This case engages with the journey of Community Development Centre (CDC), a small non-profit organisation operating in the Mahakaushal region of Madhya Pradesh for over two decades. The case demonstrates how CDC has created a resilient and responsive organisational culture in a remote and resource-starved environment to address multiple developmental challenges of the region and in particular, of the most marginalised Baiga tribe within it. It underscores the importance of a firm conviction in the cause as a precondition of talent which works in such a context.
It draws attention to the persistence and skill required to develop lasting relations of trust with the community and the challenges involved in balancing constructive contestation as well as support for the local and state administration. This case represents many similar small organisations that carry out credible and often pivotal work in their own contexts. Through the example of CDC, this case aims to build an appreciation of how nurturing such organisations is critical to give due share to those who remain invisible to the mainstream developmental discourse.