Rolex Award kickstarts the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives

Thank you all, the dream you helped fund two years ago has come a long way. Your support helped us drain a dangerous glacial lake in sikkim, it helped implement an Indian technology in Switzerland and it helped us win the ROLEX Awards! The last milestone in the promise we made to you is finally coming close to realisation. The publicity and money that Rolex Awards brings us will be used to create the first alternative mountain university in the world! Here about it from The Wire.

J&K State Education Minister Mr. Naeem Akhtar launches the crowdfunding campaign for the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh,  at a special function in New Delhi on 25th of November.  The minister promised all possible help from the state government.

Some small and big happenings on this journey:

• Mr. Moses Kunzang, the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) of Ladakh Hill Council was the first Ladakhi to contribute to the crowd funding.
   

• Mr. Sushil Bahuguna, Senior News editor at NDTV India donated his award money of Rs. One lakh (USD 1500)  from the Ram Nath Goenka Award for his documentary on artificial glaciers in Ladakh.
   

• Renowned investor Mr. Ashish Kacholia of Lucky Securities made the largest contribution so far of Rs. 21 lakh (USD 30000).

• Sh. Nawang Rigzin Jora, leader of the Congress Legislative Party of J&K State (and former Cabinet Minister) committed Rs. 10 lakh each year for next four years for HIAL from his Constituency Development Fund.

• Two months ago, The BJP led Hill Council government of Leh Ladakh, led by its chairman Dr Sonam Dawa had unanimously earmarked roughly 200 acres of state land for the establishment of this people’s alternative university in Ladakh.

• National Geographic has offered to support Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh by carrying out an advertisement campaign for the project. They will run one minute ads of the crowdfunding campaign many times a day over two weeks of this festive season.

• Lastly, India's largest crowdfunding site Milaap has waived all platform fees for this campaign as a special gesture so all your contributions will go to the project.

We are overwhelmed with all this support but just a week is left for the campaign to end. We request you to send the campaign (https://milaap.org/fundraisers/hial) with a personalised message to your 3 close friends and make them part of the next learning revolution.