Smt. Hirbaiben Lobi, a Siddi woman, born in 1960 in Jambur, Taluka Talala,in the district of Junagadh, Gujarat is called sarpanch, because of her immense and untiring contribution to develop and enhance the social and economic background of rural women, specially belonging to Siddi community,even when she holds no official position. She continues to play a major role in motivating village people, including the adivasi community in Jambur and surrounding villages.

Hirbaiben has promoted womens' groups by dealing with issues related to education, health and hygiene, savings, credit, income generating activity and agriculture. She has encouraged entrepreneurship through organic fertilizer manufacturing; neem oil production; animal husbandry; selling vegetables, fruits, readymade garments, milk and milk products, children's toys, utensils; setting up provisional stores, tea/refreshment shops; and conducting tailoring classes.

Realising the importance of education, towards which the villagers in the past and she herself was deprived of, Hirbaiben has set up a day care centre and school for children engaging trained teachers. Today, children of Jambur are able to receive basic education. Further, she persuaded the village people to utilize part of their public land to start pre- primary school, instead of using it for private housing.

Hirbaiben has encouraged women to save money and has made arrangement with the bank for support and provide credit to the rural women.

Hirbaiben strengthened her farming practices by listening to radio programmes on agriculture and regularly communicates and disseminates that information to other villagers, which helps them for agricultural development.

She has been honoured with awards and is regularly invited to various forums to share her experiences. She does not shy away and is unhesitant to address international forum in her mother-tongue, with great ease and confidence. She is one of the laureates to receive the `Prize for Women's Creativity in Rural Life' by the Women's World Summit Foundation, Switzerland in 2002.

Hirbaiben is a mother of three children, and is truly a woman who showers warmth and affection on her people and has a vision of a leader. Her struggle, confidence and compassion on overcoming the social and economical challenges, has enabled Jambur and the surrounding villages receive immense and sustainable returns. She has proved that poverty and illiteracy cannot stop the struggle for rural empowerment and upliftment.