To build resilient, informed and self-reliant communities by preserving indigenous knowledge, advancing research and fostering sustainable development through collaborative action.

DOMF was incorporated in Ranchi on 29 April 2022 (CIN U85300JH2022NPL018588). It carries forward the work and values of Dr. Karma Oraon (1952–2023), anthropologist at Ranchi University and a voice of the Sarna Dharma movement.

Our values

• Community first: communities stay at the centre of every initiative and decision.
• Research-driven action: evidence, data and local knowledge guide our work.
• Sustainability: solutions that last environmentally, socially and economically.
• Integrity and transparency: accountable governance, operations and partnerships.
• Cultural preservation: respecting and documenting traditions, knowledge systems and identities.
• Collaboration: with governments, institutions, researchers and communities.

What we aim for

• Inclusive community development.
• Preserving and documenting indigenous knowledge systems.
• Research and innovation for social impact.
• Stronger education and local leadership.
• Partnerships that create long-term value for communities.

History and Timeline

Livelihoods · Bishunpur, Gumla

Roots of change: Mamta Devi and family

For years, Mamta Devi's life followed the same uncertain rhythm as most small farming families in Bishunpur: a small patch of land, unpredictable monsoons, and income that rarely stretched far enough. Like many women in her village, she had skills, patience and knowledge passed down through generations, but few chances to turn them into something more.

That changed when she joined DOMF's Medicinal Plant Programme. Trained in growing medicinal plants suited to Jharkhand's soil and climate, she began turning a portion of her land into something new. It was not easy: medicinal crops need precise spacing, patience through longer growth cycles, and trust in a market she had never sold to. DOMF's field team supported her with planting techniques, organic pest management and harvesting.

What made the difference wasn't just training. It was persistence.

She tended her plants through dry spells and adjusted her methods when early attempts fell short. Slowly the plot began to yield, and with DOMF connecting farmers to buyers such as Amritwanam Herbal Trading, she found a reliable channel for what she grew.

Today the plot is an additional, steady source of income that does not depend on a single crop season. She now speaks with the confidence of someone who has built expertise, and often guides other women in her village who are thinking of joining.

More stories from the smart classroom schools, the health camps and the SIR help desk will be added here, each written with the consent of the people in them.

Volunteer and intern with us

Field volunteers help at health camps, plantations and help desks. Research interns from universities such as Ranchi University and DSPMU join our field studies and documentation. Doctors and nurses lend a day to a village camp.

A day in the field

Openings

How the smart classroom project worked

DOMF forwarded a proposal through the District Welfare Officer, Ranchi. NTPC Limited approved Smart Classroom Units under its CSR programme on 20 November 2025. After a survey of five schools, four were chosen for 10 units in all, installed in March 2026 by EdCIL (India) Limited, a Mini Ratna CPSE under the Ministry of Education.

• B. C. Girls Residential High School: 3 units
• Govt. SC Residential High School, Bundu: 2 units
• Govt. SC Residential High School, Kamre: 2 units
• Govt. ST Residential Girls High School, Tamar: 3 units

About 1,100 students and 40 teachers, mostly from Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities, use the rooms.

What we can do with you

• Identify schools, villages or farmer groups, and survey them with local officials.
• Run health camps, awareness drives and plantation programmes end to end.
• Document the work with photos, geo-tags and reports for your CSR filings.

DOMF has no FCRA registration and accepts donations from Indian sources only.