Apla Manus Foundation

You’ll find us over at C/O Kausalya Bandu Jagdale in the Nagsen Co-op Housing Society. We are in C/3 in the Chikanghar area of Kalyan, Thane. It’s a residential neighborhood, so it feels very much like a community space rather than a business. Apla Manus started because we wanted to be involved in things happening right here around us. The office is basically just a room with some files and a couple of old computers. Things get a bit cramped when more than three people are inside at once. Polished mission statements aren't written on the walls. We just talk about what needs doing over cups of tea. Kalyan is a busy place, and being in a housing society means we see our neighbors every day. It keeps us grounded. We don't use big words or try to act like we’re some huge international group. Folks from 421301 is all we are. Sometimes we forget to update the logbooks or the fan makes a weird clicking noise, but the work gets done anyway. Impressing people isn't the goal. Being part of the fabric of Chikanghar is what we like. If someone needs something, they usually just knock on the door. It’s simple and it’s how we like to run things here. A lot of time is spent just listening to stories from people in the neighborhood. Our foundation isn't in some tall skyscraper; it's right here where life actually happens in Kalyan.