Who We Are
PANI works at the grassroots to empower the community with special focus on women, adolescent girls, farmers, and the most vulnerable and marginalized population enabling them to grow and prosper through awareness, learning, and by taking control of their own life situation.
People’s Action for National Integration – ‘PANI’ is a social development organization working in underdeveloped regions of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Himachal Pradesh in India. It has been active for more than 38 years to create positive and enduring change in the lives of communities living in abject poverty and inequality.
People’s Action for National Integration – PANI is a social development organization currently working relentlessly in underdeveloped regions of northern states of India with focus in Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Bihar. It was founded in the year 1986 by a group of Gandhian social activists under the visionary leadership of Paras Bhai – a prominent and devoted Gandhian activist. The Gandhian philosophy of rural reconstruction and nation building by keeping people’s actions in center was the key guiding principle behind the establishment of the organization. PANI was formally registered in 1989 as a not-for-profit entity under Societies Registration Act XXI, 1860. Its objective is to bring positive and sustainable change in lives of communities living in abject poverty and undue inequality. The organization has directly reached out to more than 2.5 million households in the last three decades through various program interventions.
PANI’s Journey
1986 - 1990
FOUNDATION
Founded in 1986 Registered in 1989
1991 - 1995
INITIAL PHASE
Learning and Institutional Growth
1996 - 2000
EXPANSION
Scale up - Programs and Themes
2001 - 2005
AMPLIFICATION
Geographic expansion, Visibility boost, Perspective building, Grassroots partnerships
2006 - 2010
SPECIALIZATION
Strengthening Thematic expertise
2011 - 2015
TRANSFORMATION
Organizational Transformation
2016 - 2020
OPTIMIZATION
Systems, Processes, Policies for Scale and Growth
2021 - 2026
(Continued Optimization)
OFFICE
Head office of the organization is in Faizabad, Ayodhya, 130 Km from state capital Lucknow. ‘PANI’ has a smaller satellite office in Lucknow for liaising and policy advocacy at the state level on issues that emerge from the grassroots where community level interventions are underway. ‘PANI’ has facilitated the establishment of a network of grassroot level civil society organizations called Supporting Association for Thematic and Holistic Initiative-Uttar Pradesh (SATHI-UP). It has 413 member organizations from 40 districts of Uttar Pradesh. ‘PANI’ also runs a Community Training Centre located in Bhiti block of district Ambedkaranagar. It has infrastructural capacity to provide residential training to 50 persons. This center mainly provides trainings to Community Based Organization (CBO) representatives, frontline government functionaries and staff members of various projects. ‘PANI’ is well connected and associated with relevant state, national and international level networks/alliances/associations to contribute the development process from its grass-root level experiences and thematic expertise.
PANI
PANI is a professionally managed and legally compliant organization, with Board approved standardized HR, finance, and program management systems and functions. PANI has 522 frontline workers and 310 fulltime employees. There is a ten-member Core Management Group (CMG) to manage the Organization, which reports to the Chief Functionary and the Board.