Pinjang: PEACE THROUGH EDUCATION
Learn for Life Foundation's partnership with Pinjang School & Hostel in Manipur is rooted in a shared commitment to advancing Peace Through Education in one of India’s most remote and historically conflict-affected regions.
Our Journey
Located in Noney District and serving primarily Rongmei Naga tribal communities, Pinjang faces significant challenges including poverty, limited infrastructure, geographic isolation, and the lasting effects of ethnic conflict. Many families rely on subsistence farming, and for years educational opportunities were constrained by inadequate facilities and the long distances students were required to travel to attend school.
The partnership was made possible through collaboration between Learn for Life Foundation, Sunbird Trust, CESM, local community leaders, and the Diocese of Imphal. Founded in 2014 by Colonel Christopher Rego (Retd.), Sunbird Trust works to build peace and harmony in Northeast India by creating educational opportunities for children and fostering stronger connections between communities. Drawing on years of experience in the region, Sunbird developed a strategy centered on the belief that lasting peace begins with access to education, opportunity, and hope.
Prior to the project, students attended classes in aging bamboo and tin structures with limited furniture, inadequate resources, and no reliable access to modern educational facilities. Children from distant villages often lived in overcrowded and deteriorating hostel accommodations lacking basic amenities. Despite these challenges, classrooms remained full of eager students and dedicated educators who believed in the transformative power of education.
In late 2021, the Diocese of Imphal approached Sunbird Trust and Learn for Life Foundation with a request to help construct a new school for the children of Pinjang. The response was immediate. Supporters in India, the United States, and around the world rallied behind the project, raising the funds needed for both a new school and student hostel in less than a month. Construction began shortly thereafter, requiring land leveling, road access improvements, water infrastructure, and the complete construction of permanent educational facilities. Within six months, a new school and hostel had been completed and opened in time for the start of the academic year.
Today, the school and hostel provide students from Pinjang and neighboring villages with a safe, supportive environment where they can learn, develop confidence, and pursue their aspirations. For many families, the hostel has been particularly transformative, allowing children from remote communities to attend school consistently without undertaking difficult daily journeys through mountainous terrain. The program combines educational access, community engagement, and student support to create greater opportunity for young people throughout the region.