Ecosphere

 2024 in Retrospect: A Journey of Growth, Impact & New Horizons

As 2024 draws to a close, we take a moment to reflect on a year filled with challenges, triumphs, and meaningful change. From expanding our community initiatives to memorable trips and impactful volunteering, this year has been a testament to the collective effort we’ve all invested.

None of this would have been possible without you—our incredible travellers, dedicated volunteers and passionate supporters. 

Thank you for being part of this journey, for believing in our mission, and for becoming a part of the change we all wish to see. Here’s a summary of what we’ve accomplished this year with your support:

• Eye and Ear Camps in Spiti, assessing 904 patients

• Treated- 500 + patients at our MUSE Charitable Dental Clinic in Kaza.

• Oral Health Awareness & Treatment Camps in Dehradun covering 1057 patients

• Distributed 80 menstrual cups & held Menstrual Health Management training across 12 villages.

• Holistic Health assessments conducted with the University of Utah across 4 villages

• Installed 1 solar bath at Kwang Nunnery

• Built 3 greenhouses in Lingti and Lidang villages of Spiti

• Built a solar-passive water storage facility in collaboration with Royal Enfield riders

• Constructed 7 solar passive rooms across Spiti

• Inauguration of Solar Street lighting in Jispa

• Feeding of stray dogs through the winter

Bringing Vision and Clarity to Spiti: Eye and Ear Camps Transforming Lives

Spiti lacks an eye care center, forcing residents to travel 1-2 days to places like Manali or Shimla for basic check-ups—an unaffordable journey for many. To address this, our founding NGO, MUSE conducted free eye and ear camps across Spiti in collaboration with Dr. Shroff Charity Eye Hospital and Eicher Group Foundation.

In total, 904 patients received eye and ear tests, and custom-fitted spectacles were provided at no cost. We also offered routine checks for blood pressure and blood sugar to promote overall health.

It was truly heartwarming to witness the impact—everyone  experiencing clearer vision and sight. Small efforts like these can dramatically improve quality of life in remote areas. We’re grateful to our partners.

MUSE Charitable Dental Clinic: Revolutionizing Dental Care in Spiti

This season, we treated over 500 patients at the MUSE Charitable Dental Clinic in Kaza, providing essential care such as RCTs, extractions, crowns, bridges, fillings, Partial Dentures and scaling. 

With limited access to quality dental care in the region, residents often travel 1-2 days to reach the nearest city for treatment. By setting up this charitable clinic, we aim to make quality dental care affordable and accessible to all, right here in Spiti.

Bridging the Oral Health Gap: Making Quality Dental Care Accessible to All

Oral health is often severely neglected in both rural and urban areas of India, where access to dental care is either limited or too expensive. This neglect can lead to serious oral issues, affecting overall well-being. For the past three years, we’ve been addressing this gap by organizing dental camps in remote communities.

This year, we conducted our dental camps across Dehradun assessing 1057 patients, where we provided free dental checkups & low cost quality treatments along with awareness sessions on oral health education. We’ve treated a range of conditions including tooth decay, infections and gum diseases and provided treatments like fillings, root canals, crowns and more.

Our mission is clear: to make dental care accessible and affordable to everyone, no matter where they live. By combining treatment with education, we’re not just addressing dental issues—we’re equipping communities with the knowledge to maintain their oral health for years.

Thank you to our partners- John Martyn Memorial School, Aasra Trust and Purkal Youth Development Society. Your support has been instrumental in making our dental camps successful and impactful.

Empowering Spiti with Sustainable Menstrual Health Solutions

Last year we launched the “Spiti Monthly Matters - Greening the Red” program to promote eco-friendly menstrual practices. Spiti produces over 10 lakh pads worth of waste annually, harming the environment and posing a huge financial burden on the locals.

To address this, we introduced menstrual cups—a cost-effective  and a sustainable solution. We distributed 80 cups provided by Sirona, across 12 villages. We also held Menstrual Health Management training and awareness sessions for women with support from University of Utah volunteers and even included men in discussions on supporting menstrual health.

Thanks to Sirona and University of Utah for joining us in our mission to promote greener periods in Spiti.

Comprehensive Health Assessments in Spiti

In collaboration with the University of Utah, we conducted comprehensive health assessments in Chicham, Demul, Langza and Pangmo village of Spiti, to improve the well-being of its residents. 

These assessments covered several critical health areas:

• Menstrual health assessments and distribution of menstrual cups to women

• Mental health evaluations for men

• Nutrition analysis, focusing on vegetable intake and anaemia testing

• Water quality assessments

• Antibiotic resistance testing

• Men’s awareness sessions on menstrual health

• Oral health assessments

These efforts aim to bring essential health services to Spiti, where access is limited, ensuring a healthier future for the region.

Solar Baths: Reducing Fuelwood Use in Spiti

Bathing in Spiti is challenging due to limited availability of fuelwood to heat water. To address this, we have introduced solar baths in Spiti, using solar geysers and passive design principles to provide a warm, eco-friendly bathing facility. The availability of hot water has improved personal hygiene while reducing the reliance on fuelwood, cutting carbon emissions and lowering household expenses spent on fuel.

This year, a solar bath was  built at Kwang Nunnery by students of Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School under our Travel and Volunteer program.

Greening the Desert: Enhancing Nutrition with Greenhouses

Spiti is a cold desert with dry and harsh weather, making it challenging to grow green vegetables and creating significant difficulties for locals to obtain them during snow. To combat this, we built three greenhouses in Lingti and Lidang villages this year.

These greenhouses were constructed by our travellers as part of the ‘Greening the Desert’ Travel and Volunteer Program. The greenhouse will provide the local families with lifelong, year-round access to fresh green vegetables, greatly improving their quality of life.

