GRAVIS

Gramin Vikas Vigyan Samiti (GRAVIS), or the Centre of People's Science for Rural Development, is a non-governmental, voluntary organization that takes a Gandhian approach to rural development, working with the poor of the Thar Desert and enabling them to help themselves. Since its inception in 1983, GRAVIS has worked with over 50,000 desert families across 850 villages in Rajasthan, reaching a total population of over 1 million, and has established over 1,100 Community Based Organization (CBOs). Through its extensive fieldwork and numerous publications, GRAVIS has come to occupy a leading position amongst voluntary organizations in the region. GRAVIS works out of several field centres across western Rajasthan as well as its main offices in the city of Jodphur. It relies on a dedicated team of 179 full-time employees and over 400 part-time volunteers. These knowledgeable, hard-working individuals are passionate about bringing a better life to the people of the Thar, and they strive tirelessly to realize the Gandhian ideals under which the organization was founded. Please visit our website (http://www.gravis.org.in) for more information.