True achievement doesn’t sprout along smooth paths; it grows from the tough realities of challenging trials and heavy obstacles. And change often takes root in the most unexpected places.
Take Ambika Chettri, for example, a once hesitant student who blossomed into a confident researcher. Consider Puspam Subba, who conquered her shyness to set up a career cell at her college. Then there’s Rishikesh Sharma, a young man who bravely faced the daunting journey to college on foot, covering long distances while sacrificing care for his cherished cattle—something he could scarcely afford. Now, he stands tall, equipped with essential skills in time management, community engagement, and social-emotional learning.
Their stories share a common thread—they come from Darjeeling and Kalimpong, two regions in the Northeast grappling with both geographic isolation and economic instability.
You might not see them gracing magazine covers, but they have risen to prominence, having found the right hands to foster their distinct abilities. The Eastern Himalayan Foundation (EHF), an NGO based in Darjeeling identified this governance gap and is dedicated to empowering objective to help these young people with information, knowledge and skills to thrive and be successful in their personal and professional lives and serve as active members of their communities to build a better future.
EHF launched a transformative 10-month leadership program called The Trailblazer Fellowship enabling the youth in Darjeeling and Kalimpong to acquire skills they once thought were beyond reach. Through each Fellow’s project, they have contacted 2,000 youth and children in the region on different issues. The Foundation has scaled this model to all Colleges in the districts of Darjeeling and Kalimpong.
They have been able to place 65% of their Fellows in various higher educational institutions and social sector Fellowships – they are the first in their community to land these opportunities.
EmpowerED, one of their new pilot initiatives focuses on equipping students with skills and information needed to access higher education and diverse career opportunities. In the current phase, they support students across 8 colleges and 6 high schools to access undergraduate and postgraduate programs in prestigious universities like Azim Premji University, Shiv Nadar, Tata Institute of Social Sciences etc. They are also supporting graduates access fellowships in the social sector like Teach for India, SBI Youth for India Fellowship, Goonj Fellowship, Ashoka Young India Fellowship etc.
What started as a personal quest for change has turned them into changemakers within their communities.
How did it all start for these first-generation students from the Northeast, who forever navigate the challenges of low-income and rural backgrounds? It’s a backstory waiting to be told.
Three years ago, EHF conducted a survey aimed at understanding the challenges and aspirations of young people in the Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts. The findings revealed a troubling reality: for many, the available career paths were restricted to defence or teaching, leaving little room for broader ambitions. They had limited access to holistic education, lacked career guidance, and no placement support.
For students in villages and tea gardens, the prospect of higher education felt like a distant dream. Many had to work to support families, making schooling a luxury. Role models were few and far between, particularly in fields beyond the traditional ones. Lacking guidance and opportunities, they sunk into despair. Mental health struggles and addiction began to emerge as hope waned.
Amidst this backdrop, the Eastern Himalayan Foundation started opening doors to new opportunities, equipping them with the right tools and guidance they need to succeed and walk forward with a smile—the strongest shield against doubt.
At the personal level, they expose youth to motivational role models—individuals who battled for change and success despite facing challenges. They’ve also established pathways for youth to explore careers in the social sector and higher education.
On college campuses, the Foundation has been igniting collective enthusiasm. They roused youth to inspire change within their communities. By offering access to education and various career options, they cultivated leaders capable of soaring and spurred others to follow their path. Under the watch of its Founder and Chief Executive Officer Mashqura Fareedi, the Eastern Himalayan Foundation has been constantly engaging and uplifting the youth at Darjeeling and Kalimpong.
The support network they’ve developed is a coalition of professionals, government entities, civil society organisations, and alumni—all working together to bolster these initiatives. They have provided incubation for budding social enterprises and non-profits, arming the next generation of leaders with everything necessary to succeed.
Mashqura says, “We want to build a generation of problem solvers who can identify and address the most pressing problems of our region. Considering that the region we are working in is extremely underserved where youth do not have exposure to enough role models for positive, non-violent change, this effort will have to be supported at individual, campus and ecosystem levels.”
But no matter how noble the cause, without financial support, the best of well-intentioned projects can only go so far.
The commitment to bring the struggles of youth in the Northeast to mainstream India caught the attention of Social Venture Partners (SVP) India. SVP India is a pan-India organization with a network of 750+ individual donors spread across 8 chapters in India. SVP India engages with the community of philanthropists beyond cheques.
Through their annual Fast Pitch program, SVP India provides a unique platform that enhances the NGO’s communication skills program and facilitates fundraising. It helps them articulate their impact, inspire action, and build lasting partnerships with evolving donors.
Through this mentoring program, NGO leaders acquire a life-long skill to communicate the story of their work succinctly and meaningfully. Through focused storytelling training and coaching for almost three months, the NGOs are trained to make an impactful pitch within five minutes.
Over the past three years, more than 5,000 people have turned to this virtual event, hearing pitches from 36 NGOs. They have moved audiences with the rhythm of every pitch, the heartbeat of every story, and accounts of the lives they have touched.
“Fast Pitch embodies SVP India’s commitment to helping grassroots NGOs that are making a positive difference. Through this platform, we want to give changemakers a voice, connect them with donors who want to hear their stories and support their work in a curated format. The focused structured programs run by EHF to enable youth to take career decisions and create pathways for varied livelihoods and employment made their application stand out. Mashqura’s strong belief in the depth of their work, and the NGO’s consistent engagement with the youth; all call for her presence in Fast Pitch and a story to be told to audiences at large,” said Sunil Bhandari, Chairperson, Kolkata Chapter, SVP India.
Meanwhile, The Trailblazer Fellowship continues to reach the arteries of Darjeeling and Kalimpong. So far, 40 Fellows have worked on projects that have reached over 2,000 children. Under the EmpowerEd program, in the next 3-5 years, EHF wants to reach each college in the hills to be equipped with a strong Career Cell that will help the students access careers and higher education opportunities in 3-4 sectors so far unavailable to them.
The Foundation is largely made up of individuals from the region it serves. Many local professionals are volunteering their time to help. Their motivation is intrinsic, and this personal connection drives their purpose—to empower the region and bring meaningful change. We will encounter many Ambikas, Puspams and Rishikesh emerging for the region exemplifying the power of mentorship and community support in shaping young talent and inspiring future generations.
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