TRUST ME I KNOW WHAT I'm DOING

So periodically on TRUST ME I KNOW WHAT I’m DOING , we share a SPOTLIGHT conversation and feature brief chats with an individual from the community about a special topic or a unique endeavor. On this spotlight episode, and in keeping with our ongoing mantra that conversation is the antidote to apathy, I wanted to amplify ways that give voice to those who aren’t always heard, particularly at the grassroots level and for those in rural communities. So I was grateful to share a conversation with policy consultant and social entrepreneur, Rimjhim Gour. Rimjhim is the founder of GRAMYA, a digital grassroots audio platform that facilitates two-way conversations on policy-related matters within rural communities. With GRAMYA, they have hosted over 50,000 conversations. These discussions have not only facilitated a deep "knowledge transfer" among villages and groups of women but have also unveiled numerous inspiring stories of individuals who have achieved extraordinary feats despite limited resources. She also founded and leads Sapiens Research and Analysis, a political consultancy which works on empowering villages and creating a diverse network of grassroot surveyors to gather unbiased and candid local perspectives while building a trusted ecosystem of grassroot consultants, and help drive the narrative on everything from social mobility and governing policy to political action. Currently, she has 7000+ grassroot consultants working with her across 5500+ local councils in India and South Asia, and aspires to build the largest network of rural consultants across the world. Particularly with a lens on women, Rimjhim believes in placing the power right in the hands of female nurturers of the country, affecting change for issues around women’s health, digital and financial literacy and female entrepreneurship. So as we started chatting, I wanted to know more about how she came to realize the allure and power of working with rural communities?