Our Mission

To provide education and skills so every child & woman can achieve dignity and self-reliance.
The establishment of KANTA (Kanta Education and Social Organisation) was driven by a deep concern for the educational needs of children from marginalized and migrant families in rural Maharashtra. The founders, Vanita and Nishigandha, both hold a strong background in social work and have rich experience working with well-known NGOs such as HMF, Parivartan, and the Dignity Foundation. Their work with vulnerable communities had already instilled in them a strong commitment to social equity and education.

In 2015, after relocating to Lonikand, a peri-urban village near Pune, they observed a worrying situation — many children in the local community were not attending pre
school. The nearest Anganwadi centre was 2–3 km away, and for families of daily wage earners, this distance posed serious challenges. The cost of transport, coupled with parents’ long working hours and low income, meant that early learning remained out of reach for many young children.
Moved by the children’s lack of access to foundational education, Vanita and Nishigandha decided to act. In 2016, they started a small home-based preschool with 15 children, using simple, play-based methods to nurture early learning. Their initiative was rooted in the belief that every child, regardless of socio-economic background, deserves quality early education.
As the initiative grew, Dr. Shital Muke joined the effort, strengthening the team’s capacity and expanding its vision. Together, they transformed a small local effort into a community-led movement for educational inclusion — one that eventually evolved into KANTA, an organisation committed to education, empowerment, and social development.