Over the years of working closely with communities on the ground, the Balipara Foundation and i-Behind the Ink have met and worked with remarkable, determined young leaders who have worked against the odds for their local ecosystems. These youth are extraordinary individuals, taking bold risks and abandoning the safety net of traditional urbanised careers to do something for their communities and the environment. Their commitment and dedication have inspired communities to protect and restore ecosystems and to build new, sustainable businesses for themselves.
For many youth across the Eastern Himalaya, these high barriers and risks and an ongoing rural economic crisis force them to migrate outward to urban areas for jobs that can support their families. 68% of youth in the Eastern Himalaya live in rural areas and face high levels of unemployment because of limited opportunities and skills. In cities, these young people struggle with high costs of living, little to no social support or community. Many express the desire to return back to their communities and work for them, but lack the resources and means to do so.
Launched in 2022, the Rural Futures Fellowship was co-incubated by i-Behind the Ink & Balipara Foundation in recognition of this twofold need: to create a network of young leaders who can rewild degraded lands and combat the climate crisis across the Eastern Himalaya and to plug the gap between resources and skills and the young people who need them the most. Harnessing their respective strengths, the Balipara Foundation and i-Behind the Ink jointly built a programme that covers the 360 degree development of a young environmental leader.
The Rural Futures Fellowship is a one of a kind international 18 month immersive training programme in which rural and indigenous youth from four Eastern Himalayan countries are introduced to the philosophy, practice and science of rewilding, regenerative agriculture and community-led conservation practices. Through 6 semesters of intensive training, passionate young environmentalists get hands on learning in the key technical and core skills needed to effectively rewild their lands, co-create solutions with rural & indigenous communities and build key local capacities to restore both forest and agricultural lands.
At the end of their residential fellowship, the Fellows embark on their own entrepreneurial journey, developing their own models and businesses for rewilding and conservation. Over a six month journey, they learn the ins and outs of managing an organization. At the end of the fellowship, Fellows competitively pitch for mini-grants to rewild 100 hectares of land, to launch their journey. Successful fellows will use the grant across the Eastern Himalayas, with continued mentorship from the Balipara Foundation & i-Behind the Ink teams as they embark on their journey as rewilding entrepreneurs.
The first cohort of the Fellowship began in October 2023 after an extensive selection process, with a group of 10 Fellows from across Assam, Nepal and Eastern & Central India.
Through the Fellowship, i-Behind the Ink and Balipara Foundation see the potential to seed young leaders who can reverse the story of ecological and economic decline in the Eastern Himalayas. By scaling restoration capabilities, we see the opportunity to scale restoration rapidly – not just through programmes in the North East of India, but across the region and beyond, customized to the specific needs of landscapes and contexts
685 hectares of forests, 685,000 trees, 250 households covered through agroforestry impacting the lives of 1250 people. Cumulative restoration potential of over 8000 hectares
The Rural Futures Fellowship programme is a platform for youth from rural and indigenous communities across India’s Eastern Himalayas (NER), Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh to grow as a next generation of environmental leaders. It seeks to create young entrepreneurs who can revitalize their communities and landscapes by creating a nature-positive economy, tapping into rewilding and sustainability-based entrepreneurship.
The Rural Futures fellowship is inclusive and seeks to build bridges between people regardless of religion, caste, socioeconomic status, ethnic affiliation, age, gender, sexuality or ability. Our fellows are selected for their drive, their commitment to the environment regardless of educational background, and their vision for their communities.
I-Behind the Ink, with their experience in youth leadership programmes, oversees the learning journeys of the Fellows and equips them with the skills to be value-driven, action-oriented leaders who can face the climate and ecological crisis head on. As knowledge partner, the Balipara Foundation and I-Behind the Ink brings its experience in rewilding lands, in science and working closely with rural and indigenous communities for community-led conservation to train Fellows to navigate the practical realities of rewilding landscapes and harnessing support for actioning their visions. The programme is supported by a network of partners, including the Great People’s Forest initiative.
Assam
Assam
Assam
West Bengal
Nepal
Jharkhand
Assam
Nepal
Jharkhand
Chattishgarh