HIMACHAL PRADESH
Make My Himachal Your Himachal
Himachal is one of India's majestic Himalayan states in the northwestern part of the country below Tibet. Over 90% of its population resides in rural areas with 70% dependent on agriculture. Its population of Chamba H Lahul & Spiti six million is small compared to IM A the rest of India. Though rich C Kangra H A in natural resources and L Kullu PR cultural heritage, most rural Mandi A D Kinnaur Hamirpur areas are in need of development ES Una H Bilaspur including health care, education, employment, and Solan Shimla environmental protection.
Serving the people & environment of Himachal Pradesh, India
INDIA Sirmaur
Our network of enthusiastic, committed individuals continues to grow. 1
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Every member can make a difference. We invite you to help My Himachal realize its goals:
Donate . Serve . Join
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Street theater health skit in rural school Remote village isolation reinforces poverty Traditional culture still thrives Health mela at Alwah Village
USA Avnish Katoch President, My Himachal Tel: +1-717-649-5738 avnish@myhimachal.com 289 Buckley Dr. Harrisburg, PA 17112
INDIA Shivani Malhotra General Secretary, My Himachal Donate…Serve…Join…My Himachal Tel: 98052-81334 shivani@myhimachal.com B-57, Dhauladhar Colony, Village Lower Barol P.O Dari, Dharamshala District Kangra 176 057 HP
Website: www.myhimachal.com Portal/blog: http://himachal.us Himachal issues: http://groups.google.com/group/HIMACHAL Writer: Joan Gannij, gannij@xs4all.nl Photos: © Payson R. Stevens Design: CorePR . Www.corepr.com
Educate . Promote . Preserve © 2009, My Himachal
09/09 . 1k
SERVICE/Seva
Sartee Village women
Some dreams are meant to be shared In 2006, a few individuals decided to do something for the Indian state they love : Himachal Pradesh (HP). They began by creating a network and then igniting a collective spark among men and women with a shared vision. My Himachal was born of enthusiastic, committed individuals from varied backgrounds around the world, all willing to donate energy, know-how, and financial resources to build an organization dedicated to making a difference.
Mission My Himachal is an award-winning, tax exempt (501c3) in the USA and a registered NGO under Himachal Pradesh Societies Registration Act 2006 in India. MH is without religious or political affiliations. Our mission is to promote health care, education, and employment in Himachal Pradesh, as well as preserve and protect its environment, culture, and heritage. Annual projects provide financial and material support along with technical expertise. A main rural focus is to develop community self-reliance and strength. Key MH members can then coordinate reliable ground teams to collaborate on MH projects and to work with other organizations needing that support.
HEALTH CARE
EDUCATION
Since 2006 MH has helped fund health care to over 2,500 children in an annual health care camp in the Inner Seraj/Banjar Valley of Kullu, in co-operation with the Jibhi CHAI project. We have also worked with a team of doctors from New Zealand to train 31 local women in rural Kullu in basic health care and nutrition. The project was funded with the New Zealand Government embassy and a living stipend from My Himachal. Since 2007, MH has supported child rural health in the isolated and extremely poor Spiti Valley working with dedicated, local doctors.
Raising educational levels is essential to the development of HP. In 2008, the My Himachal Hope Scholarship Scheme (based on merit and needs) was set up for over 80 students, in government schools, and covered a year of study. MH sponsors on-going college and post-graduate students from India and abroad to come to HP to assist in projects. Indian and foreign MBA students have helped develop technical reports assessing MH issues that have been distributed to government and NGO organizations, including an on-going relationship with the SP Jain Institute of Management and Research (Mumbai). Founding members of MH and advisors deliver annual lectures in the USA and India, highlighting the uniqueness of Himachali culture and its products.
ENVIRONMENT Local awareness of the enormous impact of climate change and global warming is growing in HP. MH plans to expand its work with rural communities as the Himalayan regions are at the forefront of these impacts and risks, especially in the areas of agriculture and fruit production (a mainstay of the HP economy). MH hosts and maintains the website for Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) and is active in support of the Park's conservation goals. Raising awareness about the ecological importance of watersheds in the Kullu Valley is another focus. MH provides scientific and technical support for alternative energy concepts (using traditional technology) and promotes educational outreach to students.
COMMUNICATION Key to MH outreach is the creation and operation of the blog (http://himachal.us) that updates HP news and events on a daily basis, including videos, podcasts, and serves as a portal. It receives over one million annual hits and is an essential communication tool for the HP community worldwide. A discussion platform actively discusses HP issues and concerns. The blog is one of the largest news channels concerning Himachal Pradesh, with numerous writers contributing.
SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS MH is committed to supporting the development of jobs for HP. Rural communities are most in need of sustainable livelihoods where the average daily wage can be under $2-3/day. MH advisors have been involved with building eco-tourism for GHNP and other parts of HP. Village men have been trained in professional trekking skills, which have provided seasonal employment through a local NGO. Some groups have already started their own trekking businesses. The recent notification of GHNP's placement on the UNESCO World Heritage Site Tentative List has increased MH support for the Park's combined goals of nature conservation and local livelihood needs. In 2008, MH initiated the Save the Weaver project, an action to save the Kullu Valley traditional weaving industry. MH sponsorship of women's health and nutritional care workers has also provided employment for local, motivated women.
Women learning traditional Weaving