Afflicted Syndicate Foundation

Rani Apart Shop No 5 is where you’ll find us. It’s on the ground floor at AA-36 Prafullakanan. Being in North 24 Parganas, we see a lot of people passing by our door every day. It’s not a big fancy office, just a simple shop where we do our work. We started this foundation because we wanted to be useful in our own neighborhood. The street outside can get pretty loud during the day with all the rickshaws. We have a small window that lets in some light, but it’s mostly just the fluorescent bulbs. The walls could use a new coat of paint, but we haven't gotten around to it yet. We keep our files in some old metal cabinets that squeak when you open them. It’s a bit of a squeeze when more than three people are inside at once. We don’t have a fancy coffee machine, just a small kettle for making tea. Most of our neighbors know us by now. They drop by to chat or ask for help with small things. We don't have a website or anything like that. We just rely on people knowing where we are. It’s a very local way of doing things. We try to stay on top of the paperwork, but sometimes it piles up on the small desk in the corner. We don't have a secretary. We all just pitch in. Some days we are out and about in West Bengal, and other days we stay right here. It’s not a glamorous life, but it’s what we do.