We are celebrating the milestone of 12 million children in India

“I remember the first activity we did together as a class,” recalls 16-year-old Ratul Haque Choudhury, a student of Panbazar Higher Secondary School in Assam. “First of all, I wasn’t very active and I like spending time alone because I like to draw. Then, after learning the rules of the game – since OVEP games are a bit different – I thought, “What’s the harm in joining?” and I joined. That’s when I felt the first joy of playing with everyone.”

ABFT and Reliance Foundation have made significant progress in expanding OVEP initiatives, particularly in Odisha, Assam and Mumbai. OVEP’s positive impact was widespread, engaging teachers, parents, athletes, coaches, sports and education professionals, as well as 12 million children in over 55,000 schools.

One teacher noted that the change in students’ thinking was evident in a short period of time. “At OVEP, classes are mainly for women and men,” said Suman Dey, a teacher at a Bengali higher secondary school in Assam. “We have noticed that boys are starting to show more respect for their classmates, which also reduces the barrier between girls and boys in our school. It’s more than just academic success – we also focus on building character.”