When we think of mountains, we think of adventure, natural beauty, a pleasant climate and peace. It’s only when we dig deeper, we begin to understand the lived realities and challenges that the communities here navigate on a day-to-day basis to survive in such harsh regions Ms. Lo Thi Trang, a Muong woman born in...Read More

It is a known fact that tourism has the power to change the lives of underserved communities. It can bring in its wake economic prosperity, preserve cultures, improve the quality of life, and provide experiential education. Even as we speak, the spectrum of positive impacts made by tourism keeps expanding, as efforts are made to...Read More

‘If the forests around us are not lasting, we would be losing our livelihood. And we are ready to do anything to protect these trees and protect our livelihoods.’ – Ira, Local Guide and the current generation of the community whose main job was to illegally fetch out the wood from forests. People of Tangkahan,...Read More

Conversation with Ladakhi Councillor on Bringing Progress and Pride to the Remotest Villages When a local community participates in the decision-making, it paves the way for a comprehensive solution for local development. But while it’s often seen as an ideal approach, it is neither a common development practice, nor it is the first choice of...Read More

Located deep in the valley of Zanskar in the Indian Himalayas is the centuries-old village called Marling. Only the local natives or true wanderers reach this far into the mountains.  It takes 20 hours by a vehicle on a dirt road followed by a long trek of 6 hours in a valley to reach Marling....Read More

This is a story of unusual grit and passion. A story of a young man, Tsewang Dorje, who chose to stay in his village after completing his graduation. With only a primary school in his village, located near the world-famous Pangong Tso (Lake), Dorje had to literally earn his education. Development still hadn’t reached the...Read More