In the aftermath of devastating floods, rebuilding homes and restoring livelihoods are immediate priorities for affected communities. However, for children, recovery also means restoring a sense of hope, imagination, and possibility. With this in mind, the Raindrops Initiative Assam has launched ‘Project Pakhi | Raindrops Children’s Library,’ a post-flood rehabilitation initiative aimed at creating children’s libraries across flood-affected villages in Sivasagar and Charaideo.
The project takes its name from Zubeen Garg’s song ‘Pakhi,’ reflecting its focus on children’s imagination, dreams, and learning. The initiative began on 15 August, when the organisation established its first children’s library at Sandikoi Chetia village in Sivasagar district. For the volunteers, the project marks a shift from immediate relief to long-term community rehabilitation.
After distributing relief materials in Sivasagar and Charaideo, the organisation realised that their work could not end there. They wanted to do something for the children in these flood-affected communities in the long term. The idea behind Project Pakhi is to create spaces where children can read, explore, and reconnect with learning and normal childhood routines after the trauma of the floods.
The project has received support from the Boston Assamese Community and the North Carolina Assamese Community, whose assistance during the flood relief efforts also contributed to the establishment of additional libraries. The initiative has also received children’s books from supporters and well-wishers following its appeal, ‘We need books.’ Project Pakhi is also encouraging children to take responsibility for the libraries. Local children, parents, and members of the Moina Parijat supported the Raindrops team during the establishment of the libraries at Gargaon Chariali and Bakta Nemuguri Moliya Gaon.
The children have volunteered to look after the libraries and have been given the title ‘Pakhi Captains.’ The organisation’s vision is to have a small children’s library in every flood-affected village, without locks or barriers, where children can freely pick up a book, read, explore, and discover something new. The initiative also hopes to encourage children to spend less time on mobile phones and develop a greater interest in reading and learning. More importantly, the libraries are intended to become spaces where children can build confidence, imagine possibilities, and dream about their future.
What began with one library in Sandikoi Chetia is now being envisioned as a larger community movement. Raindrops Initiative aims to establish 100 children’s libraries in 100 villages under Project Pakhi. The organisation has invited individuals and families who wish to dedicate a children’s library in the name of their parents, children, or loved ones to come forward and support the initiative.
It is also seeking donations of new books and good-condition used books suitable for children. The Raindrops Initiative Assam was founded during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, when Guwahati-based social worker Abid Azad and a group of friends started providing free meals to COVID-affected families and patient attendants at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH). The organisation has since expanded its work to include food distribution, healthcare support, environmental conservation, flood relief, and other social welfare activities.
In addition to Project Pakhi, the organisation has also undertaken tree plantation and environmental conservation initiatives across Assam. According to a Times of India report published in 2024, the organisation had planted more than 6,000 trees across Assam over the preceding three years and had also collaborated with the Guwahati Municipal Corporation on urban tree-planting initiatives. Its dedicated tree-plantation programme began in 2022, with an emphasis not only on planting saplings but also on their survival and maintenance.
The initiative has encouraged people to dedicate trees to parents, teachers, children, and friends on occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries. By combining its efforts in community welfare, environmental conservation, and long-term recovery, the Raindrops Initiative Assam is working towards creating a more sustainable and resilient future for the people of Assam.
