“In recent years, the tribal regions have witnessed very heavy degradation of its land, both forest and non-forest. If this process is not arrested by suitable and prompt measures, our tribal regions have the potential to become deserts, much faster than one can imagine."

In order to reverse this process of environmental degradation and human suffering occurring due to such degradation, efforts need to be done by many to rebuild the lost natural resources and protect and mange the existing resources, we as an organisation have been trying to work on the regeneration and management of the natural resources in the tribal and poor belt of 3 states of Western India for more than 3 decades and in order to continue this work and to spread our wings so as to reach the maximum number of people and villages we need the support and help of many and we hope that you would be one of them. The journey has been a long one but very fruitful and satisfying for us and for the people in whose lives a difference has been made.

“Alike individual, the Institute also has its past, which should always remind what we were in the past. How was the beginning and how we passed through our infancy period? The infancy period of first 2 - 3 years, commencing from 1974 was certainly not full of happiness. It was a period of testing and turbulence, of the kind making new organisation vulnerable for sudden death. It was full of miseries and challenges.

For first two years, it was one person with one in all functions, combining Chief Executive, typist, clerk, driver, peon, everything. Till we reached the staff strength of four, we had only one table shared by four persons sitting on four sides of a common table, placed in one room office of 10 X 15 feet area. Purchasing a simple cheap chair of Rs. 20/- would require lot of thinking and readjusting the budget as it was paltry sum of about Rs. 25,000/- per year which was available from Mafatlals to that all in one functionary.

1990 was an important turning point with the substantial foreign funds matched by the Government funds paved a way for scaling up of the activities. The scaling up was very successful. With this success, which also proved our enhanced capability, more funds were mobilised from the foreign fundings with an addition of European Union support from the year 1994, matched again by the massive fundings from our own Government, which accelerated the progress at the level not achieved by any NGO in the area of highly accountable field of natural resources management. With the size, quality, capacity and widespread proven benefits of such projects, it is a phenomenal achievement in NGO sector. Our tough and rough infancy period full of turmoil, made us tougher to accept any challenge and it also taught us that when the opportunity was offered, it had to be grabbed. Sadguru has in last several years grabbed and capitalized on every opportunity to accelerate the progress and in the process built up an exceptionally capable organisation of national and international fame in the field of natural resources managed by the people.

What was once started, as an insignificant, modest experiment has been now acknowledged as a viable, relevant and replicable important model in the tribal development, with a prospect to spread in the entire tribal region of our country.

With all the troubles and turmoil that we faced in our initial years, what we pleasantly remember is the love by the local tribals who after initial testing period gave us tremendous love, affection and support. We remember late Nurjibhai Damor, a leader from our oldest project village Shankerpura, who would never tolerate any criticism of Sadguru by any one, telling people that criticising Sadguru, would amount committing a sin. Such deep sentimental respect for Sadguru not only helped in our survival, but, added much needed tonic for our growth. The Government and all the funding agencies put a great trust in us and every funding agency, giving fund has over the years increased its quantum.” We hope and believe that this natural resources development model that we initiated in 1974 will spread and be replicated by many . We look forward to constant support and encouragement by all who believe in our work and who believe that such development is needed to make many lives comfortable and livable.”