Madhi Foundation

07/10/2026

06/10/2026

'The workforce of 2040 is in Grade 2 today'

At UNGA 81 in New York, our Founder, Merlia Shaukath, represented Madhi Foundation at a high-level roundtable on foundational learning, convened by the Foundational Learning Collaborative (FLC) and the Gates Foundation, alongside partners from India and Africa.

Drawing from Madhi’s experience in Tamil Nadu, Merlia spoke about the need to frame foundational learning not only as an education and equity priority, but also as an investment in human capital, productivity and the future workforce.

Reflecting on Madhi’s conversations with industry leaders, she shared that businesses are often more open to this conversation than we assume. Sometimes, the missing piece is simply connecting foundational learning to the future they are already thinking about.

As Merlia put it, the conversation is beginning to move from 'Why is this our problem?' to 'This could affect our future. What can we do about it?'

That shift matters. Because the children building strong foundations today will become the workforce, entrepreneurs and citizens shaping our economies tomorrow.

Grateful to our fellow partners who brought this conversation together: Central Square Foundation, Elimu-Soko, FLIGHT, Float, Human Capital Africa, Language and Learning Foundation, Leadership For Equity, Room to Read India, Wealth4Impact, Madhi Foundation, the Foundational Learning Collaborative, and the Gates Foundation.

05/10/2026

Behind every lesson understood, every question asked, and every small moment of confidence in a classroom, there is a teacher who chose to show up with patience, care and belief.

At Madhi, we have the privilege of seeing teachers do this every day. They listen, encourage, adapt, explain again, celebrate progress and keep going, often in ways that may never make it into a textbook or a report.

This World Teachers’ Day, we celebrate the people who make learning feel possible.

To every teacher who helps a child find their voice, discover their strengths and believe that they can learn, thank you.

Happy World Teachers’ Day. ❤️

03/10/2026

We’re hiring a Specialist – Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning at Madhi Foundation!

If you enjoy working where research, data and field realities come together, this role offers the opportunity to turn evidence into meaningful programme improvements.

You will contribute to impact evaluations, A/B testing, mixed-method research, advanced data analysis, literature reviews, data quality systems and qualitative research. You will also work closely with teams to capture learnings from implementation and strengthen programme design over time.

We’re looking for someone who is curious, analytical, organised and comfortable translating research and data into clear, actionable insights.

What we’re looking for:
• 4–5 years of relevant experience
• Master’s degree, preferably in humanities or social sciences
• Strong Excel skills, including pivot tables
• Experience or interest in field-based data collection & secondary research
• Tamil oral proficiency
• Education-sector experience is an added advantage

📍 Chennai
💼 Full-time
💰 CTC: ₹10–12 LPA

Apply here: https://www.madhifoundation.org/join-us

02/10/2026

Gandhian values live in the simple things we do every day.

Sharing with others. Lending a helping hand. Caring for our surroundings, animals and the environment. Doing our own work with responsibility. Choosing kindness and finding joy in simplicity.

This Gandhi Jayanti, let’s celebrate these everyday acts that bring Gandhi’s values to life, one small action at a time. 🌿

01/10/2026

The Middle Matters: From Policy to Practice

At UNGA 81 week in New York, Madhi Foundation joined Leadership For Equity, Language and Learning Foundation, the Foundational Learning Collaborative and India Impact House for a timely conversation on a critical but often less visible part of education systems: the middle layer.

The session brought together Bikkrama Daulet Singh, Operating Partner, The Convergence Foundation; Merlia Shaukath, Founder, Madhi Foundation; Dr Asyia K., OBE, CEO, World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE); Madhukar B. Banuri, Co-Founder, Leadership For Equity; Kavita Rajagopalan, Director, Global Schools Forum; Ethna Ghosh, India Partnerships Lead, Renaissance Philanthropy; Avni Gupta-Kagan, Chief of Strategy & Operations, Global School Leaders; Dr Yogita Rana, Principal Secretary, Government of Telangana; and Shivakshi Rana, Chief of Staff, Language and Learning Foundation.

Across the discussion, speakers reflected on the many roles middle leaders play: translating policy into practice, supporting teachers, using data, solving implementation challenges, strengthening accountability, enabling peer learning and coaching, and carrying realities from classrooms back into the system.

