In a village distinguished by its rustic charm, traditional way of life, and close-knit community, I found myself embarking on a journey of community empowerment and collective action. Kalandi is situated in the Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh and is inhabited mainly by cultivators, agriculture labourers, and marginal workers. The village is big enough to call itself a panchayat.

As a volunteer for the Saksham programme, I dedicated myself to fostering positive change through good governance and social entitlements in Kalandi. My conviction was built on the simple realisation that the power of change rests in the hands of the people themselves. The villagers have the power to write their own stories and create impactful change in their surroundings. This insight drove my determination to work towards improving the lives of the villagers and empowering them to recognise their collective strength.

I was impressed with the Saksham programme goals, which promote collective efforts and collective strength. I am convinced that the Saksham programme can bring positive change to the village community. But it is the village community that can play a major role in bringing about developmental change in the village through their participation in Ward Sabha and Gramme Sabha. It is through the Gram Panchayat Development Programme that they can give their valuable suggestions to the Gram Sabha for developmental work.

One glaring issue that demanded attention was the village’s deteriorating pond. The wastewater of the village, garbage, and silt accumulates in this pond, making it a breeding ground for waterborne diseases and emitting a foul smell that affects the overall hygiene of the village. Witnessing the plight of the villagers and understanding the dangers they faced, the Saksham team was determined to bring about a change through collective action.

Convincing the villagers was no easy task because village development was considered the responsibility of the Gram Pradhan and the Panchayat Samity. The turning point came when we initiated a discussion about integrating the cleaning of the pond into the village’s development plan. The Saksham team, through community meetings and dialogues, slowly bridged the gap between scepticism and determination.

The village community convened a ward Sabha Meeting to discuss the pond cleaning. The Saksham programme acted as a catalyst in guiding the community to articulate their demands effectively. The application was submitted to Gram Pradhan for further action on September 2, 2022. The community members also dialogued with the Pradhan for pond cleaning. The Pradhan assured action under the Clean India Campaign. In spite of the assurance, the pond cleaning never materialised for some time, which was followed, and the work began after some delay.

The pond cleaning took 20 days. The cleaning of the pond was included in the development plan, and the project received support under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). This not only led to the restoration of the pond but also provided employment opportunities for several villagers, further reinforcing the concept of collective action for the greater good.

I personally felt that the initiative of the Saksham programme contributed greatly to mobilising the community to solve their problems. A sense of ownership has developed among the community members. They had not only cleaned a pond but also cleansed their doubts about their ability to drive change. The collective action they had taken didn’t just result in a cleaner pond but also in a stronger sense of community, unity, and empowerment. It was a testament to what could be achieved when people come together with a shared purpose.

The villagers are now ready to volunteer and participate in ward Sabha, Gram Sabha, and other community initiatives in the village. It has been an eye-opener for the village community, which earlier thought that village development work lay only on Gram Pradhan.

“I am satisfied to see things happening and feel that blessing lies in sharing, which I see manifested in the process of mobilising the village community, conducting ward Sabha, following up on the application, winning the confidence of Gram Pradhan, and finally cleaning up the pond,” says Lokesh, the volunteer of the Saksham programme, while narrating the impact. He also says that it is a great success of community effort, which has dispelled the darkness of preconceived notions and beliefs.