Livadia Foundation

We are out in the village of Rani Chak, which is in the Paschim Medinipur district. Our office is really just at Shyam’s place, which serves as our main base for everything we do. It’s a rural setting, so we don't have any of the fancy office equipment you might find in a city like Kolkata. We have a few chairs, a solid table, and a lot of patience. Being in Rani Chak means we are very close to the people we are trying to help. We don't have a website or a marketing team to tell our story. People in the village just know us by name, and they stop by whenever they have something to discuss. It’s a very practical way to live and work. We don't have a mission statement or a set of corporate values. We just try to be decent people and help out where we can. The pace of life in Paschim Medinipur is different, and we’ve learned to go with the flow. Sometimes we spend the whole afternoon just talking to someone under a tree because that’s more important than filing paperwork. We don't have a big budget, so we make do with what we have at the house. Shyam keeps things in order as best as he can. It is a simple life and a simple way to run a foundation. We aren't looking for fame or money. We just want to keep being a part of Rani Chak and doing our bit for the community.