The Hummingbird School
Arunachal Pradesh
Brining Quality Education to the Last Mile
Arunachal Pradesh, the largest state in Northeast India is home to diverse indigenous communities spread across its vast and geographically rich landscape. While this remarkable diversity is one of the state's greatest strengths, children growing up in remote villages continue to face barriers to quality and meaningful education due to challenging terrain and socioeconomic constraints.
Building on nearly a decade of experience at The Hummingbird School in Majuli, we have extended our journey to support the Puroik Tribe, one of Arunachal Pradesh's most socioeconomically underserved indigenous communities, whose lives have long been constrained by historical exclusion and limited access to quality education.
Puroik Tribe
With an estimated population of just 10,000, the Puroik are among the smallest indigenous communities of Arunachal Pradesh. Living amidst the state's forests, mountains and river valleys, they have a deep relationship with nature for generations, carrying forward a unique cultural heritage, knowledge systems and way of life.
The word Puroik is believed to be derived from two words: Pu, meaning "first," and Rik, meaning "man." Together, the name translates to "the first people" or "the original settlers," reflecting the community's deep historical roots and enduring
connection to the land they call home.
However, the Puroik community has long remained underrepresented. With an alarming literacy rate of just 2%* and child mortality rates approaching 50%** the community continues to face profound challenges that require urgent and sustained attention.
*Internal Assessment conducted by team in East Kameng District
**Internal Assessment conducted by team in East Kameng District
Building a Sanctuary of Hope & Dignity
Since 2023, we have been working closely with the Puroik community to support the education of its children studying in a government school. What began as an effort to ensure that a few children could access education gradually evolved into a collective aspiration to establish a residential school within the community. In July 2025, that vision took shape with the opening of our own campus on a rented building space, enabling us to provide both educational and residential support to children from far-flung villages. The model and philosophy of the school is inspired by our school in Majuli with the vision to provide a child-centred learning environment where education is meaningful, contextual, and responsive to the needs of the community. For the academic year 2026-2027, we have:
53
Children receiving free education in primary grades
42
Children residing on campus, receiving accommodation, daily meals and mentorship
3
Educators and mentors creating a loving, safe, and supportive learning environment
Roadmap 2030
We are currently working towards establishing a permanent school campus in Bichom District, Arunachal Pradesh by 2027, with the capacity to serve up to 250 children by 2030.
To realise this vision, we are seeking bold and ambitious partners who believe that meaningful change goes beyond addressing educational inequity. We hope to work alongside those who are willing to invest in the potential of an entire generation of children who, for far too long, have remained on the margins of opportunity and support and who share our belief that education is not merely a pathway to opportunity but the greatest equaliser of all.