This paper describes a series of participatory research and training workshops that enabled the p oor in Ahmedabad to identify their problems and priorities and develop their capacity to address them and to work with other groups in so-doing. Each "workshop" consisted of a six-month process of research, training and discussion, and information dissemination. As the paper describes, VIKAS began as the organizer but increasingly became the facilitator as representatives from lowincome groups became more active in organizing and managing the workshops.