Gram Vikas: An Alternative to Community-Led Total Sanitation

Gram Vikas is a nonprofit organization located in rural east India with a mission to promote processes which are sustainable, socially inclusive and gender equitable to enable critical masses of poor and marginalized rural people or communities to achieve a dignified quality of life. The Capstone team was asked to evaluate Gram Vikas' water and sanitation program in regards to health and community effectiveness. The team's report integrated the program's impacts on the community with an analysis of how the managerial structure of the organization affects the program. The team conducted literature reviews and read extensive field reports from the water and sanitation sector in India and worldwide to gain a fuller understanding of Gram Vikas' role in the development community, while reviewing outside evaluations and in-house testimonials from the organization to gain a better perspective of the functioning organization. A three week trip to India for field research gave the team a rich amount of data and insight into Gram Vikas, and the team's recommendations are geared to help both the organization specifically as well as leave points of reference for other organizations involved with community led methods.