or more of these four interconnected pillars (focus areas of work), each addressing critical gaps in the ECD ecosystem. The four pillars weren’t designed in a boardroom; they emerged from the ground up, shaped by what member organizations were seeing in their work with children every day.
Bringing Intersectionality Into ECD
Children do not experience disadvantage in isolation; factors like poverty, gender, caste, and disability overlap. Most ECD programs miss this complexity. This pillar uses action research to understand these intersections. We create practical frameworks and guidelines that help practitioners seamlessly integrate intersectionality and Social-Emotional Learning into their curricula and teaching.
Nurturing Child Friendly Spaces
Most environments—from villages to public spaces—rarely center around the child. While policy guidelines exist, children’s voices are missing. PANKH India is redefining child-friendly spaces, from Anganwadis to parks. We create comprehensive guidelines for safe, inclusive environments, blending physical safety with psychological security so all children feel supported and thrive.
Championing Inspiring Narratives
Early childhood remains largely invisible in public discourse, and no single organization can change that alone. This pillar builds and amplifies compelling narratives that position early childhood development as a collective responsibility. Through podcasts, campaigns, and storytelling, we shift public consciousness while documenting field learnings to create a vibrant knowledge base that nurtures the entire ecosystem.
Strengthening Collective through Learning and Dialogue
Collaboration is a skill that must be nurtured. This pillar keeps PANKH a living, learning community through co-learning voyages, organizational cross-visits, and regional convenings. By creating dedicated spaces for sustained dialogue and knowledge sharing, we foster the deep relationships and mutual support that make collaborative breakthroughs possible.