The best part of the conference was the large number of village volunteers (more than 200) who had come from various villages to present their one year work to the group.  For many of the volunteers (mostly young women who had themselves dropped out after 8th or 10th std) this was the first time they were climbing a stage to speak!  These were volunteers from very poor families who had voluntarily spent 1-2 hours every day over the last 10-12 months working to improve the quality of education and health in their villages.  Their motivation and the grassroots perspective they came inspired all the conference participants.  The conference also gave their work a recognition and helped shape their identity.

http://www.hindu.com/2005/10/31/stories/2005103106910100.htm