FOR tribal children in Majuli Island, education is an empowering tool. The river island is around one-third the size that it used to be and, due to river erosion, is in danger of disappearing from the Earth. In addition to shrinking land, futures are bleak for people on Majuli Island as the island’s major occupations do not support families as it once did. But Ayang Trust, an education NGO, has a solution to transform the futures of the communities in Majuli Island: education.
Ayang Trust founded The Hummingbird School in 2017 to bring education to the tribal children of Majuli Island. The purpose of the school is to break the cycle of poverty that the island is experiencing through providing educational opportunities to its children. IIT Kharagpur graduate Bipin Dhane, the founder of the education NGO, witnessed the suffering of the people and made a decision to transform their lives through education starting with a piece of donated land and some bamboo wood.
More about Majuli Island
The river island on the Brahmaputra River in the state of Assam has been gradually reducing in size and is now 352 km² which is down from 1,250km² in 1950. The tribal communities living on Majuli Island are primarily engaged in agriculture, with paddy cultivation and fishing as their major occupations. But due to river erosion, these occupations have suffered and this loss of livelihoods has affected the health, well being and futures of the people.
To make matters worse, the island often experiences heavy and uncontrollable flooding which further intensifies the erosion of the island. This environmental catastrophe harms the island, but the impact it has upon the people is devastating. Their worsening livelihoods mean there is less access to education, healthcare and improved futures. But changing this is the aim of education NGO Ayang Trust.
Education is the answer
Bipin Dhane went to Majuli Island and realized education is the tool that will transform the futures of the island’s children. He spoke to people from 19 villages on the island who came forward to donate land for the school as well as bamboo wood and other resources for the education NGO to start building the island’s new school. When the school opened in 2017, 70 children began attending classes and now, there are more than 280 students in The Hummingbird School plus 90 children in the hostel.
The struggles faced by people on Majuli Island
Bipin Dhane of the education NGO sheds light on the struggles faced by the islanders, sharing that “whenever flooding occurs in this area, the situation on Majuli Island becomes very tough. For at least two to 3 months, the farms are submerged in water and no cultivation can take place. In this situation, the people of Majuli Island are helpless. But education can save them from this situation.”
With a solid education from The Hummingbird School, the children have a plethora of job opportunities that open up for them when they become adults, and the cycle of poverty is ended. To reach the school, the children have to cross the river in boats provided by the education NGO. Bipin shares that “even though this is an everyday struggle for them, their passion for studies drives both them and us; we will never say no to a child who wants to go to school.” To support Ayang Trust, you can donate here.
What made IIT-ian Bipin Dhane start an education NGO
Bipin grew up in the small town of Satara in Maharashtra and faced multiple financial hardships. He struggled as a child but despite this, he believed in the power of education. He worked hard and got accepted to IIT Kharagpur and embarked on his professional career in Singapore. But his mind was on the less fortunate and he knew how important it is to make education accessible to children from marginalized communities. So, he returned to India and decided to establish an education NGO called Ayang Trust after visiting Majuli Island.
How this education NGO empowers children on Majuli Island
The Hummingbird School offers education to students from LKG to class 7 and focuses on mastery of all subjects. There are 22 full-time teaching staff from across India whose teaching methods encourage the students to develop a spirit of inquiry and transformation. The education NGO ensures that each classroom is limited to 25 students to maintain a healthy student-teacher ratio conducive to effective learning. To ensure that the education offered is all-rounded, the school offers multiple activities for its students such as:
- a student council for all students from class 1
- a magazine called Punsang with the students’ essays, poems and artwork
- a well stocked library with designated hours
- drama and theater workshops and performances
- folk arts including tabla, harmonium and the Sattriya dance form
- traditional crafts and weaving
- organic farming including piggery, fishery and poultry
- sports such as football, Pencak Silat kickboxing and Ultimate Frisbee
The education NGO ensures the students have a well-rounded and holistic educational experience with all that it offers. Bipin shares that “the people of Majuli Island value education because they know that their children have no future without it. Parents have faith in our The Hummingbird School; they do not want their children to suffer the way they have suffered”.
To see the impact that The Hummingbird School has made, let’s hear from the children. Roopjyoti is one of the students who come from 23 different villages on the island and explains that “the school is my only hope to succeed in life. I feel I am trying to swim out of here and the school stands as a lighthouse on the other side of the river. If the school closes down, I feel that I will drown.” The child goes on to say that all the children and families on Majuli Island depend on The Hummingbird School.
Help educate children on the sinking Majuli Island
The children on Majuli Island are facing an uncertain future. Each passing day, the river island that the children call home is getting smaller and smaller. It is not just their island that is being eroded, but also their futures and opportunities. But your contributions to this education NGO’s school can transform the futures of these children through education. To support Ayang Trust, you can:
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Shirley has been in the development sector for over 10 years and is passionate about making a change in the world around her, including adopting dogs and writing to make a difference.
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