Samarkala Foundation

Samarkala Foundation is located in the Bareipali area of Sambalpur. We’re right near Ravi Dhaba, which is a good landmark if you’re trying to find us. We operate out of a space cared for by Jagannath Gupta. It’s a busy part of the Sadar area, especially with the dhaba nearby bringing in a lot of people and trucks. Our office isn't anything special to look at. It’s just a room with some old furniture and a lot of heart. We spend most of our time working on local projects and trying to help out the community here in Orissa. It can get pretty hot in the afternoons, so we usually have a fan going full blast. We don't have a big staff, just a few of us who grew up around here and wanted to do something useful. You’ll often find us sitting outside in the mornings talking to neighbors. We don't really do the whole corporate thing with meetings and schedules. We just see what needs to be done each day and try to get it finished. Sometimes we’re out in the villages and the office is locked, but we’re usually back by evening. It’s a simple way of working. We know most people in Bareipali by name, and they know where to find us. We’re just a small part of the local life here, trying to keep things moving in the right direction without making a big fuss about it.