Tanushree: The woman who walks by Values and leads with Trust

The first time Tanushree stepped into the Pakabetbari block of Barpeta district, the land was suffering.. Floodwaters had swallowed the fields, the roads, even parts of villages. This was the story of every year where families lived on the edge of survival, cultivating in one season only to watch the next vanish under water, livestock and homes swept away, children growing up amid uncertainty. 

This was her first posting with SESTA, an organisation she had joined after her master's in sociology. Tanushree had seen hardships before, but not like this. Barpeta was going to test her dedication and her journey of values, reflection, and community-building.

She had grown up in Guwahati, with parents who quietly lived their principles.

From childhood, she had learned to pay attention to what mattered. She saw her father quietly helping people and heard stories about her grandfather, who had once been a freedom fighter. From an early age, she was determined that whatever work she chose should be meaningful and have an effect.

“The results of what I do should make me pause, reflect, and understand where further effort is needed.”

This clarity led her to SESTA (Seven Sisters Development Assistance), where she began working in Barpeta - a place that would test her philosophy. Her role was to strengthen livelihoods through agriculture, livestock, and entrepreneurship, but the challenges were immediate. Generations of villagers had lived in flood-prone conditions, with limited access to education or healthcare, and deep-rooted traditions often constrained women. Convincing them to try new farming methods or entrepreneurial ventures felt like asking them to risk everything. Some were open, but many remained wary, frustrated when results didn’t come quickly. Tanushree realized that knowledge alone could not change behavior. Trust had to grow slowly. “You have to be open, even vulnerable,” she reflects. “People believe in honesty. That’s when real work begins.”

Her own commitment to values guided her work. Honesty, trust, and openness helped her form strong bonds with the community, making communication easier and allowing her to understand their challenges. This, in turn, helped her design solutions around livelihoods that truly mattered to them. Yet the most difficult task was introducing the idea of rights and ownership - concepts that were abstract in a life dominated by survival.

When Tanushree attended a training with We, The People Abhiyan on the Constitution, she was eager to bring these ideas to the villages. The training deepened her understanding of rights about equality and dignity, and that too through simple activities which helped learn with ease. The island activity in which a group of people decide rules for an island, build on trust and communication, fascinated her. In Barpeta, the situation had remained stagnant for generations, and Tanushree wanted to change that, helping the villagers build their capacity to take ownership of solutions. By patiently explaining concepts and using exercises like the Island activity, she gradually found ways to connect.

Now, a few years later, Tanushree sees the long arc of that work. She leads programs across Assam and the Northeast, strengthening organizations, mentoring women leaders, and conducting workshops in governance, accounts, and capacity-building. Nearly 2,000 people have passed through her trainings, yet she measures impact not by numbers, but by moments: a didi teaching another didi to weave, a woman starting backyard poultry to feed her family, communities adopting new practices without waiting for external help. These ripples of dignity, trust, and self-reliance are the proof of her values in action.

Even today, floods, systemic challenges, and resistance remain. Yet she moves forward with the same clarity she discovered long ago: effort must have purpose, and values must guide action. Every conversation, every workshop, every shared skill is part of a larger thread, connecting knowledge with trust and honesty. She dreams of growing further as a facilitator, learning from experiences, and continuing to empower women across the region.

The above story has been written and published with the explicit consent of the individual involved. All facts presented are based on WTPA's direct interaction with the individual, ensuring accuracy and integrity in our reporting.