Gram Vikas is a non-profit organization in India that works with rural and tribal communities to address critical needs like education, health, water, sanitation, livelihoods, and energy. It takes a participatory, socially inclusive approach to enable communities to achieve a dignified quality of life. Gram Vikas was founded in 1979 and has impacted over 400,000 individuals in 1,200 villages across India and parts of Africa through integrated development programs.

1. A PRESENTATION BY
ARUN GEORGE
MSW II YEAR, RCSS
JOE MADIATH, ORISSA, INDIA

2. INTRODUCTION
• which literally means 'village development'
• is a NGO that works with rural and tribal
communities in India.
• Gram Vikas partners with rural-communities to
address their critical needs of
• education,
• health,
• safe drinking water,
• sanitation,
• livelihoods
• and alternative energy
in a manner that is sustainable, socially inclusive,
gender equitable and empowering.
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3. Gram Vikas Logo
Two hands together forming a heart is
the logo defines them as: cooperation
with concern and care for people.
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4. Gram Vikas Definition
‘Dignified quality of life’ of people or
communities is characterised by:
• Options for appropriate family and community
infrastructure and sources of energy;
• Sustainable use and management of natural
resources
• Food security and access to secured livelihood
opportunities
• Assured access to basic education and adequate
health services
• Strong self-governing people’s institutions with
equal participation of men and women
• Conscientisation, self reliance and self-esteem.
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6. ORGANIZATIONAL
DETAILS
Founders:
– Gram Vikas founders came to Orissa in the
early 1970s as student volunteers with the
Young Student's Movement for
Development (YSMD), Chennai, to serve
victims of a devastating cyclone.
– Under the leadership of Mr. Joe Madiath,
The extensive activism and relief work by
these volunteers over next 8 years motivated
them to create and form Gram Vikas
which was registered as a Non-Profit
organisation on January 22, 1979.
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7. Aims
• Empowering the grassroots level people
• Social inclusiveness
• Gender equality
• Sustainability
• Dignity by ensuring toilets in the village
• Running water
• 100% immunization
• Women SHGs
• Renewable energy
• Skill training
• Prosperous plantations
• Social forestry
• Educational advancement
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8. Mission:
To promote processes
which are sustainable,
socially inclusive and
gender equitable to
enable critical masses of
poor and marginalized
rural people or
communities to achieve a
dignified quality of life.
Vision:
To build an
equitable and
sustainable society
where people live
in peace with
dignity.
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9. 'Critical masses' are defined as
groups of 'conscientised' people who
have developed pressure-group
mechanisms and democratic
governance systems within their
own communities.
They draw strength from such
experiences and encounters and
develop sufficient strength to
bargain with or influence their
external environment.
They collectively demand their rights
and are capable of bringing about
changes that they desire.
Critical masses are sought to be
energized from the village level
through Gram Panchayats, upto the
state level**
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10. EXPLANATION OF THE TERMS
• Community?
 'Community' is defined as a
group of families living
within a defined geographic
area.
 This group is governed by
social, cultural, economic
and political bonds or
norms.
 In Orissa's context, the
members of the Palli Sabha
comes closest to Gram
Vikas' definition of a
'community'.
• Dignified quality of life?
CHARACTERISTICS
 Assured access to basic
education and adequate health
services
 Sustainable use and
management of natural
resources
 Food security and access to
secured livelihood opportunities
 Options for appropriate family
and community infrastructure
and sources of energy
 Strong self-governing people's
institutions with equal
participation of men and women
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11. MANTRA
• This mission is realized through MANTRA –
• Movement and Network for the
Transformation of Rural Areas
• An integrated habitat development
programme guided by the belief that all
people deserve to live in peace with dignity.
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12. MANTRA core values:
1- 100% Inclusion
2- Social Equity
3- Gender Equity
4- Sustainability
5- Cost sharing
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13. Geographical coverage
• As of September 2014, Gram Vikas
• to impact over 1200 villages
• in 26 districts in the state of Odisha
• Started projects in 5 other states
• Jharkhand,
• Madhya Pradesh,
• Nagaland, West Bengal and
• Andhra Pradesh.
• currently working in The Gambia and Tanzania in Africa.
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15. ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE
The current Governing Board members are as
follows:
• Mr. Joe Madiath, Chairman
• Mr. Ram Sankar, Treasurer
• Mr. Debiprasad Mishra, Ex- Officio Secretary &
Executive Director
• Mr. Vijay Mahajan, Member
• Mr. Ananta Mahapatra, Member
• Mr. D. Thankappan,Member
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16. • WATER AND SANITATION
• LIVELIHOOD
• RURAL HOUSING
• COMMUNITY HEALTH
• EDUCATION
– SCHOOLS
– KHEL VIKAS
• RENEWABLE ENERGY
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ARUN GEORGE MSW II YEAR
RCSS

17. Public and
philanthropic
support for core
operations and
startup in each
village.
• NALCO
• TATA STEEL
• SAIL
• OPGC
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18. • Gram Vikas has impacted over
– 400,000 individuals and
– 70,000 families
through its various programs and
interventions.
• Their vision for impact is twofold
– first, to increase their geographical reach to new
states and countries; and
– second, to deepen their impact in the
communities they have already worked with.
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19. Accomplishments
(What change the organisation has made so far? )
• Cumulatively, Gram Vikas has worked with
• 1,199 villages,
• serving more than 60,000 families
• In 2012-13,
• sanitation units were completed by 55 villages representing
2,908 families in 6 districts of Orissa,
• and water supply systems were established in 147 villages
(representing 7,270 families) that had completed sanitation work
in previous years.
• Gram Vikas has started its water and sanitation
program in two villages in The Gambia (with Riders
for Health) and two in Tanzania.
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21. Critical Commentary on the Model
• It is an approach towards holistic and
integrated rural development in
different states across India and few
countries in Africa.
• 75,087 families in 1250 villages have
been covered
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22. • The main emphasis of Gram Vikas work
is organising people to become aware
of their existential condition, so that
they take their destinies into their own
hands and work to improve their lives.
• Full participation of the people is an
essential part of such development
activities to ensure sustenance of the
programme and Gram Vikas withdraws
as the people develop.
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23. • A rights-based approach: For the first
time the poorest woman, the widow,
or the dalit (untouchable) feels that
s/he has a voice, which will be heard
and which matters due to gram vikas
model
• This model ensures that it is not just
the elite who become empowered but
100% community inclusion, and
empowers the whole community.
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25. QUERY?
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26. Thank you
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