The first day of the Mulyavardhan 3.0 state-level training in June 2025 became a life-changing experience for Shri. Yogesh Pundalikrao Kad, a dedicated teacher from Swami Vivekanand Primary School, Indiranagar, Nashik. What began as a routine training day soon turned into a journey of emotions, values, and deep human connections.

Organised by Shantilal Muttha Foundation (SMF), the training was held at the Wagholi Educational Rehabilitation Center (WERC) in Pune—built after the 1993 Latur earthquake to provide a safe home, quality education, and care to thousands of children in need.

Today, the centre continues this legacy by supporting children from farmer-suicide-affected and COVID-affected families with complete free education from grade 5 to 12.

As Yogesh began his day, he was awakened by the soft, caring voices of the WERC children offering warm water, so that no teacher felt any discomfort. That simple gesture of innocence and responsibility touched his heart and set the tone for the day.

The sessions followed with inspiration and purpose—from SCERT Maharashtra’s Deputy Director Dr. Ibrahim Nadaf’s powerful message on the responsibility teachers bear, to SMF’s Master Trainers and others who brought alive the true essence of value education.

As Yogesh narrated in a WhatsApp post, the activities, group discussions, and classroom management demonstrations helped him rediscover the joy of teaching. But the most emotional moment came at night when he saw his roommate, a fellow teacher, wiping tears while talking to his little daughter. It reminded him of an important lesson: Men, too, deserve the space to express their emotions. Value education begins with understanding human feelings, and this workshop brought that truth alive.

For Yogesh, the Mulyavardhan training was a reminder of ‘why teachers matter’. It strengthened his belief that shaping values is not a lesson taught in class, but a transformation that lived every day.