Source: UN News: Saturday, May 16, 2026 00:01 AM
UN Resident Coordinator in India Stefan Prieszner has paid an official visit to the states of Odisha and Gujarat and took stock of the development programs being carried out by UN agencies. During this time he also met with youth, women’s groups, health workers, climate activists and local communities, and saw how development progress was taking shape at the grassroots level. Adolescent girls in Odisha’s Puri district shared their aspirations to stay in school, stop child marriage and achieve equal opportunities. Panchayat leaders in Modhera, Gujarat, said that uninterrupted solar energy has increased incomes and opened up new avenues of education and employment for the youth. Stefan Priestner, the top UN official in India, listened to the people while taking stock of the work of UN agencies in Odisha and Gujarat. Praising the cooperation between state governments and UN agencies, funds and programmes, he said, “Governments have implemented many UN-supported projects and initiatives on a large scale. “, and some have also been shared with other countries through the UN-India Global Capacity-Building Initiative.” © UN India/Blassy Boben Residents of Chandanpur Gram Panchayat in Puri district of Odisha share their experiences and observations with Stefan Preissner, United Nations Resident Coordinator in India. Youth leading change The United Nations has the largest presence in the country in Odisha, and its agencies are working in line with the Odisha 2036 goal developed by the state government. Stefan Preissner spoke to about 200 people, including mothers, adolescent girls, self-help groups, health workers, Poshan Sakhis, panchayat leaders and Anganwadi workers in Chandanpur Panchayat. Women and girls in the community said that over the past decade, more children have gone to school. The health of families has improved and more women are engaged in sustainable livelihoods. Adolescent girls also shared aspirations to prevent child marriage, continue education and equal opportunities. Youth-centric and UNFPA And Unicef Programs supported by the Government of India are strengthening these efforts. © UN India/Blassy Boben Stefan Preissner, United Nations Resident Coordinator in India, talks to local residents in Modhera, India’s first fully solar-powered village. More than 1,300 solar panels provide energy to homes and offices in this village located near the Sun Temple in Gujarat’s Mehsana district. Women at the center of changeThe story of women’s leadership emerged prominently in this journey. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Odisha is providing information to members of women self-help groups on digital and financial skills, legal rights and measures to protect them from violence and discrimination. The state also has India’s largest number of ‘Lakhpati Didis’ – women associated with self-help groups who have created sustainable incomes and economic self-reliance. Community health workers, auxiliary nurses and midwives, Anganwadi supervisors and Poshan Sakhis are also playing an important role in strengthening health and nutrition services at the grassroots level. Activists said digital tools like nutrition trackers are helping to better support families. © UN India/Blassy Boben Stefan Preissner, United Nations Resident Coordinator in India, with children at an Anganwadi center in Puri district of Odisha. Here, community health workers and Anganwadi supervisors are using digital tools like nutrition trackers to better monitor nutrition indicators. The Resident Coordinator met women from the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) in Gujarat who said, “Earlier we used to hesitate in asking for a loan of even Rs 5,000, now our bank gives loans up to Rs 5 lakh.” Over the past five decades, SEWA has helped connect 1.8 million women workers to economic services, fair wages, legal recognition and support systems. © UN India/Blas Boben UN India and UNICEF India teams at the Sun Temple in Modhera, Gujarat. This 11th century temple is dedicated to the Sun God. He also learned about ‘Surya Project’, under which UNEPReNew and SEWA are training 1,000 women working in salt fields in the Rann of Kutch in solar energy and green technologies. Of these, more than 140 women have found work in solar energy and related sectors. “Gender equality is the foundation of all Sustainable Development Goals,” the Resident Coordinator stressed at a workshop organized on Sustainable Development Goal 5 in Ahmedabad. © UN India/Blassy Boben UN Resident Coordinator helps fill a World Food Programme-supported Annapurti grain ATM with rice in Mancheswar, Odisha. This facility, which started in the year 2024, is India’s first 24/7 grain distribution machine, which has been used by about 25,000 beneficiaries. Food Security, Health and Climate Action Stefan Preissner in Mancheswar, Odisha world food program (WFP) Visited Annapurti Grain ATM supported. Through this, till now more than 25 thousand beneficiaries have received about 500 tonnes of rice. Local people cited easy access and convenience as its biggest advantage. UN teams at Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar are supporting the state government in child nutrition, immunization, maternal health and assistance to people affected by gender violence. UNICEF-supported Child and Breastfeeding Management Center provides counseling to mothers on breastfeeding and child nutrition. This hospital is also the center of the first human milk bank of Odisha. © UN India/Blassy Boben Stefan Prizner, United Nations Resident Coordinator in India, with staff at the UNFPA-supported Sakhi One Stop Center at Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar. This center provides medical aid, legal aid, temporary shelter and police assistance to people affected by gender violence. UNFPA provides training and technical assistance to one-stop centers for people affected by gender-based violence. According to activists, there were more than 700 cases in 2025, of which 670 were registered with the police.United Nations Development Program (United NationsUNDP), through digital platforms like U-WIN and e-WIN, is helping to strengthen vaccination services, vaccine stocks and last mile health coverage. In Puri, young climate leaders from the UNICEF-supported Youth4Water+ network shared their local initiatives on reducing waste, protecting ecosystems and sustainable practices. This network reaches more than 5 lakh youth in the climate-sensitive state of Odisha. © UN India/Blassy Boben A nurse at the UNICEF-supported Child and Breastfeeding Management Center at Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar, explains the process of storing and labeling breastmilk to promote healthy breastfeeding habits. Heritage and DevelopmentThe visit reflected heritage, identity and sustainability along with development. The Resident Coordinator visited the 13th century Konark Sun Temple in Odisha, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In Gujarat, he paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at the Sabarmati Ashram and visited Mehsana’s historic stepwell, Rani Ki Vav. Impressed by the grandeur of Rani Ki Vav, he said, “This amazing stepwell is a masterpiece of architecture, engineering and art, and reflects the importance of access to water for life.” © UN India/Blassy Boben Rani Ki Vav, or Queen’s Stepwell, illuminated at night in Patan, Gujarat. This 11th-century underground structure was built as an inverted temple and utility stepwell, symbolizing the sanctity of water. It was given the status of UNESCO World Heritage Site in the year 2014. At a meeting of over 60 tribal communities in Odisha, the emphasis was on carrying forward development work not “for” the communities, but “with” the communities. It highlighted the importance of local leadership, last mile services and use of real-time data. In India’s first solar-powered village, Modhera in Gujarat, residents said solar energy had changed their lives. “Now there are no power cuts,” said a resident. Others said they are able to run businesses from home, children are studying online, and the village flour mill is running smoothly. © UN India/Blassy Boben A resident of Modhera village in Gujarat shows Stefan Preissner, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in India, the machine she uses to seal packets at home. This is a steady source of income for them, powered entirely by solar panels installed on their rooftop. Development from the Grassroots Stephan Preissner said, “This trip reminded me how vast states like Odisha and Gujarat are, and the breadth of their economic, social and environmental programs. In any other part of the world, these states would have been considered the equivalent of large countries in their own right.” Between the different geographies, priorities and programs of Odisha and Gujarat, a common message emerged – local-based development. This development is reflected in the adolescent girls who are demanding equal opportunities. In the women who are strengthening their livelihoods, in the health workers who are supporting families, in the youth who are leading climate action, and in the communities who are improving everyday lives through technology and local institutions. The message is clear: the real power of the Sustainable Development Goals lies not in the plans on paper, but in the everyday work of the people who are making them a reality on the ground.
