About Me
A Voice for Every ChildWho I Am
My name is Anita Yogendra Kolte. I am a social activist, educator, and the founder of Open Education — a movement built on the belief that no child is too poor, too displaced, or too forgotten to deserve an education.
I was born in Malkapur, a small town in Vidarbha. Like many young women from smaller towns, I came to the city with dreams — but mine were never just about myself. I hold a B.A., B.Ed., M.S.W., and have studied law as well. But my truest education came from the streets, the slums, and the lives of the people I have had the privilege to serve.
I currently serve as Director of Open Education, Mumbai, and have been associated with Swami Vivekananda Manav Seva Bahuuddeshiya Sanstha, Panvel, Raigad.
My Journey
My journey into social work began in 2002 through the Sevagram Ashram and the National Youth Organization. I was young, idealistic, and deeply moved by the inequalities I witnessed around me. I didn’t wait for the right time or the right resources. I simply started.
In 2007, I worked for the education of tribal children — an experience that shaped my understanding of how deeply poverty and illiteracy are connected. Over the years, I took on roles in government as well, serving as a District Project Officer in 2015–2016, giving me a close look at policy, administration, and the gaps between what is promised and what actually reaches people.
In 2020, I founded Open Education — my most personal and most meaningful contribution to this city and its invisible children.
What Drives Me
I have often been asked — why do you keep going? Why hunger strikes, why agitations, why put yourself through all of this?
My answer is simple: because someone has to. Because a child sitting at a traffic signal with a begging bowl in hand, when given a pencil instead, can change the course of their entire life. I have seen it happen. That is why I keep going.