About us

The Roots to Branches Foundation is a not–for-profit Section 8 Company with a mandate to support and strengthen the development sector in the Northeast region. As a resource organisation, we train, incubate, handhold, mentor and collectivise to build dynamic institutions. The primary work of strengthening the development sector had been initiated in 2007 under the aegis of the ant (a rural development organisation based in Bodoland region of Western Assam), wherein the initiative was named IDeA-the ant. Roots to Branches Foundation is taking forward this journey of service and support to the voluntary sector.

Why North - East India?

The eight states of Northeast India have a combined population of over 4.48 crores (Census 2011) constituting 3.7% of the total population of India. Although characterised by rich biological and cultural diversity, large parts of the region lags behind in socio-developmental aspects which gets compounded by ethnic strife. NGOs or Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) based in the region working with vulnerable communities have a significant role to play in improving these challenges.

Compared to the other parts of the country, the social development sector in the Northeast region is still at a nascent stage. There is a need for many CSOs that are professionally governed, well managed and effective. Many CSOs struggle with organisational aspects, such as clear vision & strategy, governance, systems & processes, leadership, management, effective programmes and resource mobilisation. However, on an average Northeast gets 1.5% of the total nationwide CSR spend. There is, thus, a high need for appropriate organisation building and programmatic support for the CSOs in the Northeast region, to nurture a vibrant civil society in Northeast India.

  • Our Vision

    Vibrant institutions and initiatives contribute to transforming people and the planet

  • Our Mission

    Enabling development of communities living in remote areas and vulnerable
    situations in the northeast to be more resilient
    and sustainable by:

  • Incubating grassroots organisations and initiatives

  • Enhancing capacities through trainings, workshops and creating knowledge resources

  • Mobilising resources and building collaborations for the development of northeast

Our Core Values

  • Excellence

    We will strive for excellence in our work, ensuring we deliver impactful, quality work in a timely manner

  • Humility

    With humility and respect, we will always display the highest level of professional behaviour with our partners and the community, fostering dialogue while being empathetic and mindful of their dignity and autonomy.

  • Equity

    We will prioritise disadvantaged and marginalised people, geographies and institutions, ensuring solutions that are co-created with partners do not harm the environment

  • Joy and Care

    We will promote a respectful, diverse, inclusive, joyful and caring and brave workplace

Newsletter

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R2B Quarterly Newsletter – Oct – Dec 2025

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Meet the Team

Ronald Basumatary

Associate Director
A trained social work professional, Ronald has a Masters degree in Livelihoods & Social Entrepreneurship from the TISS, Mumbai. He has worked with Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT) and led the livelihoods initiative working with partners in forest-fringe villages in Central India. With over a decade of work experience, Ronald's expertise spans project management, organisational development, monitoring, evaluation, and social research. He has been with this team for over 6 years leading the incubation programme and also a project on child rights with five partner NGOs in Assam. When not in office, Ronald is mostly with his kindle immersed in non-fiction books with his mug of black coffee.

Maitrayee Paul

Associate Director
Maitrayee with a postgraduate degree in Social Work, has over 20 years of varied experience in the development sector. Her experience includes managing NGO partners, social research, measuring social impact and OD processes. She has hands-on experience of development initiatives across themes like Child Protection, Positive Youth Development, Gender Equity, Maternal Health, DRR, Peace building. She has worked with grassroot organisations across NE Indian states to design and scale their community development initiatives for sustainable development. In addition to her role as a social worker, Maitrayee is also a certified nutritionist and a strong advocate for women’s wellness.

Pragati Kalita

Knowledge & Learning Coordinator
Pragati is a trained social worker with a Postgraduate degree in Social Work Counselling from TISS. With 6 years of experience in the field, she specialises in Gender and Sexuality, Child Rights, Children’s Library initiatives, and Incubation of organisation. The resource materials co-created by her have reached a number of organisations and numerous children in the Northeast. Over the years, Pragati has been passionately working towards empowering communities and nurturing young minds, with her dream of making the world a better place to live. Pragati is the rainbow sheep of the R2B family. If she isn't responding to calls after work hours, chances are you will either catch her immersed in movies or exploring the vegetable market.

Abhijit Ghosh

Monitoring & Evaluation Coordinator
Abhijit is a postgraduate in Social Work Counseling from TISS and a Mechanical Engineering graduate from SMIT. With over 4 years of work in the development sector, he has focused his efforts on championing child rights, incubating organisations, and ensuring Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEAL) practices in organisations. His expertise extends streamlining organisational operations using accessible IT resources, curriculum and resource materials development, and research studies. Abhijit is also a part of the rainbow flock of the team. Amidst the hustle and bustle of adult life, Abhijit discovers his inner joy through his evening video game sessions.

Kayia

Programme Associate
Kayia hails from Manipur. She is a postgraduate in Social Work specialising in community development from Rajagiri College of Social Work in Kerala. With 5 years of work experience in the development sector, her core competencies include research, project implementation, and organisational management. Her special interest areas include education, children’s library initiatives, child protection, livelihood enhancement, and community empowerment and she is skilled in creating modules aimed at empowering both young people and partner organisations. Kayia has an eternal love for fish delicacies, and gardening.

Meghna Gogoi

Programme Associate
With a postgraduate degree in Social Work Counselling from TISS, Meghna’s work has been around gender equality, child rights, and mental health. She has initiatives around these themes. Her additional skills lie in content creation, social media management and design/illustration. Motivated and driven by a strong commitment to social justice, she is eager to explore new opportunities to broaden her experiences and make a transformative impact. Meghna enjoys baking and cooking, and finds happiness in Taylor Swift’s music.

Moriom Daimary

Finance Associate
Moriom is a graduate in Commerce, and holds a post graduate diploma in Business Management. With experience spanning 6 years as an accountant, she has developed her skills in finance, budgeting, auditing etc. In R2B, Moriom is the pillar of support to the program team in understanding and handling finances. Moriom has recently discovered her love for reading, especially the bright and colourful children’s books. She also finds happiness in travelling.

Mitinga Basumatary

Office Assistant
Mitinga is the newest member in the R2B team. He adeptly supports the team by managing the office space, handling the logistics and thus ensuring a smooth operation of the team’s work. With six years as a teaching assistant, he brings valuable experience to the team. Outside the office, Mitinga enjoys football and farming.

Devasmita Goswami

Consultant
Devasmita holds a Postgraduate degree in Social Work, specializing in Community Organization and Development Practices from TISS. She brings extensive knowledge and experience in working with children and adults, with a focus on education, health, and life skills. Her expertise in community development and dedication to creating positive impact are key strengths she brings to our team. Outside of her professional work, Devasmita is an avid reader and a student of Bharatnatyam Dance.

Soram Ashok Kumar Singh

Finance & HR Lead
Ashok holds a postgraduate degree in Commerce and brings over two decades of experience in leading Finance, Admin, HR, and Grants management across both National and International organisations. His expertise spans financial oversight, strategic human resources management, and efficient administration, making him a vital asset to our team. Beyond his professional commitments, Ashok is passionate about sports, music, and adventure, always seeking new experiences and challenges in his free time.