Modest Beginnings

Our founder, Meera Mahadevan, set up the first "mobile creche" in 1969 as a spontaneous response to the neglected children she saw on the site of the Gandhi Centenary Exhibition, in Delhi. From that rudimentary shelter, the journey began towards gaining entry into other construction sites and ensuring basic minimum care for the children of the vast migrant labour force belonging to the poorest strata of society.

As more and more creches were set up across the construction sites and slums of Delhi, Mobile Creches became a trusted presence among the women who toiled for a living, building houses or selling vegetables. They left their young ones in the care of the "didis" (older sister) who fed, nurtured and tutored them, sowing the seeds of a secure childhood and a confident adulthood.

Spreading Our Wings

The day-care centre became the hub of the organisation's activities, and the launching pad to help spread its wings to take up larger issues: negotiating with builders for greater financial support and responsibility sharing, lobbying with policy makers for progressive laws and programmes, and advocacy among the community of parents to follow better childcare practices at home and demand better services outside.

Governing Board/CEO

Anjali Alexander, Chairperson, Mobile Creches, completed her Masters and taught Economics for ten years. She joined Mobile Creches as a fundraising volunteer in 1994 and after 1996, decided to give her time completely to Mobile Creches. Her special area of focus is resource mobilization, communication, Board development and policy advocacy. She has been on the Mobile Creches Governing Council, in various capacities, since 1998.

Kali Vohra, Secretary, Mobile Creches, is a lawyer by qualification. Her legal training has been of immense value in ensuring adherence to statutory requirements and handling issues related to personnel and finance. She has been associated with Mobile Creches since she was a young child. After completing her studies in Law, in 1985, she chose to give her time and full commitment to Mobile Creches and has been on its Governing Council in various capacities as member/office bearer.

Mohini Prakash, Joint Secretary, Mobile Creches, is a qualified Social Worker. She joined Mobile Creches after completing her Masters degree in 1986 and worked with the organization for three years as Director, Field Programme. She has worked with a number of organizations including Save the Children, Child Guidance Centre, Jamia Millia, The Hunger Project and the Hope Project. She is associated with SIDH in Uttaranchal and Allaripu in Delhi.

Amrita Jain, Treasurer, Mobile Creches, has a Masters in English literature and is a trained Pre-school teacher. She joined Mobile Creches in 1991 and her early association was with the development and production of teaching learning materials. For the last seven years she has led the ECCD training team, been involved in training Self Help Groups and has a rich experience in grassroots initiatives.

Mridula Bajaj, Executive Director, Mobile Creches is a specialist in Child Development with 30 years of experience in programme, research and training. She joined Mobile Creches in 1996 and took over as the Executive Director in 1998. She quotes “ECCD is a proactive approach, which addresses the root cause of poverty. It is a great equalizer that will strengthen the human resource of the country.” She has represented Mobile Creches and the cause of the “young child” in international forums.

Kumkum Ghosh, Governing Council Member
Ranjana Aggarwal, Governing Council Member
Asha Singh, Governing Council Member
Arvind Wadhwa, Governing Council Member
Archna Kumar, Governing Council Member
Sanjay Kaul, Governing Council Member
Devraj Singh, Governing Council Member

• Mobile Creches pioneered the Early Childhood Care and Development movement, linking issues of work, women and children. We have come a long way - from services at building sites to building platforms to lobby for all marginalised young children . Click for MC Timeline >>