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barefoot.trust, Lummawbah Road, Shillong (2026)

15/04/2026

Will you finally make Synod Executive Committee and Office Bearer decisions PUBLIC — and translate them into every diocesan language?

Or will you keep governing in the dark?
2005. RTI Act just passed.

Over breakfast in CNI Bhavan I asked a Bishop:
“Why isn’t CNI leading in governance, administration, and transparency?”
His answer: “Not the right time.”
21 years later… still not the right time?
Governance failure. Administrative secrecy. And a direct contradiction of Scripture.

Jesus said leaders must walk in the light (John 3:21).
Paul demanded everything be exposed (Ephesians 5:13).
Stewards must be found faithful (1 Cor 4:2).
Servant leadership is the only model Christ gave (Matt 20:26-28).

Hiding decisions from the people who pray, serve and give is not neutral — it is unfaithful stewardship.

The congregations deserve to know who is serving the Church… and who is serving themselves.
No more excuses.
Publish the decisions.
Translate them.
Walk in the light.
Church — the time is NOW.
What’s your take? Comment below 👇

06/04/2026

🔥We're almost there... ✨The &hubs are getting primed for takeoff. ✨

💥Today we took the out of the and challenged them to prepare a pitch for their hubs with the sole aim of impressing the and encouraging them to join their hubs.

⚡They took up the challenge with aplomb, raced against time to create the script and rehearse. It's not about winning but preparing with clarity.

They scratched their heads, put on their serious faces, pushed each other and worked with a sense of urgency.

The aim is to see the clubs and hubs from the perspective of students and change their presentations accordingly.

Here's to a great launch very soon...

30/03/2026

Something new is coming…

Not just another activity. Not just another structure.

Because sometimes, what education really needs is a framework strong enough to guide and bold enough to break it when needed.

In collaboration with Cherished Buds School, we’re choosing to trust the process:
✨ Teachers who experiment
✨ Spaces that allow trial & error
✨ Ideas that aren’t afraid to evolve

Behind the scenes, something is taking shape…
Quietly. Thoughtfully. Creatively.

A set of Clubs & Hubs, each with its own identity, energy, and purpose — waiting to be explored, reimagined, and brought to life.

From pages to plates, from ideas to impact, from voices to ventures… And soon, students will step in and choose their own paths.

We won’t reveal everything just yet…
But let’s just say — It’s about building spaces where student’s aren’t boxed in.

Stay tuned.

21/03/2026

🌟 📅 Thorough & Professional Interactions between Barefoot Trust members and District Social Welfare Office. 🌟 📅

♨️ It's not often that our Barefoot Trust office get a lot of visitors. We're not a high-profile organization working on issues related to and . And probably fly under the radar most of the times. But we contribute our bit. We decided to carve out niche areas of intervention within the sector 🦼 before the bigger players move in.

🤝 So, it was very encouraging when Kong Olivia C. Nongbri, District Social Welfare Officer, East Khasi Hills District, Shillong & Bah R. Suting, Office Assistant MPRPD visited our small office all the way up in Itshyrwat. They were here on a routine visit to verify our office and get an overview of the work we have done. This is standard practice when renewing organizations request for any applications for renewal for a RPwD Certificate.

💡 We spoke about our past interventions, and it surprised us when we started talking about our engagements: during the COVID , Echolocation, elections, Inclusive , scholarships, accessible transportation, Emobility and some others.

✒️ We realized that authentic documentation is a critical component of our work and simple habits such as maintaining a daily journal, photos and a report format might actually save the day that will lead to a full-fledged report.

🚨🚨🚨 NOTE: We are passionate and care about this sector, but it is not our source of livelihood. So you won't find us in the office 24/7. But we are deeply connected to the sector and have made an imprint in some small way. So, if you feel like dropping in, do let us know so that we can make ourselves available to welcome you.

🔎 As much as we love visiting the government departments / offices for meetings and discussions as well as requests for funds, it would be equally helpful if there were more interactions / meetings in our offices too. Every organization matters in this eco-system.

Hopefully, we can expect this to be the beginning of more visitors to our humble office.

17/03/2026

If you want 'students of calibre', you’ve got to 'un-classroom the learning'. 🚀

👁️‍🗨️ Real change begins when teachers take ownership. That’s exactly where this journey starts—empowering educators to lead, mentor, and build beyond textbooks.

✒️ In collaboration with Cherished Bud’s School, Barefoot Trust brings alive the Clubs & Hubs Program—reimagining learning for students from Std 6–12.
Not just activities, but spaces to discover, create, and grow.

💠 Coming in 2026: 8 new Hubs
→ 12-week immersive journeys
→ Teacher-led, mentor-driven
→ Real assignments. Real outcomes. Real confidence.

