My Story: 'Despite Challenges, I Decided To Dedicate My Life For Indigenous Community In Northeast'

I'm a non-indigenous woman who has absorbed a large part of the indigenous culture being born and brought up in a small tribal town of Assam in Northeastern India. I'm a woman whose heart needs to live a challenging life in its quest for spiritual knowledge, to seek and find the purpose of life.

When I started working with the indigenous communities some 20 years ago, I didn't know what I would do to make a sustainable impact in the community as so much needed to be done, and the road was difficult.

While I was in High School, I realised education is the only tool that can make them more empowered. I started teaching younger indigenous kids and women in my neighbourhood- some basic mathematics and language.

Around that time, my father was kidnapped and tortured for days in the Northeastern region, the trauma which probably will take years to overcome for us as a family. One life lesson I learned early in life is not to ever be a victim of a situation, and the incident only strengthened me and made me stronger and determined. I started working aggressively to bring some change in the region as education was the only key.

'Baby Steps To Make Community More Robust'

I collaborated with different student bodies in college and started conducting exchange programs and workshops on sustainable menstrual solutions and other issues for free. While taking these baby steps to make the community more robust, I realised I needed to have more sustainable & impactful projects which would impact their lives for good.

I remember starting to work in the indigenous villages where there were no learning centres, community halls or toilet blocks, or electricity. I wanted to scream for help, not only for them but for myself. I decided to take baby steps, one straw at a time. I started going from one tribal habitat to another, gathering kids under a tree or an open space I could manage and teaching them single-handedly.

The villagers noticed my steps, and the local indigenous youths started pouring help. They began to volunteer for my cause, and we became a huge team in no time. Everything good that has happened to us in these years came from the actions we took collectively, from the words I decided to share with the world.

I started building learning centres, community centres & toilet blocks in the villages, most of the time pulling my funds which I received as fees from consultation as a psychologist. I pledged 99 per cent of my fees to be dedicated to indigenous welfare. I'm continuously learning, aiming for higher goals and sharing my thoughts in my never-quiet mind.

Tribal Connect- 'Registered My Non-Profit In 2019'

I'm an imperfect human being with perfect intentions. With that firm intention, I registered my non-profit in 2019 called Tribal Connect before working with many other organisations in different verticals. With 12 projects running on the ground now, I knew I could pull in the 13th too.

The Project Annapoorna, Lalli, Gyan, Happy Food Box, Warmth, Wings, Rahat, Rural Livelihood Sustainable Mission, The Monsoon Friendship Project, and Project Chirayu are to name a few of our projects on the ground. I reached over 80,000 women across India with the Sustainable Menstrual Program and taught them to prepare bio-degradable pads free of cost so that it would add some income for these distressed tribal women.

With the belief that there's no substitute for education, I single-handedly built 150 fully functional Learning Centers spread across different border villages in Northeastern India, West Bengal, and Karnataka. I feel lucky and privileged to use my voice to preserve and protect the ancient indigenous culture. I feel uplifted and happy when I do things that empower the community.

I live my life in the service of these beautiful people, and I let go of many personal needs to pull in things in the villages. I find it hard, and often it still is, but I'm a flawed human. As a Karamveer Chakra awardee, 2019, I want to continue creating ripples in the remote rural community and help them get the life they deserve. I won't stop chasing a better life for each one of them in these remote villages, however difficult it may bring.

If you, too, have an inspiring story to tell the world, send us your story at mystory@thelogicalindian.com