Thank you Sharayu, Varun, Heeral, Aishwarya, Sumay, Joanna, Shoubhonic, Priyanka and students of Scindia School and Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School for their invaluable contributions.

Spiti Cause Ride: Building a Solar Water Facility for Year-Round Access

In partnership with Royal Enfield, a group of riders joined us in two batches to build a solar-passive water storage facility in Spiti Valley. 

Collecting water in Spiti is exhausting, especially in winter when sources freeze and are far from villages. This facility, equipped with solar pumps and tanks, ensures year-round access to clean water and prevents freezing during winter. The improved water availability enhances hygiene, health, and frees up time for education, childcare and livelihood activities.

Our heartfelt thanks to the incredible riders who joined us on this journey of change, making a meaningful impact on these remote communities.

Solar-Passive Rooms: Providing Sustainable Warmth for Spiti's Winters

In Spiti, families face extreme cold during winters, often burning fuelwood 24/7 in one room to stay warm. This leads to high fuel costs, environmental impact and health risks from smoke exposure.

To address this, we constructed 7 solar-passive rooms across the region, utilizing simple architectural designs to capture solar heat and better insulation to retain warmth. These rooms maintain temperatures above 10°C without external heating, reducing fuelwood use and cutting carbon emissions by 17.5 tons per year. 

Families now save money, enjoy cleaner air, and have more time for income-generating activities like handicrafts, enhancing both their livelihoods and well-being.

Solar Streetlights for Consistent Lighting in Jispa

We inaugurated solar streetlights in Jispa town of Himachal Pradesh installed by our founding NGO - MUSE in collaboration with Royal Enfield. Harnessing solar power, these lights ensure well-lit roads and uninterrupted illumination, even during harsh winters when powerlines often fail.

Feeding Spiti's Strays

In Spiti, over 750 stray dogs face harsh winters each year, often becoming feral due to a lack of food. Through our dog feeding program, in partnership with local communities and dog lovers, we provide food during these challenging months, preventing them from going feral and helping build a bond with the locals.

This year, we continued to feed and care for over 200 dogs, ensuring their survival and well-being.

Volunteer

Our volunteers play a crucial role in driving positive change across Spiti. Whether through hands-on projects or volunteering to support our initiatives & helping local communities, their dedication and hard work are creating lasting impact. 

We are deeply grateful for their commitment and passion in making Spiti a better place.

Run a cafe in the mountains

Under this program, volunteers manage our social cause cafes, Sol Cafe and Taste of Spiti, whose earnings directly support our community initiatives in Spiti. Sol Cafe is the best spot in town for coffee, bakery treats, and handmade chocolates, while Taste of Spiti offers a unique fusion of traditional Spiti food and ingredients with world cuisine. 

Thanking each of our Sol and Tos volunteers for being part of the change: Tanvi, Priyanka, Shoubhonic, Payal, Thomas, Theo, Rekha, Resham and Pratima.

Farming Feats

In this program, volunteers live and work on farms in Spiti, helping local farmers with essential tasks. Agriculture is the backbone of Spiti’s economy, but due to the harsh climate, farmers can only harvest once a year. Volunteers lend a helping hand, gaining a deeper connection with the land and the local community, while contributing to the region's agricultural sustainability.

Internship

Under our internship program, individuals joined us to support our research and documentation while gaining hands-on experience. They played a crucial role in advancing our community-driven projects as well. 

Thank you Pankaj, Sanchari and Manprit for your dedication and commitment to creating a lasting impact.

Awards and features

Our founder, Ishita, won GOLD at the Outlook Indian Responsible Tourism Awards in the

Sustainability Champions: Pathfinders category.

Our founder, Ishita, was nominated for the Inspiring Women in Travel (Asia) Awards 2024.

Featured in the Deccan Chronicle for our impactful volunteering initiatives in Spiti Valley.

 

Sol Cafe got featured in Conde Nast Traveller.

Biking trip across the Himalayas with Bigrock Dirtpack

This year, we embarked on an exciting biking trip in collaboration with Bigrock Dirtpack, traveling across the breathtaking Himalayas.The journey covered the rugged terrains of Spiti, Zanskar, and Leh, offering an unforgettable adventure through these stunning regions.

Welcoming Our New Team Members

We are also excited to welcome our new team member, Dr. Sapna, a dedicated dentist who has

joined us in making a positive impact. Alongside the dental team, Dr. Sapna treated patients at

the MUSE Charitable Dental Clinic in Kaza and organized dental camps in Dehradun,

bringing much-needed care to remote communities.

Partners

 

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our partners this year, whose support has enabled us to continue and expand our initiatives, making a lasting impact on the communities we serve.

• Aasra Trust

• Crystal Crops 

• Dr Shroff Charity Eye Hospital

• Eicher Group Foundation 

• John Martyn Memorial School

• Purkal Youth Development Society

• Royal Enfield

• Sirona 

• University of Utah 

Individual Supporters of Our Initiatives

A big thank you to our individual supporters, whose belief in our mission has helped us make a real difference.

• Abhay Gupta 

• Abhijit Bora 

• Adrian Reeve Sequeira

• Aishwarya Sharma

• Anu Mathew

• Anupam Parsheera

• Dr Paramita Suklabaidya

• Haider Singh Gill

• Maew

• Mahesh Lal

• Nikita

• Prerana

• Purbi

• Sangeeta Sindhi

• Shruthi Gowda

• Sonia Sharma Ray

A special thanks to all our travellers— your travels with us make all of this possible, as your

journeys directly support our initiatives and the positive impact we create together.

As 2024 comes to a close, we reflect on a year filled with progress, collaboration, and

meaningful transformations. With gratitude for all we've achieved together, we eagerly

look forward to what 2025 holds.