🫡 The response? A resounding “Aye” from the teachers.

♨️ The real game-changer:
Zero investment. Zero extra hours. 100% impact.

📅 Launching soon.

ready

08/03/2026

✨ Something special happened in Cherished Buds School on Friday

It was pulling up chairs, leaning in and a reminding us that — yes, that grain your mei used to cook — is actually gold. 🌾

It was a PTM that felt less like a meeting and more like a village deciding, together, our children deserve better.

🗣️Kong Ladaplin War set the tone from the start — warm, rooted and welcoming.

🗣️Ms. Dasuk talked structure, rules, and something exciting:
Career Counseling for Classes 9–12. Our kids in the Khasi Hills have BIG dreams. Let's give them directions. 🧭
🗣️Mr. Bibhudutta Sahu (Barefoot Trust) dropped something real —
the AMP-Up Program isn't just a school thing.
it's students + parents + teachers + + management all pulling in ONE direction.
Oh yes, and less screen time. starting now. 📵✨

🗣️Kong Naphisabha Lyngdoh Nongbri walked us back to our own kitchens — the locally grown, the affordable, the forgotten-but-powerful. Talk to your children about why food matters. Make them partners, not just people who eat what's served.
We've always known how to raise a child in the community.
yesterday just reminded us.🫂

📍 Cherished Buds School, Lummawbah
🌱 CBS x Barefoot Trust | AMP-Up Program
we're in this together. 🤝

05/03/2026

The ink hadn't dried on the previous MoU and it's time for another signature marathon✨

Barefoot Trust has signed an MoU with Shop For Change Fair Trade and the District Administration of Ri-Bhoi — and we couldn't be more excited about what comes next.

The mission? Build a District Umbrella Brand for Ri-Bhoi that puts its incredible farmers, weavers, forest communities, and artisans on the map — locally and globally. 🌎

A huge shoutout to the people making this real:

🙌 Mr. Sameer Athavale (Shop For Change) — for bringing market linkage magic and market muscle to the table.

🙌 Mr. Abhilash Baranwalji IAS, Deputy Commissioner, Ri-Bhoi — for the vision and leadership to back something this bold.

✨ And our unsung hero — Mr. Andrew L. Myrthong, Block Development Officer, Ri-Bhoi — who spent months building trust, laying the groundwork, and making sure this partnership was rooted in community before it was ever put on paper. This one's for you too, Mr Andrew.

Ri-Bhoi, your story is just getting a lot bigger🌄

27/02/2026

We came, We dared to imagine, We started work, We left too early!

And yet, it always felt like we had some unfinished business.

And so today, Cherished Buds School & Barefoot Trust decided to pick up where they left off. It didn’t even feel like we took a gap. We are delighted that we signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Cherished Buds School, Lummawbah for a comprehensive School Development program called AMP-UP that aims to strengthen several pillars of the school starting with the students , empowering the teachers, involving the parents, activating the alumni and bolstering the work of the management.

This is not a silver bullet mindset to education and the overall development of the institution but a roll-your-sleeves-up and get learning with visible demonstrations in the campus day in and day out.

The signatories on the MoU are Ms Ladaplin War (Principal, Cherished Buds School), Ms Dasuk War (School Administrator, Cherished Buds School), Mr Bibhudutta Sahu (Managing Trustee, Barefoot Trust) & Ms Sweet Syiemiong (Program Coordinator, Barefoot Trust).

So, we’ve come full circle and re-established a connection that took a break for 5 years.
And so, in the end, this was just a Pause after all!

Let the Learning begin with Gusto.

We look forward to the work ahead.

21/07/2025

And that's a wrap, my Fellow !
They ( ) came in from 8 different colleges ( St Edmund's College, K. L. Bajoria College Shillong College Synod College, Shillong Meghalaya Mary's College Iaikyntiew College ) about a month back in accordance with the Internship program under the aegis of North-Eastern Hill University.
It was intense and demanding for most of them. It was unfortunate that it was timed during the school holidays, but we made the best of it while we could. Understanding oneself during the most trying of times through exercises and topics that tested their empathy, awareness, conditioning and understanding of the real world outside. Some wanted to give up but others blazed through without a whimper.

The all-pervading engrained into them since they were kids was broken when they mustered up the courage to ask 'Why' and convey the obstacles they faced with greater clarity. They struggled but never gave up on the assignments such as TLM's, Lesson Plans, stepping into the make-believe world of education ministers, debates on the relevance of education, impact of globalization on education, NEP policy and it's implications, invigilation, fund-raising and much more.

