Al-Salwa International Foundation

Locating Al-Salwa International Foundation means you have to find Hajrabibi Ibrahim Shaikh’s place first. We are right there in Turner Plot within the Nandurbara district. It’s a bit of a trek if you aren't from around here, but the locals know the way well enough. Being in a place like Turner Plot means we aren't tucked away in some skyscraper. We are right in the middle of the community, where things actually happen. The office is basically run out of a residence, so it has that lived-in feel. There’s no lobby or fancy security guards at the front. You just come by and see if we are in. Nandurbara can get pretty hot during the summer months, and the dust from the plots settles on everything if you leave the windows open too long. We spend our days mostly organizing things and talking to people who come through. It’s simple work, but it keeps us on our toes. Hajrabibi’s house is a landmark for us, a place where we feel comfortable doing what we do. We don't have a lot of bells and whistles. Just some old desks and a lot of commitment to the day’s work. It might not look like an international foundation from the outside, but we manage just fine from this corner of Maharashtra. It’s a quiet life here, but we stay busy with the paperwork and the visitors who stop by to chat about local matters most afternoons.