Arivu Karangal Foundation

Chatrapatti is a small place and we are right on High School Street at 147/15. You can't miss the street because the school is right there and the kids are always running around during lunch. Our office is just a small building with a heavy metal door that sticks in the monsoon. Inside, it is just us working on whatever comes up that day. We started this because there was a gap that needed filling in the neighborhood. There is a small grocery shop next door where we get our snacks. The dust from the road comes in if we leave the windows open too long. It’s a bit noisy when the school bell rings but otherwise, it is a peaceful spot to be. We don’t have fancy furniture or a coffee machine, just a kettle that takes forever to boil. Most days are quiet until someone walks in with a question or a form to fill out. We know most of the people on this street by their first names. It feels like a village even though things are changing fast. Sometimes the power goes out in the afternoon, so we just sit outside on the steps and talk until it comes back. It isn't much, but it’s our space in Chatrapatti. We just try to get through the list of tasks every morning.