Agragamee began work in 1981 seeking to understand the paradox of poverty and hunger in a land of abundance. The challenges were immense. There were few roads to reach the villages, hunger and epidemics were inherent part of the yearly cycle, a small community of contractors and landlords reigned supreme, and there was little or no respect for the law.

Our work began with discussions and dialogues with the people, community leaders, elected representatives and Government functionaries. This helped us understand the complex multi-layered systems of exploitation and coercion that people suffered. It also opened up the doors of perception to local community members to concepts of justice, equality, human rights, freedom and began a process of empowerment.