Peoples' Empowering movement (PEM) is a non profit making organisation engaged in socio-economic upliftment of economically weaker sections of the society. Its area of operation is a small village called Rajwadi in the Sangameshwar Block of the Ratnagiri District in the Konkan Region of Maharashtra. The Konkan is a very biodiversity rich but the same can not be said about its people. Nature here provides enough to survive, but ironically, takes away the urge to struggle for a better quality of life. Taking note of this paradoxical situation, PEM has initiated efforts for multi faceted community development in Rajwadi, a typical small Konkani village with 6 hamlets and a population of approximately 890. It all began in June 2007 with educational support to school children of the village and has by now succeeded in forming 7 women's Self Help Groups, Farmers' Club affiliated to NABARD, collective farming, plantation programmes, solar home lighting, computer labs in the school and a children's library to mention a few. Mr. Satish Kamat, a journalist by profession, is the organisations chairman and is ably supported by Mr. Amrut Purandare and Dhananjay Majgaokar as co-founders. PEM and PEF work together in educating the local youth in environment and wildlife by conducting workshops, seminars and lectures in the local area. To know more about PEM, please visit Konkan PEM