Electricity is a luxury here and students have to study under oil lamps after dusk and a threat of a fresh outbreak of riots is constant.
Twenty-year-old Unish Hembram lost her father and her home just 15 days after she was born in the riots of 1996 in Assam's Kokrajahar. But instead of giving in to the tragedy, she decided to change her story.
Having fought hard to stay in school, today she is motivating others to do the same and is a project leader in a non-governmental organisation that works in education.
"I never stopped studying. I believe that is important to continue education no matter what. Even in the face of hardship, it is never wise to completely drop studies," she said.
Lower Assam's Kokrajhar district is often a hot-bed of conflict. The victims of riots have grown used to living in relief camps in acute misery and with bleak hopes of an education and a future for their children.
But in Sapkata village of Kokrajhar, an initiative by a few victims like Unish who have taken the lead to spearhead education projects in the relief camps, the scenes are changing and there has been a drastic fall in the number of student drop-outs.
Faced with challenges to arrange for basics like sanitation, drinking water and food, to continue education in these areas is a herculean feat and losing motivation is easy, the people here say. Electricity is a luxury here and students have to study under oil lamps after dusk and a threat of a fresh outbreak of riots is constant.
"It is difficult in riot affected areas. Government schools are converted to relief camps leaving barely any scope for education," says Runumi Gogoui, Chairperson, Assam state commission for Child Protection.
But a persistent effort has reduced the total number dropouts in Sapkata and its adjoining village to 10 from an initial 70 in the year 2010.