Gram Vikas launched the Village Vision Saathi Hub, a new initiative designed to support locally rooted leadership and enable villages to plan, respond, and adapt to changing social and environmental realities.

The Hub brings together a cadre of trained Village Vision Saathis, community-based facilitators drawn from the villages themselves, who work closely with residents to identify priorities, strengthen local institutions, and translate collective vision into action.

The initiative builds on Gram Vikas’s long-standing approach of working through community-owned systems rather than external delivery models.

The emergence of the local multiplier

The Village Vision Saathi Hub reflects the emergence of the local multiplier, individuals within communities who are able to guide, influence, and sustain collective action over time. The ten members of the Hub represent a clear shift from programme participation to taking on responsibility for planning, coordination, and implementation at the Gram Panchayat level.

All members are rooted in the Thuamul Rampur Block of Kalahandi and have built their capabilities through sustained engagement with Gram Vikas initiatives. Their experience spans technical, organisational, and leadership roles developed over several years of on-ground work.

Chakradhar Majhi and Sudan Majhi served as Jala Bandhus, developing practical expertise in water management. Mamata Naik and Silpa Majhi worked as barefoot estimators and technical workers, translating engineering requirements into village-level execution. Mohansingh Majhi and Kunal Sunani progressed through Gram Vikas Saathi Fellowships, building the leadership capacities required to manage complex development processes.

Together, they represent a model of locally anchored leadership in which knowledge, accountability, and decision-making are held within the community.

A place-based enterprise for development

Based out of Dhuliguda village in Kaniguma Gram Panchayat, the first Village Vision Saathi Hub operates as a community-rooted enterprise providing development-oriented services. It represents a shift towards a place-based approach in which those who live in and depend on the landscape are central to problem-solving and implementation.

From January 2026, this collective will take over the implementation of the Water Secure Gram Panchayat (WSGP) programme across three Gram Panchayats: Kaniguma, Sindhipadar, and Gopalpur.

An integrated mandate

The Hub’s mandate responds to the increasingly precarious nature of farming and domestic life in the region, shaped by climate variability and water stress. Its work is organised around three interconnected areas.

Water security forms the core of the Hub’s engagement. Members will roll out Water Passbooks, prepare water security plans, and monitor sourceshed development to improve the health of local water sources. Water Quality Surveillance will be undertaken to ensure access to safe drinking water for every household.

Economic resilience will be strengthened through farmer training on improved packages of agricultural practices, the promotion of organic farming, and the use of MGNREGS as a tool for building water security and livelihood stability.

Social protection addresses the high incidence of at-risk migration from the block. The Hub will manage migrant registries and facilitate access to government social protection schemes, supporting households to connect with entitlements and safety nets.

Together, these functions position the Village Vision Saathi Hub as a locally anchored mechanism for planning, coordination, and action.

By placing leadership, technical capability, and accountability within the community, the Hub represents a significant step towards durable, community-owned development in Kalahandi.