Akritiakar Social Welfare Foundation

Our small office is tucked away in Sonarpur at Joy Bhattacharyya’s place. It’s specifically in the Khodahatipaillen area, which can get a bit crowded during the market hours. We’ve been operating from this location for a while now. The building isn't very new, and you can see some wear and tear on the stairs, but it’s our home base. Inside, there are a couple of desks pushed against the walls to make enough room for people to walk through. We handle a lot of the administrative stuff right here. Joy is usually around to help out with whatever comes up during the afternoon. Sometimes the electricity goes out for an hour or so, and we just open the windows and wait for it to come back. It’s a very local vibe, where the neighbors might pop their heads in to say hello or ask a quick question. We don’t have a receptionist or anything like that. If someone knocks, whoever is closest to the door gets up to answer it. The paperwork is kept in a few metal cupboards that we bought second-hand. It’s a simple setup because we don’t need much else to get our tasks done. Living and working in Sonarpur has its own pace, and we’ve gotten used to the sounds of the street and the occasional rain hitting the roof. We just stay focused on the work we have in front of us each morning.