Project at a glance
Partner
Jiv Daya Foundation
Where
4 villages, Simdega district
Thethaitangar block, Jharkhand
Since
March 2024 – August 2027
Extended until August 2027
Reach
100 children · 150 families
About the programme
Nutrition, learning and support for the youngest children
The India Rural Upliftment Initiative is the Pre-School Nutrition, Education & Rahat Support Programme that Chotanagpur Kalyan Niketan (CKN) runs with Jiv Daya Foundation (JDF) in Simdega district, Jharkhand. It started in March 2024 and has been extended until August 2027.
100 pre-school children in four villages, Bartoli, Gurgurtoli, Girjatoli and Meromdega Khas, get milk and biscuits every day, six days a week. Village-level workers prepare and distribute the food, keep the centres clean and support the children’s learning.
The programme also stands by the children’s families: two rounds of Rahat dry-ration kits for 150 families (300 kits in 2026), a clothing package for 106 children and school bags for 205 children in Classes I to III.
What each child gets
- 150 ml of milk every day
- One pack of biscuits (six biscuits)
- Six days a week
- A clean centre in the village, with learning support from village-level workers
Objectives
What the programme sets out to do
Improving child nutrition
Milk and biscuits every day for 100 pre-school children.
Supporting early childhood education
Village-level workers support the children’s learning at the centres.
Reducing educational barriers
School bags for children in Classes I to III, and clothes and shoes for school.
Supporting vulnerable families
Two rounds of Rahat dry-ration kits for 150 families: 300 kits in 2026.
Strengthening community participation
The programme is run in the villages, with village-level workers and families.
Promoting child well-being
Nutrition, warm clothing and a clean, caring space for young children.
Rahat support
Rahat kits, clothing and school bags
Rahat (India Rahat Initiative): two rounds of dry rations, in March and August 2026, for the same 150 families: 300 kits, about 9,000 kg of food. Plus clothing and school bags for the children.
Rahat kit
30 kg of food per family
- 26 kg of wheat or rice
- 4 kg of pulses
Two rounds
300 kits for 150 families
- Round 1: 150 kits, 14–15 March 2026
- Round 2: 150 kits to the same families, August 2026
Clothing package
106 children, March 2026
- T-shirts and track pants
- Jackets
- Socks and shoes
School bags
205 children, Classes I–III
- Class I: 92
- Class II: 76
- Class III: 37
In figures
The programme at a glance
Figures from CKN’s programme report and distribution records, 2026.
100
Pre-school children
Milk and biscuits six days a week
4
Villages
Simdega district
300
Rahat kits
150 families · March and August 2026
30 kg
In every kit
26 kg wheat or rice + 4 kg pulses · about 9,000 kg in all
106
Children clothed
March 2026
205
School bags
Classes I–III
Village by village
Round 1 (March 2026), village by village
Round 1 (March 2026): Rahat kits (14–15 March) and the clothing package, by village. The August 2026 round reached the same 150 families.
Meromdega Khas
- 53 Rahat kits
- 34 children clothed
Gurgurtoli
- 43 Rahat kits
- 25 children clothed
Bartoli
- 27 Rahat kits
- 22 children clothed
Girjatoli
- 27 Rahat kits
- 25 children clothed
Community participation
Run in the village, with the village
The programme is carried out by village-level workers from the communities it serves. Every day they prepare the milk and biscuits, serve the children, keep the centres clean and support the children’s learning.
Families take part in the distributions of Rahat kits, clothing and school bags, and community participation is one of the programme’s six objectives.
Village-level workers
- Prepare and distribute milk and biscuits
- Keep the centres clean
- Support children’s learning
Challenges & way forward
What comes next
Sustained nutrition
Keeping daily nutrition going without breaks, so children’s gains last.
Household food insecurity
Many families still go short of food; Rahat support helps them through.
Educational continuity
Helping children move from pre-school into primary school and stay there.
Community monitoring
Families and village-level workers keeping watch over the programme.
Expansion
Reaching more children and villages in Simdega district.
Photo gallery
From the villages
At a programme centre, February 2026
Rahat distribution, February 2025
Rahat distribution, February 2025
Rahat distribution during Poshan Maah, September 2025
Help a child grow up well-fed and learning
Your support helps CKN give young children daily nutrition, and their families food, clothing and school bags, in the villages of Simdega.