The NEP Internship program aims to connect the academic with real-world social issues through hands-on engagement in the field. Since this was a big batch of students, we varied the approach but handed over some of the reins to their better judgement. It was an interesting experience that surely established SoP's for future internships.

Alignment of students expectations and the institutions capacity to deliver is critical for a successful internship.
We end off the internship with a few words from a poem:

"On you go fellow learners into the world that awaits you
Remember to break the culture of silence from within
The walls of your minds, families and institutions
And become a beacon of hope for the ones to follow.
Rest assured that Dinet Manik Syiem school and Barefoot Trust
will continue to aid and assist you
In navigating the seas of life from this point on".

Thank you Interns....

05/04/2025

🎉 Big News! 🎉

A school that builds a vision together, toils together definitely grows together!

We are proud to announce that on April 3, 2025, the Management Committee of approved Phase 1 of our School Policy Book! 📖✅

This policy book was released by the Principal, Kong Drimsibon Kharkongor in the presence of the President, Bah Tony Curtis Lyngdoh and Vice-President,

This is a major step toward strengthening our school's governance, inclusivity, student welfare, academic framework, technology policies, and staff development.

✨ What’s in Phase 1?
🔹 School Governance & Administration
🔹 Inclusivity & Diversity Policies
🔹 Student Welfare & Safety
🔹 Academic Policies
🔹 Responsible Tech Use
🔹 Staff Policies

This milestone represents our commitment to a progressive, inclusive, and student-centered learning environment. 💡

📌 Next up? Phase 2—stay tuned! 🚀

We extend our gratitude to everyone, including Meban Kharmawphlang & Barefoot Trust who contributed to this effort, ensuring that our school continues to be a safe, progressive, and inspiring space for all.

This will be followed by orientations for teachers, students, parents and alumni in the near future but definitely this year.
📸 Swipe to see our team celebrating this achievement!

📚✏️ 🏆

26/01/2025

🌱 Transforming Agroecology with an Entrepreneurial Spirit 🌱

The recent North-East Convening of the Consortium for Agroecological Transformations (CAT) in Guwahati highlighted the untapped potential of agroecology in driving sustainable farming practices. But here's the game-changer: integrating an entrepreneurial mindset into this ecosystem can make agroecology not just a necessity, but a desirable pursuit for farmers and youth alike. Barefoot Trust and are proud to be associated with this wonderful initiative.

With external distractions and diverse aspirations, agroecology can try and gain an edge by reducing the time between action and impact, investment and output and tangible deliverables without compromising on values and natures potential.

Speakers like Deep Jyoti Sonu Brahma reminded us that:
"The time has come to stop looking at young people merely as consumers or beneficiaries. We need to create spaces for them to co-lead the agroecology transformation."

Here’s how an entrepreneurial approach can make a difference:
🌾 For Farmers: By fostering value-added agri-business models, we can enhance profitability and create a level playing field for small-scale agroecological farms to thrive.

🌟 For Youth: Encouraging innovation in sustainable practices and local food systems can inspire a generation to view agriculture as a viable and fulfilling career rather than a fallback option.

Kapil Shah from Jatan trust said it best:
"Agroecology is on the runway, ready to fly."

The future of sustainable agriculture depends on bold thinkers and doers who can align passion with profession. By empowering farmers with business tools and equipping youth with platforms for innovation, we can transform agroecology into a "movement that sustains communities, ecosystems, and economies" alike.

Let’s champion the spirit of entrepreneurship within agroecology and co-create a resilient, inclusive, and prosperous future.

law Ameen

30/12/2024

🌟 From Gaps to Groundbreakers: Our IncPreneurship Journey 🚀

In 2022, Barefoot Trust took a leap of faith. We didn't just see barriers for persons with disabilities - we saw potential waiting to be unleashed.
Our ground-level interactions in Meghalaya revealed a profound truth: entrepreneurship isn't just about business. It's about dignity, independence, and proving that disability is never a limitation.
We spoke to 68 incredible individuals with dreams bigger than their challenges. Poultry farms, textile workshops, bakeries - their ideas were vibrant, their spirits unbreakable.
When our work was diplomatically 'borrowed' by larger institutions, we chose to observe. Not with bitterness, but with hope. Because true impact isn't about who takes credit, but about who truly listens.
Now, as whispers and requests from the disability community grow louder, we're ready. Not to compete, but to collaborate. Not to claim, but to care.
If the community calls, how can we stay silent? We know we can make a difference. Entrepreneurship is more than a venture. It's a voice. And we're here to amplify it.

barefoot.trust

15/04/2026

06/04/2026

30/03/2026

21/03/2026

17/03/2026

08/03/2026

05/03/2026

27/02/2026

21/07/2025

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26/01/2025

30/12/2024

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