Up Close: Voices From The Ground

From BSF Officer to Village Educator: Sonam Gechen Trangpoder’s Mission | Up Close: Voices From The Ground | Jim Ankan Deka

In this episode of Up Close: Voices From The Ground, host Jim Ankan Deka sits down with Sonam Gechen Trangpoder, a former Border Security Force officer who served the nation for 22 years before choosing a different path—one that led him back home. In the remote village of Morshing in Arunachal Pradesh, Sonam, along with his family, founded Kunphen Residential School with a vision to provide holistic education to children from underserved communities. This is not just a school—it’s a space where children learn life skills, cultural values, environmental awareness, and the confidence to become independent and entrepreneurial individuals. This episode is a story of courage, purpose, and the transformative power of education at the grassroots level.