We all wonder from time to time how we can be an addition to this world, how to help others and look out for a bright future in a structural way.

Kalyan Akkipeddi had one of the solutions: build a whole village so people can be sustainable, live in a healthy environment ánd even skateboard!

“..an attempt by Kalyan to create a village prototype that enjoys autonomy with respect to its basic needs through ecologically sustainable ways.”

The way he started

Before starting Proto Village, Kalyan travelled across India for about 2.5 years between 2008 and 2010. In 2010 he came back to his native district Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh and travelled across 166 villages and finally settled in Tekulodu village. There he spent a good amount of time interacting with all the villagers and understood all about the village – from financial conditions to health issues of about 100 families in a span of 100 days.”

Hope leads to success

“After this, he chose a family whose annual income is Rs. 6,500 per year and started working with them for the next eight months. During his stay with the family, he worked along with them in their agricultural land and helped them to increase their income to Rs.14,000 per month. One thing Kalyan understood was villagers don’t like preachers but doers.

The success with the family boosted Kalyan’s hope. This prompted Kalyan to start Proto Village. After buying the land, Kalyan invited the villagers to join him in building the village. Ten families from the Tekulodu village volunteered to be part of this new village. All the families will have an equal right to the village as guardians.”
 
Do you want to know how he did this and how he got this village sustainable with, for example, electricity generation and schooling? Check the website below and share your ideas with us and the world! You never know what it might result in.

Article about the village of Kalyan Akkipeddi on Efforts For Good
www.protovillage.org/