For generations, the predominantly tribal districts of Jhabua and Alirajpur were planned for, rather than planned with. Policies designed from the outside overlooked the knowledge and strengths already present within the Bhil, Bhilala, and Pateliya communities. Water sources dried up, forests thinned, and the land that families owned turned barren. As agriculture collapsed, seasonal migration rose, pulling families toward daily-wage work in unfamiliar places, and the social fabric of these communities began to fray.

The answer, one organisation believed, was not another externally designed programme. It was to invest in the communities themselves.

Working since the late 2000s, the organisation’s central principle is that lasting change comes from leadership grown within. Village by village, it nurtures committed young people from these communities into skilled social leaders who take responsibility for their own villages’ development. These are changemakers from Jhabua and Alirajpur, who understand the terrain, speak the language, and carry the trust of the people around them.

Community collective action sits at the heart of this model. Local practices like halma, a traditional form of collective labour among tribal communities where people come together to work on a shared task without expectation of individual return, were revived and channelled toward afforestation, water conservation, and land restoration. Villagers plan, consent to, implement, and protect the work themselves. The organisation plays a facilitating role, offering resources, technical support, and capacity-building where needed.

What was once one of the most resource-depleted regions in central India is steadily becoming a case study in community-led renewal.