Origanisation For Rural Reconstruction & Integrated Social Service Activities (ORRISSA) came into being in the year 1987 as an initiative of a group of young social workers who believed strongly that village sovereignty is the answer to the challenges of governance and the well-being of the communities. As the organization is based in areas with dominant population of Kondh and Koya tribes, the preserved and practiced values of these tribes are the guiding principles for ORRISSA’s interventions.
ORRISSA was founded as a not for profit registered society in 1989. ORRISSA works at different levels to ensure that the tribes have access to and control over the local resources and produce and consume whatever they decide. ORRISSA works towards low external input-based sustainable agricultural practices that are rooted in traditional agriculture. It works towards ensuring food security to combat hunger and furthering women’s rights.
Over the last 25 years, the ORRISSA team has been successful in issue-based interventions on tribal rights over Food, Health, Land, Water, Forest and Education through People’s Organizations. ORRISSA has gained expertise on PRA & PLA, action research, strengthening of traditional Adivasi People’s Organization including promotion of women cooperatives, food security, local resource based Sustainable Agriculture, Disaster Mitigation, Literacy, Forest and Natural Resource Management, Land & Water Management and Advocacy & networking.
