Founder Story

Founder’s Story: Shri Amitkumar Banerjee

A Life Dedicated to Children in Need
The story of SAMPARC is deeply rooted in the compassion and vision of its founder, Shri Amitkumar Banerjee, who has been working for the welfare of children since 1984. Through his early work, he realized that children from socially marginalized backgrounds—those born to sex workers, convicts, destitute families, or living on the streets—were completely neglected, with no support from the government or civil society.

Shri Banerjee firmly believed that children should not be judged or labelled based on the background they were born into. Whether a child is an orphan, abandoned, or from a stigmatized background, what they need most is love, security, care, and a nurturing environment to rebuild their lives. He strongly felt that children should be seen not through the lens of their past, but their potential for the future.

Inspired by the family-based SOS model of care, he envisioned a home where such children could grow up without discrimination, develop confidence, and live with dignity. With this mission, he founded SAMPARC (Social Action for Manpower Creation) in 1990, in a rented house in the village of Bhaje near Lonavala, Pune, alongside his colleague Mrs. Lata Pande, with whom he established the Society and Trust.

SAMPARC began its journey with just seven orphaned children. Today, more than 520 children, including orphans, children of sex workers, convicts, destitute and abandoned children, live under the safe and loving shelter of SAMPARC Balgram. These children are not seen as victims of their circumstances, but as valued members of society with rights, dignity, and aspirations.

They grow up with strong cultural, moral, and social values, receiving not just education but exposure to community life, traditions, and opportunities for personal growth. As a result, children raised in SAMPARC Balgram are confident, culturally grounded, and filled with self-esteem, ready to take on life with pride and purpose.

Academic & Grassroots Foundation

He completed his post-graduate studies in Rural Development at the Xavier Institute of Social Sciences (XISS), Ranchi, and went on to join Jayaprakash Narayan’s Sampoorna Kranti Movement. As part of the Bhoodan Movement, he worked in Gaya, Bihar, empowering landless labourers to reclaim their rights and dignity.

Recognizing his dedication, Mrs. Bilkees Latif, wife of then Maharashtra Governor Air Chief Marshal Idris Latif, invited him to Maharashtra to join the Children’s Village Program. He worked closely with her and her representative, Mrs. Nakhooda, for six years. Later, he became part of the SOS Children’s Village, where he embraced the idea that children flourish best in a family-like environment with foster mothers offering emotional care.

The Birth of SAMPARC – 1990

In 1990, Mr. Banerjee and his dedicated colleague, Mrs. Lata Pande, founded SAMPARC (Social Action for Manpower Creation). It began in a modest mud house near the Bhaje Caves, Lonavala, with seven orphaned children brought by social workers from Marathwada. The aim was clear: to give a new identity to children who had been neglected and stigmatized—orphans, children of sex workers, children of convicts, and those living on the streets.

Mr. Banerjee often says:
“These children should not be known for their past or background, but for who they are as individuals with dreams and potential.”
He believed that every child is a project, deserving focused attention in education, health, personality development, and vocational training to ensure they lead a life of self-respect and dignity.

A Vision Beyond Orphanages

Mr. Banerjee never believed that orphaned or abandoned children should live in isolation. Instead, they should be raised under a community umbrella, surrounded by social, cultural, and religious experiences—growing as part of society, not apart from it. He introduced the model of foster mothers in SAMPARC homes to provide psychological and emotional care in a family-like environment.

The number of children under SAMPARC's care soon grew from 7 to 46, and the organization expanded its efforts beyond child care. Pre-primary education programs were launched in 25 villages with support from CRY, while vocational training in welding, tailoring, and bamboo craft was introduced for school dropouts with help from IGSSS. A unique collaboration with Save the Children Canada educated over 200 cowherd children through primary education and skills training..