Ayang Trust

Something magical is unfolding in Majuli, a river island in Assam. Children are beginning to fall in love with books and libraries. Ayang Trust, a not for profit organisation based out of the north east, took up a project to start community libraries across this vast river Island. They identified people from the community to run these libraries and named them Xopun Sarathis, or dream charioteers. Nitali is one among 40 such librarians. The library space, although small, is beautifully arranged and has a collection of more than 700 books for all ages. every week, Nitali conducts read alouds, book talks and plays games with the children who visit the library. For the children of the village, this is their safe space, a haven of sorts where they can be themselves and engage with books. They have even started a magazine in which their drawings and writings get published and circulated. The children often perform role-plays and skits and have community events to which the entire village is invited. They assist the Librarian in taking care of the books and the library. The community is invested in the continuation of the library and has formed the Library Management Committee to ensure that their children continue to have access to books and to the joy of reading. We salute these dedicated Xopun Sarathis — may they continue to take the children of the communities they serve on magical rides into the world of books. #freelibraries #equity #reading #librariansofIndia #community

If one visits Majuli in winter, they won’t miss the mustard fields spilling across the horizon like sunlight stitched into the land. It is a sight which will wrap one in warmth, not just for its beauty but because of what it stands for— utmost care and quiet determination of its farmers and their families. With the support of the Great Eastern CSR Foundation and implementation by Ayang Trust, another mustard mill has now come alive in this very land. What makes it more special is that the mill will be run by Lékopé Majuli Women Farmer Producer Company Ltd, an all-women farmers' collective from Majuli District. Mustard cultivation, a vital source of livelihood for Majuli's farmers and their families, will be processed into 100% pure, organic mustard oil and marketed under the brand “Lékopé”, right where it’s grown! We are grateful to have Dr. Suraj Jacob, Chairperson of the Interim Board of Ayang Trust, for inaugurating the Mustard Oil Mill alongside the inspiring all-women Board of Directors and Promoters of Lékopé FPC. We remain deeply thankful to the Great Eastern CSR Foundation for their continued support in our journey. #AyangTrust #Livelihoods #LekopeFPC #WomenEntrepreneurship #FarmersCollective #GreatEasternCSR #RuralEmpowerment #MustardMill #CommunityDriven #WomenLedEnterprises #SustainableLivelihoods #OrganicMustardOil #FarmToMarket #LocalProduct #EmpoweringThroughEnterprise #Assam #Majuli #NortheastIndia

Greetings from the team of Ayang Trust! We’re grateful to share with all a few moments from our Annual Retreat held earlier this year in one of the UNESCO Heritage Sites of Assam: Manas National Park & Tiger Reserve, Assam. For three days, our team came together—stepping away from our daily routines—to pause, reflect, and reconnect. Through open dialogue, guided sessions, and shared reflections, we revisited our challenges, celebrated our milestones, and aligned our vision for the year ahead. This retreat reminded us that our belief in the power of community—and in the work we do together—is stronger than ever. With each member’s unique contributions and our shared commitment, we aim to shape a future rooted in trust, meaning impact, and collective growth for a #ThrivingNortheast. We take this moment to thank everyone for yet another beautiful year! Your trust and belief continue to help us move with enduring confidence and a deep sense of gratitude. As we step into another year, we look forward to building and nurturing more meaningful partnerships, friendships, and shared visions. Here’s to another year of learning, growing, and working—for OUR COMMUNITY, OUR FUTURE. #AyangTrust #PauseToReflect #TeamRetreat #OurFutureOurCommunity #NGOs #SocialOrganisation #Education #Livelihoods #CommunityResilience #CommunityLedChange #Assam #ArunachalPradesh #NortheastIndia

Join Dharamjeet Kumar, Co-Founder & Director of Livelihoods at Ayang Trust, at the third edition of the Social Enterprise Mela (SEM) 2025, organized by the Social Enterprise Cell, Azim Premji University, on March 28, 2025. Social Enterprise Mela 2025 is a dynamic platform that brings together entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and changemakers from diverse sectors to exchange ideas, foster collaborations, and celebrate the power of social enterprises. For more details, be sure to check out the Social Enterprise Cell, Azim Premji University, and stay updated on how SEM 2025 is shaping dialogues, discussions, and driving ideas for social entrepreneurship! #socialenterprise #entrepreneurshipmela #AzimPremjiUniversity #BangaloreCampus

