ABSTRACT
Varun Vidyarthi, who trained as an engineer at the prestigious India Institute of Technology, founded the nonprofit organization Manavodaya (which means “human awakening”) to bring appropriate technology to women villagers. When the women rejected his innovations, he realized the shortcomings of purely technical solutions. He drew on his spiritual training to bring forth a process of individual and group transformation that directly linked inner and outer change. Called collective reflection, the process ultimately empowered thousands of small groups of women villagers to become micro-entrepreneurs and vocal members of their communities. A key role was played by the dedicated community engagement facilitators whose rigorous training at Manavodaya prompted their process of transformation through collective reflection on values, purpose, will, and integrity. This chapter depicts the process of collective reflection and recounts the transformative stories of both the facilitators and the women villagers.
