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Jagruti Kandhamal

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About Us

Dedicated to the holistic development of marginalized communities.

Established

1980

Operational States

16

Beneficiaries

50,000+

Jagruti is a non-profit making voluntary organization registered under Society Registration Act, working for the Tribal, Dalit, women, Children and other vulnerable communities of Kandhamal, Koraput and Kalahandi districts of Odisha since last three and half decades.

Jagruti was born on 15th November 1982. It was registered as a voluntary organization under the Societies Registration Act’1860 in the year 1990. Right from the beginning, Later on, it was registered under the Societies Registration Act in the year 1990. From the beginning, Jagruti has had a conviction of placing people’s needs and collective action above issues and projects. The approach from its very inception has been people-centered, involving people groups in each activity; be it the identification of problems, planning, monitoring, and assessment.

The first few years Jagruti engaged itself in extensive Motivation and Sensitization programs covering 14 Gram Panchayats in 6 Blocks (Daringbadi, Baliguda, Kotagarh, Phiringia, Tikabali and G.Udayagiri ) of Phulbani (Now Kandhamal) District in Odisha. Later on, the organization extended its operational area to three more districts (Boudh, Kalahandi, and Koraput). During the initial phase of the organization, the focus was on building the Peoples Organisation with emphasis on Pre-Primary Education and organizing Health Awareness Programs. These were years of toils and hardships. Once the People’s organizations were formed a lot of important issues were effectively addressed.

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Our Mission

  • To play a catalytic and enabling role in empowering the disadvantaged groups of the society for sustainable and self-reliant development through.
  • Organizes people's forums to promote community-led decision-making, planning, and monitoring.
  • Advocates and lobbies for people-centered policies and systemic change.
  • Builds capacities and skills to strengthen livelihoods and self-reliance.
  • Develops infrastructure with forward and backward linkages to support local enterprises.
  • Creates and shares sustainable models in livelihoods, natural resource management, governance, health, education, and women's empowerment.

Our Vision

A just and equitable society where the most vulnerable have equal opportunities to participate in decision-making and live with dignity.

Our Strategic Mandate

Playing a Catalytic Role in Empowering the Disadvantaged

Our mission is to enable sustainable and self-reliant development through a multifaceted strategic approach.

People's Forums

Organizing peoples forums at different levels and involving people in decision making, planning and monitoring a process for their own development.

Lobbying & Advocacy

Lobbying and Advocating for people centered issues to ensure social justice and systemic change.

Capacity Building

Implementing skill development measures to enhance livelihoods and foster self-reliance among disadvantaged groups.

Sustainable Infrastructure

Providing extended infrastructure with inbuilt forward and backward linkages to ensure market access and growth.

Innovation Models

Creating replicable models in livelihood, NRM, governance, health, nutrition, WASH, and education for wider dissemination.

Domains of Innovation

Livelihood Systems
Natural Resource Management
Good Governance
Health & Nutrition
Water & Sanitation
Primary Education
Women Empowerment
Sri Kailash Candra Dandapat

Sri Kailash Candra Dandapat

Executive Secretary

A Message from our Leadership

"Over the past 42 years, Jagruti has walked hand in hand with the people of Kandhamal, Koraput, and Kalahandi — regions rich in culture and resilience, yet often shadowed by poverty, exclusion, and marginalization. Our journey began with a simple belief — that every person, regardless of caste, tribe, or gender, deserves dignity, opportunity, and a voice in shaping their own future. Through changing times and emerging challenges, we continued to stand alongside Tribal, Dalit, women, and children, nurturing pathways of empowerment through education, livelihoods, health, and rights- based interventions. Our work this year deepened community participation, strengthened local governance, and built bridges between traditional knowledge and modern opportunities."

Sri Kailash Candra Dandapat

Our Journey

Our History in Brief

Our Principles

Our Core Values

Compassion

Empathy for the vulnerable guides our actions.

Integrity

Upholding transparency and accountability in all we do.

Collaboration

Working with partners to maximize our impact.

Excellence

Striving for the highest quality in our programs and results.

Our Reach

Operational Area

Regional Focus

Mainly active in remote and marginalized tribal areas, focusing on underserved populations.

How We Work

Our Approach

Rights-Based Approach

We empower communities to understand and claim their rights.

Community-Led Initiatives

Our projects are designed and implemented in close partnership with community members.

Sustainable Development

We focus on long-term impact by building local capacity.

Our Governance

The Governing Body

Sri Kailash Candra Dandapat

Sri Kailash Candra Dandapat

Executive Secretary

Driving the organization's vision and mission with community-focused leadership.

Join Us in Making a Difference

Your support can change lives. Whether you volunteer your time, make a donation, or partner with us, you are a crucial part of our mission.