Children connect best with stories that reflect their world—their language, culture, and everyday experiences. At The Hummingbird School, we believe that producing children's literature in local languages like Mising and Assamese is about preserving culture and making education more meaningful and accessible. To explore this further, read "Contextual Literature in Mising and Assamese", an insightful article by Sreya Rakshit, Academic Lead at The Hummingbird School, featured in Samuhik Pahal Magazine (Issue 4.9). Access the article through our website: 🔗 [https://lnkd.in/g69iDjDW] #TheHummingbirdSchool #AyangTrust #ContextualLearning #LocalLanguages #MisingLiterature #AssameseLiterarure #InclusiveEducation #MultilingualLearning #LiteratureForChildren #BooksInEveryLanguage #IndianLanguages #VernacularLanguages #EducationForAll #Assam #Majuli #NortheastIndia

At Doorbeen, we feel reading and storytelling are essential to children's self-expression, and that language brings people together by creating identity and safeguarding culture. Our community library program is designed to discover and build regional languages as a way of self-expression. In this journey of Doorbeen, our partners Eklavya Foundation & Ayang Trust, have developed two amazing children's magazines, Guftagu and Hatipoti. Guftagu, launched by Eklavya Foundation in Bhopal, is a quarterly magazine that provides a creative space to children from Doorbeen-supported community libraries in Raisen district, Madhya Pradesh, where they write about their observations and experiences from their daily lives and their community. It publishes stories, poetry, news, opinion pieces and much more, all of which are authored by children. Hatipoti, is a bi-annual Assamese English magazine by Ayang Trust in Assam, which features articles by children and library facilitators (Xopun Sarothis) from Doorbeen-supported community libraries in Majuli. Its first issue, published in December 2024, had floods as its theme, a very affecting subject for the region. Both magazines emphasize the use of local language to develop children's creativity, cultural pride, and critical thinking. As we build reading communities, we intend to keep the community's voice at the heart of our work. #दूरbeen #Library #Education #School #ReadImagineExplore Ziaa Lalkaka Meenu Thomas Geeta Lama

We are truly grateful to be part of the Connected Development network! William Harnden's visit to Majuli, Assam last year had us think about how collaborations and shared efforts can drive meaningful change in education and community development when it's done from a bottom-up approach. Looking forward to sharing our story and community-led initiatives with our local/global friends soon!

Ayang Trust recently collaborated and participated in a 3-day Farmers’ Training cum Exposure Visit on ‘Commercial Cultivation of Fruits and Vegetables’, organised by the Directorate of Extension Education, Assam Agricultural University , Jorhat. The 20-member team from Ayang Trust’s ongoing sustainable agriculture project (under Livelihoods vertical) in Majuli had the opportunity to gain hands-on experience and deepen their understanding of sustainable and commercial farming practices. The program was successfully completed under the guidance and supervision of Dr. Manoranjan Neog, Director of Extension Education (DoEE). The inaugural session was chaired by Dr. Pritom Barthakur, Professor, Dept. of Horticulture who delivered a valuable speech on the importance of commercial cultivation of fruits and vegetables. Dr. Manoj Kr. Chauhan, Scientist, DoEE also enriched the inaugural session by delivering a speech on nutrient management in vegetables crops. The entire training program was led by Dr. Bornali Mahanta, Pr. Scientist, DoEE and coordinated by Tikendrajit Saikia. We extend our gratitude to all the experts from Assam Agriculture University for making this an impactful learning experience for us. We look forward to building on this experience to create a greater impact for the communities that rely on agriculture for their livelihoods. Assam Agricultural University Dharamjeet Kumar Bipin Dhane Aswathy Preetha Jayakumar Digangana Medhi #AyangTrust #SustainableFarming #Agriculture #Livelihoods #Horticulture #FarmersTraining #ExposureVisit #CommunityDevelopment #Majuli

Greetings from Majuli! It gives us immense pleasure to share with you all that Rinjang Jang, one of the original books we co-published with Eklavya Foundation , has been recognized as the Runner-up for the Printed Book of the Year Award (Children’s Book) in the Indian Languages category by the Publishing Next Industry Awards! With this recognition, we hope to continue bringing contextual, meaningful, and inclusive children's literature to the world----- literature that reflects the rich diversity of indigenous languages, cultures, and stories from Northeast India. We are deeply grateful for H T Parekh Foundation for supporting us and collaborating on our vision of bringing stories from Northeast India to life. A big congratulations to the Book Development team members of Ayang Trust and The Hummingbird School, whose collective dedication and passion have been instrumental in making this a reality. #AyangTrust #ChildrenLiterature #BookDevelopment #RegionalLanguage #IndianLanguages #MisingLanguage #MisingTribe #Assam #Majuli #NortheastIndia