Serving People With Care, Dignity & Commitment
The Servants of India Society was founded in 1905 to serve the poor, needy and depressed, irrespective of caste, creed or religion. Its Choudwar Centre in Odisha has carried that mission forward for close to a century, working quietly in child development, women development, education, rural reconstruction and distress relief.
- 1905
- Society Founded
- 1927
- Choudwar Centre Established
The Servants of India Society, Choudwar Centre premises.
A Mission Rooted in Service
The Servants of India Society, also known as the Hind Sevak Sangh, is a premier all-India level social service voluntary organization. It was founded in 1905 by the statesman Gopal Krishna Gokhale, who is remembered as the political Guru of Mahatma Gandhi. The Society pioneered socio-economic and political reform in the pre-independence era of the nation.
Its founding purpose was to serve the cause of the poor, needy and depressed, without distinction of caste, creed or religion, and to build a spirit of service and sacrifice among the people it worked with. Today, the Society continues its welfare activities across India through its various branches and centres.
“To serve the cause of millions of poor, needy and depressed persons, irrespective of caste, creed and religion, and to build up a higher type of character and capacity among the people.”Founding Object, Servants of India Society, 1905
The Choudwar Centre
The Choudwar Centre of the Servants of India Society was established in 1927 by late Padmashree Laxminarayan Sahoo, the first member of the Servants of India Society from Odisha. Since its inception, the Centre has rendered uninterrupted social service in this locality and in various places throughout Odisha.
Its work has spanned:
- Child Development
- Women Development
- Education
- Rural Reconstruction
- Leprosy Rehabilitation
- Distress Relief
Our Areas of Service
The Choudwar Centre's work is carried out across a small number of core areas, each rooted in the day-to-day needs of the community it serves.
Child Development
Care, nourishment and development support for children in need, including those cared for at the Servindia Children's Home and Sishu Greh.
Education
Schooling support, a children's library and skill-building programmes including computer training.
Women Development
Vocational training, including tailoring, aimed at building self-sufficiency among women in the community.
Rural Reconstruction
Community-level work carried out across Choudwar and other parts of Odisha since 1927.
Health & Medical Support
The Laxminarayan Leprosy Clinic, health checkup camps and participation in public health programmes such as Pulse Polio.
Distress Relief
Support extended to individuals and families facing hardship in the local community.
Servindia Children's Home
Also known as Sishu Sadan, the Servindia Children's Home was started at the Choudwar Centre in 1975 to provide security and a means of living for parentless, abandoned and socially handicapped children in need of care and protection. The Centre makes the best use of its resources to support the sound physical, emotional, intellectual, social and cultural development of every child in its care.
Programmes at the Choudwar Centre
Servindia Sishu Greh
A Specialized Adoption Agency providing intensive care for abandoned and relinquished babies aged 0 to 6 years.
Computer Training Unit
Basic computer training offered to children and young people from the local community.
Tailoring Training
Vocational tailoring training that supports self-sufficiency for women in the community.
Get Involved With Our Work
Reach out to the Choudwar Centre to learn more about our activities or how you can support them.