The conversation also surfaced an important shift in perspective. Strengthening the middle is not simply about adding more programmes or structures. It is about investing in the people already holding education systems together, giving them clarity, capability, resources, autonomy and sustained support.

Ultimately, the discussion reaffirmed that meaningful education reform depends not only on strong policy, but on the people who carry it through the system every day. Strengthening the middle is essential to translating ambition into sustained improvements in teaching and learning for every child.

30/09/2026

A conversation becomes meaningful when everyone has the chance to be part of it. 🌍

On , September 30th, we celebrate the power of language in connecting people, ideas, and communities.
 
Kalvi Kural, Madhi’s annual gathering, brings together educators, practitioners, and education leaders for conversations around strengthening learning and education systems. With participants joining from different linguistic backgrounds, ensuring that everyone could actively participate was an important part of creating an inclusive space.

To address this, Madhi’s Tech Team built ‘Kural’, a live translation application that enables participants at events to follow conversations in their preferred language in real time.

By simply scanning a QR code, attendees can access live translations during sessions without any additional setup.
 
Kural helps speakers communicate naturally while ensuring that language does not limit participation. Whether in workshops, conferences, or large gatherings, live translation can help bring diverse voices into the same conversation.
  
Read more about Kural and the story behind its creation in the September edition of Madhi Monthly: https://mailchi.mp/madhifoundation.org/the-madhi-monthly-september-edition

28/09/2026

Advancing conversations on AI, education, and global impact at UNGA 81 🌍

As part of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Week in New York, Madhi Foundation had the privilege of participating in a small working breakfast hosted by Anthropic, bringing together around 20 leaders from funders, implementers, and governments across India, Brazil, and Africa to discuss the role of AI in strengthening education systems in the Global South.

Representing Madhi, our Founder & CEO Merlia Shaukath joined this gathering of global leaders to share perspectives from our work in building stronger public education systems and exploring how technology and AI can support teachers, coaches, and education leaders.

The conversation explored the opportunities and challenges in ensuring that AI is developed and deployed in ways that are inclusive, responsible, and grounded in the realities of learners and communities.
As education systems across the world navigate the possibilities of AI, we believe that meaningful impact will come from approaches that combine innovation with context, human expertise, and a deep understanding of classrooms.

We are grateful to the Anthropic team for convening this important dialogue during UNGA 81 and creating a space for global collaboration around the future of education and AI.

23/09/2026

Celebrating our September work anniversaries 🎉

This month, we’re celebrating six colleagues whose journeys at Madhi reflect growth, commitment, learning, and the many different ways our work comes together.

Congratulations to Ajitha Bharathi A V, K Suresh, and Prem Kumar A on completing 3 years at Madhi, and to Loreni Lotha, Ashwin M, and Khachu Koza on completing 1 year with us.

Across state initiatives, field operations, programmes, technology, and our work in Nagaland, each of them brings a distinct perspective and contribution to Madhi’s journey.

Thank you for the time, care, curiosity, and commitment you bring to the work every day. Your journeys continue to shape our teams, our culture, and the impact we strive to create together.

Here’s to many more milestones, learnings, and meaningful moments ahead. ✨

22/09/2026

Madhi is in New York for 81!

Our Founder, Merlia Shaukath, will represent Madhi Foundation at “The Workforce of 2040 Is in Grade 2 Today”, a closed-door roundtable on foundational learning taking place at Education House, New York on 22 September.

Convened by the Foundational Learning Collaborative in partnership with the Gates Foundation and partners across India and Africa, the roundtable will bring together senior leaders from philanthropy, business and government for a working conversation on a critical question:

How do we move foundational learning higher on the investment agenda?

As AI and changing skill demands reshape the future of work, foundational literacy and numeracy are becoming even more central to workforce readiness. The conversation will explore what it means to see foundational learning not only as a social sector priority, but as essential infrastructure for long-term economic growth.

Merlia will bring perspectives from Madhi’s work with public education systems in India and our experience of strengthening foundational learning at scale.

📍 Education House, New York
🗓 22 September 2026 | UNGA 81