Gram Vikas was founded by a group of student volunteers from the Madras University, who had come to Orissa in 1971 for post cyclone relief work. Since the time it got formalized in 1980, it has experimented and evolved. The final goal for Gram Vikas, then and now, is to improve the quality of life of the poor and marginalised by empowering them to work for their own development. For this they began many programmes. Using health services as an entry point, they built confidence and trust among the local people. Their large-scale success in the biogas programme helped them fully plant themselves in Orissa. Gradually a number of other activities were initiated, in the areas of education, self-governance, livelihoods, natural resource management, infrastructure development and health and sanitation.
Currently, most of Gram Vikas' activities are carried out under two programmes, the ITDP, the Integrated Tribal Development Programme and the RHEP, the Rural Health and Environment Programme. Gram Vikas supports rural communities to undertake development efforts in five sectors. Gram Vikas has defined the scope of its work in each of these sectors. These definitions are evolved from the organisation's two decades of experience in working with communities.
- Health and Sanitation >
- Education >
- Building and Infrastructure development >
- Livelihood and food security >
- Managing Natural Resources >
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