Our Journey
A community's hope to Erasing the margins
The Hummingbird School was born from the collective aspirations of 19 villages of the ‘Mising’ people - a tribal community historically isolated from social, political and economic participation. Living along the banks of Brahmaputra river, their lives have been a balancing act of survival and coexistence with floods and erosion. The Mising community is the largest in Majuli - a highly flood prone river island district in Assam. Geographically isolated, services from education to health are abysmal. Developmental indicators paint a grim picture. 10% of girls between the age of 14 to 19 are mothers or pregnant*. 1 in 4 marriages are child unions and drop out rates are among the highest*. 60% of children in Grade 5 cannot do subtraction**. Witch hunting - vilest form of superstition is fresh in the memory of the current generation.
*National Family Health Survey 2020 **ASER 2018
The Beginning
Amidst these challenges, the people of Kulamua (a Mising village) and Bipin (an engineer turned educator who found his way to Majuli as a volunteer), mobilized the support of 18 other villages to build a good school for their children. Community members donated land, timber, other material resources and their labor to build the school from the ground up. The school opened its doors to 70 children in January 2017. The school endeavors to shape the next generation of Mising Community as the disruptors of hegemony that keeps their community at a disadvantage and effect a fairer, more dignified world. Today 282 children experience a nurturing learning space in the school up to Grade 10. Of these, 94 children who come from the most vulnerable circumstances are provided a loving home on campus.
Our Vision, Our Hope
The Hummingbird School envisions a future where its students blossom into leaders, lifelong learners, and truth-seekers, individuals who embody courage, compassion, and integrity.
Our Approach
Driven by our vision, there is intentional thought behind every decision surrounding the practices at The Hummingbird School. This is visible in:
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School design: flood safe, circular classrooms embody our commitment to equality
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Student-teacher relationships: based on love, not on power
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Pedagogy:
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Fosters inquiry and dialogue in the classroom
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Emphasizes self-learning
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Focuses on leadership development
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Content:
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Deepens understanding of student’s context
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Provides a window to understand the larger world
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School leadership: rooted in democratic principles, so that every adult in the community contributes to the journey