Seeing their success, other organisations and even the government started backing their effort with funds. Today, apart from receiving funds from the state Government, Sadguru is one of the only two voluntary bodies in the country which gets an annual aid of Rs. 3 crore from the European Union. Besides this, it also get Rs. 2 crore a year from Norway.

The only reason money flows in with such ease is that the foundation has plenty of work to show for it. In the past 20 years, it has built 120 lift-irrigation projects, 90 check dams and recharged 10,000 wells, bringing under irrigation a total of 80,000 acres of land. "They have helped build up a model of rural development by harvesting water. Their strength is that unlike others, they talk less and work more, and in doing so have brought a silent revolution to a parched land. "says A.W.F.P. David, Gujarat's additional chief secretary.

The secret of Sadguru's success is the jagawats and the dedication of the 100-odd members of the team. Sadguru boasts of seven IIT engineers and five post-graduates from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences who are willing to work at less than half the salaries they could have earned if they worked elsewhere. Says a modest Jagawat: "We owe our success to these socially-com-mitted professionals."

But Sadguru, with the Jagawats in the lead, is not one to rest on its laurels. According to a study they have carried out, the area needs another 1,500 dams at a cost of Rs. 70 crore. And Sadguru is planning to take up the task head-on. "Our plan is to ultimately wipe out poverty from the face of these districts. "says Jagawat, with determination. And judging from its track record, there is no reason why the Sadguru Foundation should not succeed."