SPOTLIGHT... on VANARAI and Sagar Dharia

TRUST ME I KNOW WHAT I'm DOING

Periodically on TRUST ME I KNOW WHAT I’m DOING , we share a SPOTLIGHT conversation and feature brief chats with an individual from the community about a special topic or a unique endeavor.

So it’s springtime in a lot of our global areas, where traditionally, things everywhere are starting to bloom. And with melting snow and healthy rains it also means that water is flowing freely to activate dormant soil and nurture the land so that communities and villages can thrive. Or at least that’s the idea, but in today’s reality, more and more rural land is suffering at the hands of a climate in crisis. This is especially true in rural India, where the cyclic pressures of growth, urbanization, social exodus to the cities, and drained resources, have made yesterday’s once fertile land turn into today’s eroded dry deserts. So I was intrigued to learn more about one group’s mission to try and bend the narrative away from that erosion to one of holistic abundance and empowerment, and it was absolutely wonderful to share some time catching up with Sagar Dharia, one of the trustees of Vanarai, an organization deeply committed to rural grass roots conservation and sustainable land restoration. Vanarai was started nearly 40 years ago by Sagar’s grandfather, the late Padma Vibhushan Dr. Mohan Dharia, whose vision was to bring together stakeholders and make villages more self-reliant through education, watershed management, health, sanitation, and farming. Working with over 250 villages across Maharashtra and other states, Vanarai has succeeded in integrating a strong rural development strategy by rejuvenating water and soil, reviving farming practices and economies, and stimulating social change through education and community building. I have to tell you that it is an inspiring design of community activism and energy that’s based on climate science, thoughtful planning, social science, and a modern strategy that doesn’t ignore the challenges of rural development in a rapidly evolving India. Ultimately, cultivating relationships and trust are at the core of this very eco- conscious people movement, and so I asked Sagar why he believes that rural villages are so relevant to India’s successful future?

You can learn more about Vanarai's ongoing work at VANARAI.ORG or get in touch with them at [email protected]