The Learning Tree

Who We Are

The Learning Tree Foundation is a project run by the LOVE Society, a tribal organisation in the eastern state of Orissa, India. It functions as a residential school where 3-16 year old tribal orphans from around the area are looked after and educated. It is situated in a rural part of the Kutra Tehsil. This residential school has been in existence for several years but has recently been given a separate identity by the Society and is now called The Learning Tree Foundation.

Matilda Soreng | President/ Chief Director ; Bolo Kujur | Vice-Chief Director ; Maria Goretti Tigga | Chief Secretary;

Bhudhuram Lakra | Vice Chief Secreatary ; Manohar Dungdung | Chief Treasurer ; Alok Dungdung | Vice Chief Treasurer :

Gulap Ekka | Executive Member

List of Executive and Governing Body Members of Little Orchard Vivid for Ectasy

Profile Of Ms. Francisca Bilung,

Love Society, Kutra

Vision

To ensure every tribal orphan has access to education and cultural preservation, empowering them to live self-reliant and dignified lives despite limited state resources.

To provide quality education up to 10th standard, while nurturing tribal identity through language, music, dance, and yoga, and equipping children with sustainable livelihood skills for a secure future.

Mission

Value and Approach

We believe in helping children to help themselves by combining education with practical training in self-reliance and sustainability, while working towards long-term independence for both the children and the organisation.

What We Do

A total of 100 children are being cared for by seven dedicated workers, eight employed teachers as well as two elderly people who seek shelter at the organisation and help out with the daily work. For many children, The Learning Tree Foundation is their only chance at education, as state schools are distant and under-resourced. The Foundation provides informal schooling up to 10th standard following the state curriculum, while also preserving tribal traditions through language, music, dance, and yoga. Children participate in cultural competitions and privately appear for board exams.

Our Team

A total of 100 children are being cared for by seven dedicated workers, eight employed teachers as well as two elderly people who seek shelter at the organisation and help out with the day-to-day work. The organisation is now headed by two tribal women, Francisca Bilung and Maria Tigga, both of whom worked closely with the founder for more than 15 years.

This report looks at the amazing work, strength, and kind leadership of Ms. Francisca Bilung, the Superintendent of Little Orchard Vivid for Ecstasy (LOVE Society) in Kutra. It tells the story of how she moved from being a dedicated worker to becoming the main pillar of the home during its hardest time, right after the death of the founder, Dr. Patras Dungdung. Through hard work, motherly love, and strong management, Ms. Bilung has kept the home safe and happy for children who need it most.

In 1994, Ms. Francisca Bilung started her dedicated service for vulnerable children in LOVE Society Kutra with the Founder

Dr. Patras Dungdung. But unfortunately on 2nd July’2009 founder passed away in a road accident in Rourkela.

Even before she took on big office duties, her main goal was simply to serve the community out of pure kindness. She does not just run the home like a regular office. She treats it as a mission of love, making sure that poor and helpless children get the same safety, respect, and chances in life as anyone else. Because she has been there for everyone for so many years, people in the Kutra block and all over the Sundargarh district deeply respect and trust her.

The truest test of Ms. Francisca Bilung’s strength came during the very painful time when the loved founder of the home, Dr. Patras Dungdung, passed away.

[Great Foundation of LOVE SOCIETY by Dr. Patras Dungdung]

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[Sudden Death of the Founder]

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───► (Big Risk of the Home Closing Down)

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[Ms. Francisca Bilung Steps in to Save the Home]

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[LOVE Society Becomes Strong & Stable Again]

At the heart of Ms. Bilung’s work is her deep, motherly love for the children living in the home.

How She Helps Children Grow:

A Safe and Loving Home: For children who have lost their parents or faced hard times or those who come from different difficult circumstance of society, she creates a warm, loving place where they can feel happy and safe again.
Good Food and Health: She personally checks on the children’s daily food, medical needs, and overall health to make sure everyone stays strong and well.
Learning Practical Skills: She believes children should learn more than just books. Under her guidance, the kids do fun and useful activities like arts and crafts, music class, computer education, making things from waste materials, and growing organic kitchen gardens. This helps them learn how to take care of themselves in the future.

