In a moving reflection, Mr. Ajit Kumar Mahapatra, former Chairperson of the Child Welfare Committee, Puri, shares his firsthand experience of EFICOR’s journey in Bhoi Sahi, Odisha. From immediate post-cyclone relief to long-term child protection and community empowerment, read how quiet, dedicated grassroots action helped transform vulnerable young lives.
When I joined as the Chairperson, Child Welfare Committee, Puri in March 2023, I came across an organisation called EFICOR during a courtesy visit by its team.
I was intrigued when Jhumeliya Mishal, the Project Manager, told me that they were working with children and young people in Bhoi Sahi near Satapada, one of the most backward and poverty-stricken areas of suburban Puri.
My curiosity soon turned into admiration.
What was an organisation from Delhi doing in such a remote and neglected pocket of Odisha?
I visited their field area several times and gradually discovered a remarkable story.
EFICOR had first come there to provide relief after Cyclone Fani devastated coastal Odisha in 2019. But unlike many who arrive with relief and leave when the immediate crisis is over, they choose to stay.
They saw that behind the devastation lay something deeper - poverty, vulnerability, exclusion and children in need of protection and opportunity.
And so, they continued their work.
Quietly.
Consistently.
Without much publicity or fanfare.
Through their dedicated caregivers and under the passionate leadership of Jhumeliya Mishal, they worked patiently with children and families, empowering children, building confidence and bringing their voices and concerns to the attention of the authorities.
During my visits, I was deeply impressed by the commitment, affection and sincerity with which the team worked. They did not merely work for children; they genuinely seemed to work with them.
Some of the issues they brought to my attention were subsequently taken up and resolved through appropriate intervention.
For me, EFICOR became much more than an organisation working in a remote village. It became an example of what child protection looks like when it is driven by compassion rather than publicity.
When they finally wrapped up their project and left the area, I genuinely missed them.
Even today, whenever I meet organisations working in child protection, I often refer to EFICOR and the Bhoi Sahi experience as an example of quiet, committed and transformative grassroots work.
My gratitude to EFICOR, to its field team, to the caregivers, and especially to Jhumeliya Mishal.
Some organisations leave behind infrastructure.
Some leave behind statistics.
The best ones leave behind empowered children, strengthened communities and memories that stay with you.
EFICOR did exactly that.
May their spirit of service, dedication and compassion continue to inspire many more people in the field of child protection.
Children don't always need someone to speak for them. Sometimes, they simply need someone willing to stay long enough to hear them.
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