Gauri Nani: The Inspiring Village Leader of Malkangiri

Malakangiri 19th Nov 2025:  Gauri Gain, 45, from the remote Girikanalpalli Panchayat of Padia Block, is widely recognized as the village leader (Maudmani) in her area for her social work. Self-reliant herself, she has helped many women find a path to employment.

With kidney-related diseases spreading in the village, she has also been providing clean drinking water to the local community. Gauri’s journey began during the COVID period. After the severe impact of the pandemic disrupted people’s livelihoods, she, along with her family, worked to make local women self-reliant. At that time, the village faced a severe shortage of clean drinking water, and kidney-related health problems were widespread. Recognizing that contaminated water was causing these issues, Gauri installed a water purification machine at her home, spending nearly two lakh rupees, and has been supplying clean water to the villagers since then.

Gauri is a well-known entrepreneurial woman in the area. She started farming on 8 acres of her family’s 12-acre land. During the financial year 2023-24, through a self-help group, she took a loan of 9 lakh rupees and cultivated paddy on 7 acres, peanuts on 2 acres, and various vegetables such as red pumpkin, okra, and others. On half an acre, she grew bananas and pulses, and on another half-acre, she raised fish, poultry, and goats.

With the cooperation of over 25 local women, she has been conducting these farming activities, helping herself become self-reliant while providing livelihoods to their families. Last year, using an additional loan of one lakh rupees through the group, she purchased a sewing machine and employed some local women.

As a small entrepreneur, Gauri now earns around five lakh rupees annually. While her family lives happily, she has provided regular employment to more than 40 local women. Gauri says that if the government provides her financial support, she can expand mixed farming further, helping more poor women in the village become self-reliant and improve their livelihoods.