The much-awaited 40th Anniversary of the Foundation Day of Gram Vikas celebrations took place at the Gram Vikas Mohuda campus, Berhampur district, from 21 to 24 January 2019. More than 1000 people, including our Governing Board Members, former and current colleagues, children from Gram Vikas Residential Schools, volunteers, SBI Youth For India fellows, friends and well-wishers joined us to celebrate the anniversary.

The celebration started at Tamana village, one of the oldest villages that Gram Vikas worked in the 1970s. Communities from the Kerandimal hill region and Gram Vikas jointly celebrated the completion of 40 years of Gram Vikas and Kerandimal Gana Sangathana. The founding members were felicitated for their developmental activities in the region and for their continued support during the growth of the organisation.

We paid tribute to colleagues who passed away. Our former colleagues, volunteers and friends spoke about their experience in Gram Vikas.

The revamped website of Gram Vikas was launched on the foundation day. Two publications, ‘40 years history of Gram Vikas’ and Odisha newsletter ‘Gram Vikas Samachar’ were released during the occasion.

Events over four days had sports, cultural programmes, display stalls on the work and achievement of Gram Vikas, and thematic workshops. Children from the residential schools, colleagues and fellows sang and danced. Folk dance-drama by theater artists from Utkal Rangamancha Trust presented the story of Gram Vikas. The display stalls and workshops on specific thematic areas, either new or where new methods are being adopted, made it easier for people to understand the new ventures of Gram Vikas across locations. Interactive stalls on specific programmes had visitors engaging with the staff to learn more about our work.  

Prior to this, Gram Vikas also organised six cluster level events with the community at different locations of Odisha and Jharkhand. More than 5000 men and women from partner communities along with elected representatives, government officials, non-governmental organisations and media joined us for the celebrations. 

Gratitude to everyone for being there and making it meaningful and memorable! Visit our facebook page to see videos and pictures from our cluster level and Mahuda campus celebrations.