Life Academy of Vocational Studies (LAVS)

About us

Civil Society must address the goals of sustainable development, lest the precious efforts being made to combat fundamental existential problems shall not deliver the desired results. The successive failures in eradicating poverty and disease highlight this fact and calls for renewed efforts on social engineering through participatory initiatives. LAVS emerged as a civil society platform to shape and channelize such initiatives with broadest representation of will, interest and stakeholder commitment.

Women, children, poor farmers and Socio-economically vulnerable groups constitute its valued clients. The dedication and hard work done by LAVS team is acknowledged richly as support and has been forthcoming from all directions - government departments, UN agencies, donor organizations, research institutions and community. In a short span, it has been successful in model building efforts using innovative ideas for outreach, consolidation, sustainable as well as replication. It is very happy to see the overwhelming reciprocation since all its noble plans are being eagerly supported by the existing and prospective partners. With this distinction in its favour, it marches forward to make Orissa a land where the poorest of the poor has the opportunity to survive and acquire a new status marked by material fulfillment and dignity.

Their vision is a society where people's action is given priority for benefit and betterment of poor and marginal sections of the community, guaranteeing eco-friendly sustainable development based on equity, empowerment and initiatives for self reliance by the target clients. Their mission is a community capacity building and skill up gradation, to promote in them a sense of ownership and active partnership in programmes pertaining to their development and well being.

Their major projects are focused on

- livelihood/food security, watershed sustainable agriculture, water and sanitation,
- skill upgradation and institutional interface of women, youth and weaker section under poverty alleviation schemes,
- solar power, bio-gas plants, smokeless chullah, low cost sanitation, small tools and equipment for artisans and farmers.

In Orissa it has lot of works to do for the suffering humanity caught in the tornado of caste, religion, ethnic, class and regional conflicts.

Akshaya Mohapatra is the president cum chief executive of the LAVS.

For other net participants we can offer an expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of our work.