The Hummingbird and the audacity of hope

[Ankur Bora]

I am glad to inform that today I gave a speech here in Dallas on Bipin Dhane and his incredible story of establishing  Hummingbird, an Assamese school in the river island of Majuli. The speech was well received. On the background of recent floods here in Texas , the audience  was able to connect to the narrative. Bipin , we are proud of you , here is the link to the speech.

https://www.sameboatbrother.com/post/the-hummingbird-and-the-audacity-of-hope

Thanks

Ankur

On Sunday, June 15, 2025 at 03:25:12 PM CDT, Aswathy Preetha Jayakumar <asw...@ayang.org.in> wrote:

Dear Ankur,

Thank you so much for meticulously capturing the essence of our meeting yesterday. It was a true privilege and joy to share about our work, and also hear about the incredible contribution of each person in their own spheres of life in creating a better world.

I am attaching the presentation deck that I had prepared for our meeting. Further, sharing the link to the letter Bipin had penned to the Mising community that we spoke about in the meeting: https://www.thehummingbirdschool.in/post/a-love-letter-to-the-misings

Looking forward to staying connected with all of you and working together towards building a thriving Assam.

With gratitude and warmest regards,

Aswathy

On Sun, Jun 15, 2025 at 7:54 PM Ankur Bora <ankur_b...@yahoo.com> wrote:

We had a successful meeting .  Please find the meeting minutes

The meeting began with introductions and discussions about the backgrounds and connections of the participants, including Bipin, Aswati, and Dr. Daya. Dilip shared his long-standing relationship with Bipin, highlighting their first meeting at a music festival in 2003 and Bipin's dedication to education and support for underprivileged communities. The group discussed Bipin's work with the Damaji school and his "Love Letter to Missing Community," which Dilip had been sharing with others. The conversation emphasized the collaborative efforts of the participants in supporting educational initiatives in North East India and their shared commitment to making a positive impact.

Community Development and Education Initiatives

The meeting began with Dilip discussing his work in Majuli, including training locals for marketing and business. Ankur shared his background in education and nonprofit work, highlighting his connection with Assam Foundation of North America and his motivation to support educational initiatives. Aswathy provided an overview of her work with Sunbird Trust in Manipur and her long-term commitment to Majuli, where she has lived for eight years. Nripen Barua, shared his experiences and insights on sustainable income and livelihood improvements in isolated areas like Lampy. Debojit Bora discussed the importance of education and community support, with plans to explore further collaboration and opportunities for students from the Hummingbird School.

Hummingbird School's Journey in Majuli

The meeting focused on the journey and initiatives of Bipin, who established a school named "Hummingbird" in Majuli, Assam, to support tribal communities and address educational challenges. Bipin shared his inspiration from Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai's story about a hummingbird's efforts to extinguish a forest fire, emphasizing the importance of small actions. We discussed potential collaborations, including writing about the school and its initiatives in a magazine and spreading awareness through online platforms. Participants expressed admiration for Bipin's work and discussed future connections and support for the school.

Hummingbird School: Leadership and Learning

Aswathy presented on the Hummingbird School, which was established in 2017 with a vision to produce community leaders who are lifelong learners, truth seekers, and have compassionate hearts. The school emphasizes contextual learning, extracurricular activities including sports and theater, and student leadership opportunities. Notable achievements include students organizing a successful Children's Literary Festival, achieving high exam results, and six students receiving scholarships to study at a prestigious academy in Bangalore. The school has a waiting list for its 30 seats, with 15 reserved for orphans and 7 for nearby villages, and partners with other schools to share its educational approach across Northeast India.

Collaborations for Majuli's Welfare

Dr. Sashanka shared his professional journey, including his work as a veterinarian and his involvement in animal welfare programs in Majuli. Dr. Daya introduced herself as a medical doctor and serial NGO founder, discussing her work in various countries and her connection to Majuli. They discussed potential collaborations, including a documentary, school engagements, and animal welfare programs. Dr. Daya also mentioned plans for a boot camp and hackathon in Majuli and requested the group to initiate a global grant process with the Rotary Club for a significant project in Majuli.

Bilingual Children's Magazine Expansion Plans

The meeting focused on discussing the progress and future plans of a bilingual children's magazine, "Milky Way of Stories," which aims to reach more children across Assam. Aswathy highlighted the magazine's success and the need for subscriptions to ensure sustainability, while also exploring the possibility of an online version. The group discussed strategies to secure corporate funding and support, with Aswathy emphasizing the importance of a clear vision and communication to attract donors. Ankur suggested exploring additional languages for the magazine and proposed expanding its reach. The conversation also touched on the potential for entrepreneurship projects in schools, with Dilip sharing ideas about banana fiber and sustainable businesses. The conversation ended with plans for future collaboration and visits to Majuli.

Research Solutions for Northeast India

Ashutosh, a faculty member at IIM Kerala and an entrepreneur, shared his academic journey and expressed his commitment to research-oriented solutions for Northeast India's problems. He introduced a research-based think tank based in Guwati, which aims to study and understand regional issues before proposing solutions. Ashutosh emphasized the need for India to shift from a superficial approach to a more research and detail-oriented one, citing his experience with a book on Suzuki Motor Corporation as an eye-opener. He acknowledged the contributions of Bipin and Ashwati to Majuli and expressed hope that his think tank could collaborate with other groups working on Northeast issue

A few Key points

Aswathy: Develop corpus fund/endowment strategy targeting 100 legacy donors to cover 30% of Hummingbird School's operational costs over next 3-4 years

Dr. Sashanka: Initiate Rotary Club global grant process for Majuli projects with minimum grant of 100,000

Aswathy & Uttam: Meet to create a vision and plan for corporate funding opportunities

Dilip & Suresh: Lead the online conversion of Hattipoti magazine and explore translations into Bengali, Marathi, and Hindi

Nripen: Help connect Hummingbird School with ITC for potential CSR funding support

Dilip & Bipin: Discuss and explore potential banana fiber and sanitary pad projects for entrepreneurship initiatives at the school

Dr. Suresh: Write about Hummingbird School in the relaunched online version of Jiban magazine

Aswathy: Share the presentation deck with the group

Bipin: Share the Hummingbird School/Ayan Trust website details in the group

Ankur: Connect Neil Barua with Aswathy, Bipin, and Dr. Daya for potential support

Team: Plan future visits to Majuli

Thanks

Ankur

 

 

 

 

On Friday, June 13, 2025 at 02:02:08 PM CDT, 'Ankur Bora' via supportachild-assam <supportac...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

Please attend a Zoom meeting with Ms. Aswathy of Hummingbird School.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/4121242132?pwd=SHlWaGlOYm1odjVjRVNqVW9pZ3BXQT09

Meeting ID: 412 124 2132

Passcode: bFMwB0

Thanks

Ankur

Hummingbird School, Ayang  ( a word in Missing means love)  Trust , Majuli was founded by

IITian Bipin Dhane   in 2016

https://give.do/blog/in-conversation-with-iitian-bipin-dhane-of-the-hummingbird-school-ayang-trust/

Thanks,

Ankur

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