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Panjim, Goa
Ekagrata is a student-led reading programme working on the second half of that sentence. Free, at weekends, open to any child who needs it.
Read this out loud
Raju ne chhata nahi liya, isliye woh bheeg gaya.
Now answer without guessing. Why did Raju get wet?
What it said
“Raju didn’t take an umbrella, so he got wet.”
You just read nine words out loud without a mistake. If you understood them too, that is a privilege a lot of people don’t have. Reading a line perfectly and having no idea what it means is what a school day feels like for thousands of children in Goa, five hours a day, every day. We run this exact exercise in our sessions, only the other way round.
Ekagrata was conceived in June 2026, when one of our co-founders began teaching the children of her household help. It was through this experience that she came to recognise the profound extent of the language divide confronting these children. Not only were they unable to read with any fluency, but they were equally unable to comprehend the meaning of what they read, notwithstanding the fact that they were enrolled in the 5th grade.
This revelation was, to us, deeply sobering. The practice of rote memorisation, colloquially termed “ratta maar,” cannot be permitted to substitute for genuine linguistic competence, particularly at so foundational a stage of a child’s development. Language, after all, is the elemental building block upon which all education, and indeed the entirety of these children’s futures, is constructed.
The size of it
How it works
We call it a pod. It’s deliberately small, because the thing that fails these children is a room with one teacher and thirty kids in it. We aren’t going to build another one of those.
Why six children and not thirty. Six splits cleanly into two threes, so half the group works directly with the volunteer while the other half works on something they can do alone, then they swap. In a group of three nobody can hide. The volunteer notices the child who has gone quiet, and the children argue with each other about what a story meant. That argument is the whole point.
Why twelve weeks and not forever. A school student can promise twelve weeks and keep it. Nobody can keep a promise to “help out”. At the end there’s a real finish line, a certificate, and an honest chance to stop.
Inside a session
So it is never ninety minutes of one thing. It breaks into six blocks, and no block asks a child to sit still and decode for more than about twenty-five minutes.
Before the first session
A five-minute conversation, run by anyone, no training needed. We read to them, then they read to us, and we ask the same two questions both times. The difference between those two answers tells us everything.
Group A
Bright and verbal, but never taught to sound words out properly. Usually the fastest to move. Six to ten weeks and they’re reading.
Group B
Reads a page aloud beautifully and can’t tell you a thing about it. The biggest group, the slowest to shift, and the one almost every programme misses.
Group C
Needs the most time and the most patience. Sometimes there’s an unchecked vision, hearing or learning difficulty underneath. We can’t diagnose that. We can notice it and say something.
A child discusses what they read in the language they think in, even when the text is in another one. That isn’t cheating. That’s how understanding a second language actually works, and insisting otherwise is a large part of why these children sit silent in class.
Try a session
Three groups, three kinds of game. These are stripped-down versions of what happens in a real session. Play them and you’ll know within two minutes whether this is something you want to do.
For children who understand but can’t decode
They already know what a fish is. What nobody taught them is that the shape in the middle of the word makes a particular sound. Pick the sound that belongs in the gap.
For children who decode but don’t understand
Every word here is easy. None of the answers are written down anywhere in the passage. This is the whole skill, and it’s the one nobody teaches: working out what a sentence implies rather than what it says.
For children starting from the beginning
Before letters mean sounds, a written word has to mean an object. This is the very first bridge, and it gets built slowly, one word at a time, with a lot of laughing.
The words and sentences in these games stay in English even when the rest of the page is in Hindi, because English is what the children are learning to read.
For parents
You don’t need to fill in a form or prove anything. Bring your child once and we’ll spend five minutes finding out where they are.
Beyond volunteering
Not everyone can commit to twelve weeks. Almost everyone can do one of these.
Children’s picture books in Hindi, Konkani, Marathi or English. Second-hand is perfect. A box of thirty keeps a pod reading for a whole term.
Follow us, reply, ask a question, argue with something we posted. A comment travels much further than a silent share, and reach is how volunteers find us.
If your school needs community service hours, we’re a ready-made programme with signed hours and a real finish line. Introduce us to a teacher.
Our session plans exist in English. Every one we get into Hindi, Konkani or Marathi doubles the number of people who can run a pod.
The best volunteer for a child is often the teenager already living in the house. They speak the language and they never miss a session. Point them here.
The children who need this most are the ones whose parents have never heard of anything like it. One conversation is worth more than a hundred shares.
Where we’re at
We would rather tell you this now than have you find out later. Everything below is the real state of things.
Yes. No fee, no materials cost, no deposit, nothing at the end. We are not accepting money from families and we never will.
There is no age limit either way. We group children by what they can already do, not by their age or their class at school. Bring them and we will find out together in about five minutes.
No, and it is one of the reasons this exists. Children talk about what they read in whichever language they think in. We match volunteers to children by language wherever we can.
We have not confirmed a venue yet. It will be somewhere in Panjim, and it will be posted here and on our Instagram before anything starts. Please do not travel anywhere until we have said so.
No. You get a session plan that tells you what to do for each of the ninety minutes, the materials printed and ready, and a group chat where you can ask anything, including the questions you think are stupid.
Two volunteers at every location, always. Sessions run in open, visible rooms with the door open. No volunteer contacts a child privately, everything goes through parents. We publish no photographs of children. Every volunteer signs a one-page code of conduct before their first session.
