Vision:

AVAG collaborates with the rural communities to reveal their innate wisdom and ability to collectively determine and manifest their dynamic potential.

Mission:

AVAG fosters participatory village transformation through:

• community development
• economic development
• capacity building
• psychosocial support

with rural communities in the Auroville bioregion

AVAG is a registered unit of Auroville Village Action Trust (AVAT) and functions as part of the Auroville Foundation. 5 Trustees from Auroville oversee the running of the organisation and ensure that it operates according to its statutes.

The overall service delivery work of AVAG is managed by Anbu and Moris – a wife and husband team of professional social workers, who have been responsible for AVAG activities and organisational development since 1988.

Field work is carried out by a team of 6 development workers who themselves come from Vanur block and are deeply familiar with the ground realities. Additionally, 2 vocational trainers and a team of 8 support staff make up the rest of the AVAG team. AVAG regularly hosts students, interns and volunteers from abroad who assist in all aspects of programme delivery.

AVAG works in partnership with approximately 3,500 women and 850 men organised in 254 Self Help Groups (SHG’s) in approximately 80 villages and Dalit (‘Untouchables’) hamlets neighboring Auroville, with a combined population of 90,000 people.