SAHAYI-Centre for Collective Learning and Action is involved in empowering the citizens for participating in local governance and sustainable development and has been functioning as a support Voluntary Development Organisation. It is about 20 years since SAHAYI started its development interventions in South India, with focus on Kerala. The central concern of the organisation has been the promotion of participatory approaches for sustainable development.

The initial focus of SAHAYI was on the capacity development of Voluntary Organisations. From 1994, the focus shifted to embrace the entire field of participatory development action, including the world of local self-governence and the civil society formations. Today, the programmatic thrust is on strengthening the local self governance institutions (LSGIs) of panchayats and municipalities.

The Asian tsunamis disaster has spurred Sahayi to take up tsunamis releif, rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Developing the capacities of the Voluntary Development Organisations (VDOs) still remains one of the properties of SAHAYI. A specific concern in this area is motivating and capacitating the VDOs for undertaking LSGIs strengthening programmes. Lately Sahayi also exerted the field of Social Cohesion and Peace.

To fulfill its mission, SAHAYI has adopted several strategies such as promoting participatory approaches in development and social change initiatives, strengthening capacities of elected representatives and other development actors and women leaders of civil society organisations, conducting action research for public advocacy, promoting peace and social cohesion and promotion / strengthening of micro-enterprises.