Retired Army Col feted for service in NE
Source: The Sangai Express

New Delhi, May 23 2025: Retired Army Colonel Christopher Rego was honoured with the prestigious Veteran Achievers Award by General Upendra Dwivedi, PVSM, Chief of Army Staff, at a ceremony held at Army Headquarters in New Delhi today for his service in North East India post retirement.

The Indian Army veteran is the founder of Sunbird Trust, which is a Non-Governmental Organization striving for "Peace through Education" in conflict affected parts of North East India.

He served for over seven years in Mizoram and Manipur.

During his tenure with the Border Roads Organisation in Manipur (2012-2016), he travelled extensively across the State and his experiences led to the development of his "Peace through Education" philosophy - an innovative, multi-layered approach to peacebuilding through child sponsorship and educational infrastructure.

Following his retirement in 2016, Col Rego assumed leadership of Sunbird Trust and, commencing from Manipur, began expanding its activities across North East India.

Under his guidance, the organisation has reached remote, underserved communities, building trust and empowerment through grassroots educational initiatives.

Notably, Sunbird Trust rose to the challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the ethnic violence in Manipur that erupted in May 2023.Despite operational disruptions and staff evacuations, Sunbird Trust played a pivotal role in humanitarian relief, delivering tons of essential supplies to relief camps, supporting over 700 displaced students with scholarships, and facilitating their re-enrolment in schools across the region.

Speaking on the occasion, Sunbird Trust CEO Aliasgar Janjali lauded the Trust for successfully bringing Manipur and the wider North East onto India's CSR map stating that thousands of children are now supported by individual donors and corporate sponsors from across the country.

Major K Deepi Devi (Retd), trustee of EMA Trust, who supports 90 internally displaced children who had lost parents in the conflict, commended Sunbird's timely and impactful interventions.

Banti Khuraijam, Sunbird's Coordinator in Manipur, praised the commitment of Sunbird's young and diverse professional team working on the ground.

Currently, Sunbird Trust provides over 12,000 annual scholarships and has helped establish 35 schools and hostels across six North Eastern States.

With a dedicated team of 45 field-based professionals, the organisation has positively impacted the lives of over 3.25 lakh individuals.

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