Not yet. We are two school students and a group of volunteers. We are working out the right legal structure, and until that exists we handle no money at all.
Volunteer
You don’t need teaching experience. It helps if you’re comfortable in Hindi or Konkani, but we pair people up, so come anyway.
Who runs this
Fourteen students, all in school, all doing this around exams. Everyone below wrote their own introduction.
Co-founder
“The more you potter around, the more you find out”, a philosophy deeply rooted in every speck of my being, has led me to explore multiple ventures. Ekagrata serves as a conduit towards expressing my passion for purpose-driven education. In addition to this, I love to learn and am open to new experiences.
Co-founder
Hi! I’m Simone Kenkre! I’m 17 years old and I love to cook and bake. I would like to believe that I’m a good cook and baker, but feel free to challenge me to a cook-off. I’m currently studying in the 11th grade at Sharada Mandir School and my favourite subject is biology! (Anything but plant biology.) I also love taking part in debates and I dabble here and there in public speaking.
Outreach in charge
Hi there! I’m Apolonia, and aside from leadership and volunteering, I love learning about different cultures and global history, and I am always debating various socio-political issues. Exploring different schools of thought or belief systems is my special interest. Aside from all the nerdy stuff, I love to play the drums and make new friends (especially stray cats and dogs).
Outreach in charge
Hello everyone, I’m Arnav Poulekar, or rather many might know me as “Youth of Aldona” (I’m not from Aldona). Currently studying in 12th grade, I take great interest in politics, being probably the youngest activist in Goa currently. I also play 18 different sports, one of which I play as a professional player (football). Other than this, I love the water and adventure, and I lowkey wouldn’t mind setting up a tent and living on a peaceful beach with a pet and a surfboard for my entire life. If I were allowed to mention one principle to practice and preach it would definitely be “Live and Let Live”.
Volunteer coordinator
I’m Paarth. 17 years old, professionally overthinking everything and somehow still convinced I’ll figure it all out. I’m mostly confused but I just pretend not to be. Outside academics, I’m always working on something. I’ve made websites, I’m building businesses, reading literature, and I’ll probably have three new ideas before I finish whatever I’m currently working on.
Volunteer coordinator
I’d save the cat that almost got killed by curiosity. Hii! I am Aarna. I’m an 11th grader aiming for a career in finance and tech. I love music, fashion, and adding my own personal touch to things. I’m immensely curious and love dissecting and learning why things work the way they do, especially when it’s about people, society, finance and economics. Apart from that, I adore My Melody and stars (ps: the shape ★).
Operations head
Hello there! I’m Argha, and I’m very excited to be an operations head for Ekagrata. I’m very inclined to debating, I spend some of my time playing the keys (I love some rock and roll) and I can’t wait to see what we can achieve with this initiative.
Operations head
I’m Shamik, and I have a strong interest in art, public speaking and boxing. A lot of what I enjoy comes down to understanding people and expressing ideas. I’ve explored these interests both in and outside school, whether through speaking and leadership activities, boxing, or working on my own art. I enjoy understanding how things work, expressing ideas clearly, and learning from people with perspectives different from my own. I think that mix of curiosity, creativity and communication is what shapes the things I am drawn to.
Social media lead
I’m Ivan, and I am really into cooking and culinary science, particularly exploring different techniques and understanding how things work. My other interests include world politics and the history of theology and mythology. I’m also passionate about metal and alternative music, and comic book fiction, particularly Marvel’s X-Men and the Midnight Sons, as well as Transformers. I enjoy reading both fiction and non-fiction. My interests may be varied, but they all come from my curiosity to understand more.
Social media lead
My name is Jovani and I love swimming, reading, and watching TV shows and movies. To be more specific, I love all aspects of stories in all kinds of mediums: books, TV shows, movies, games and web novels. I am also a big fan of Transformers. I enjoy exploring the wonder of stories, and the selfless characters in these stories truly inspire me to be more like them.
Financial head
Hi! I am Rachel! Someone with a strong interest in finance, corporate finance in particular. Outside of finance, you’ll probably find me writing, talking way too much, or overthinking the most random things. I love working with people, trying new things, and turning random ideas into something that actually works.
Financial head
Hey, I’m Ian, one of the financial heads of the Ekagrata Initiative. I help manage our budgeting and finances while making sure we use our resources wisely to turn our ideas and projects into reality. I’m thrilled to be part of this meaningful initiative and look forward to being a part of our growing community.
Research head
I’m Vimi, and I have a strong interest in research, writing, and understanding the world around me. I enjoy exploring new topics, asking questions, and creating music. I work well with people. I believe that curiosity and paying attention to detail are what make good research, and I hope to bring these qualities to this initiative.
Research head
Hi, I’m Kiera! I’m in 12th grade and I love maths, specifically statistics. A growing hobby of mine is language learning because I find it helps you interpret the world through different lenses. I’m overwhelmingly curious about various spiritual and political paradigms and their roles as social forces. I also adore music of nearly all genres and am always on the hunt for new songs!
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Contact us
Parents, volunteers, teachers, anyone with a box of books. We read everything and reply within a few days.
Best for volunteering, schools and anything that needs a proper answer.
Where sessions will run
Not confirmed yet
Somewhere in Panjim. We will post the venue here and on Instagram before anything starts.