Although Odisha is famous for its Sambhalpur saris, Olive Ridley turtles, the Konark temple and the beaches of Puri, the forested hills of Semiliguda Range in Koraput, home to many tribal communities, continue to remain unknown.

The Adivasi communities are socially isolated and downtrodden, but an organisation have been mobilising the communities and making them aware of their rights and privileges for over 25 years.

The Women’s Organisation for Rural Development, or WORD is based in the little town of Damanjodi. It works for those communities that are socially excluded and consequently, economically deprived. WORD helps them in their personal and communal development and empowerment.  

WORD helped to empower women to involve themselves in decision-making for not just their own households but for the village as well. Potential members were recognized and trained for effective Panchayat functioning.

WORD also took up the task of establishing indigenous seed banks where a woman from each village was given the responsibility of procuring, grading & preserving the seeds.

Another significant project was the setting-up of a school, Adarsh Vidyalaya in Kudipadar village, exclusively for the children from the tribal communities. Today, it has 94 students who come from extremely poor tribal households and have to pay nominal fees. 

This organisation has taken many efforts to improve the conditions of living of the isolated tribes.