In India, 35M children can’t recognize a single letter by the age of 6. This is due to a limited emphasis on early childhood education within the Anganwadi Centers, which have previously focused primarily on nutrition. However, through the government’s new national agenda and the support of Rocket Learning, these centers have been transformed into vibrant centers of learning, focusing not only on nutrition but also on education. The time when children attend these centers, from the ages of three to six, is a critical period when it comes to laying the foundation for a successful future. Early education should not be viewed as merely a precursor to “real” learning. We need to shift the perception parents have of these centers to shift learning outcomes.

SLFUEPWIBMJ – The Nonsense Language

We’ll create the language of uneducated children, through nonsense subtitles, to help parents feel what their children feel due to a lack of early education. Since subtitles play such an important role in digital content in India, we’ll partner with relevant YouTubers to convert their normal subtitles into our nonsense subtitles, provoking confusion and frustration among their followers: parents. These subtitles will be pure gibberish, depicting jumbled letters with no meaning. Just like the 35M children who can’t recognize a single letter, parents will now understand how discouraging it feels. Through the content, our Youtubers will reveal this truth, highlighting the importance of education for children from a young age and promoting the efforts and transformation of the Anganwadi centers. They’ll encourage parents to prioritize their child’s development through regular attendance at the centers, whose new focus on learning empowers and builds confidence in kids.

When children don’t start learning early, it makes it that much harder to build confidence in their capabilities. They often feel confused and frustrated, with a general sense of not being good enough that only further inhibits their long-term growth. To help parents realize the importance of early education we must demonstrate this emotional toll, through a tangible and empathetic approach.

Since young, low-income parents located in rural areas have limited data access on their mobile devices, they spend most of their time on Whatsapp and Youtube, consuming content relating to parenting tips, recipes, DIY, and wellness. We need to connect with them in this digital space through the sources they already trust – YouTubers. India is multilingual, with 22 official languages, so it’s a common practice for Youtubers to add subtitles directly to their content to ensure their diverse audience understands, providing us with the perfect medium to build awareness.

We’ll partner with various Youtubers across India, representing different regions and languages, who touch on topics such as parenting tips and child development, as well as beauty and lifestyle content, to ensure we reach our large audience of rural families. We’ll work with Youtubers, such as @MandalShalini and @SuperWowStyle, to switch out their subtitles with our nonsense language, drawing a parallel to children’s learning or lack thereof. They’ll create 30 seconds of “normal” content using our subtitles before revealing the true message behind it. Throughout the rest of their video, the subtitles will go back to normal highlighting the contrast and ensuring a full understanding of our true message. These short-form videos will serve as the perfect format to infiltrate the platform where our audience spends most of its time, ensuring we get our message across and ultimately change their perception of India’s Anganwadi centers.