When Dr. Patras Dungdung passed away, the LOVE Society faced a huge danger & extreme financial crisis. The leader was gone, leaving behind many problems and many vulnerable children, a lack of money, and deep sadness across the campus. There was a real fear that the home might have to shut down completely.

Ms. Bilung refused to let the founder's dream die. She stepped up bravely to take full responsibility. Her fight to save the home had a few major steps:

Keeping Daily Life Normal: Right after the tragedy, she worked day and night to ensure there was enough food, safety, and shelter. Because of her, the children's daily lives were not disturbed by the sad loss.
Handling Government and Paperwork: Running the home meant she had to learn how to deal with complex government rules, keep proper records, and work closely with different government offices.
Bringing Back Hope: She became like a mother and a strong anchor for both the sad staff members and the worried children, making everyone feel like a secure family once again.

Ms. Francisca Bilung steps forward as Superintendent. She takes control of daily life and makes sure the children stay safe and fed in LOVE Society. Under her careful management, LOVE Society is now a well-organized and lawful home. Children are thriving with good education and healthy activities.

Today, because of Ms. Bilung’s endless hard work, LOVE Society is standing strong. It is known as one of the best and most caring children's homes in the Sundargarh district.

Ms. Francisca Bilung’s life shows us how quiet, honest work can overcome the biggest tragedies. By changing her grief into powerful action after Dr. Patras Dungdung’s death, she saved the LOVE Society. She continues to be a true guardian angel for the children of LOVE Society, Kutra.

Ms. Francisca Bilung’s journey is a powerful testament to how quiet dedication can overcome catastrophic loss. By absorbing the shock of Dr. Patras Dungdung’s passing and converting her grief into protective action, she saved the foundation of LOVE Society. She remains an indispensable guardian of humanity, kindness, and child welfare in LOVE Society.

Summary of Her Service

Motherly Care for the Children of LOVE Society

The Hardest Challenge: Keeping the Home Alive after Dr. Patras Dungdung Passed Away

The Sudden Crisis

Her Hard Fight to Rebuild the Foundation of LOVE Society

Final Thought:

Conclusion:

Some later join the organisation as staff, while others return to their villages. Guided by the philosophy of helping children to help themselves, the Foundation also teaches practical skills in sustainable farming and product making. From preserving fruits and mushrooms to producing soap and washing powder for local markets, children gain the knowledge to support themselves and reduce migration into the larger cities in search of work.

Education & Culture

Community Empowerment

Life Skills & Self-Reliance

Impact And Achievements

Over the last 30 years, the organisation’s dedicated staff have cared for several hundred children by providing a secure environment, education, health care and nutrition. TLTF collaborates with a local training organisation to generate income, introducing initiatives like year-round mushroom cultivation and organic manure production.

Since 2010, TLTF has partnered with the Smile Foundation, an India based NGO that supports grassroots education and health initiatives.

Smile Foundation matches contributions for the education programme, covering teachers’ salaries, furniture, and books, while guiding schooling improvements.

In 2010, German supporters funded drilling of a new bore well and installation of a pump to address water shortages.

Videos

About Us

Our History

The Learning Tree Foundation is run by the LOVE Society, a tribal organisation in Orissa founded in 1981 by Patras Dungdung, a tribal leader devoted to the welfare of orphans and tribal communities. Over the past 30 years, the Society has cared for hundreds of children, offering education, health care, and nutrition, while also supporting local communities through training and cultural preservation. Alongside the school in Kutra Tehsil, the Society also runs a home for orphans under the age of three in Rourkela. After Dungdung’s passing in 2009, leadership passed to Francisca Bilung and Maria Tigga.

Quick Links

Friends of the Learning Tree Foundation

Founded in 2013, the organisation supports an Adivasi school and orphanage in Kutra / Rourkela in the Indian state of Orissa.

Contact Info

Head Office: LITTLE ORCHARD VIVID FOR ECTASY

Branch Office: LITTLE ORCHARD VIVID FOR ECTASY