The Eastern Himalayan Foundation (EHF) is a not-for-profit organisation based in Darjeeling, dedicated to empowering young people from underserved mountain communities in Darjeeling and Kalimpong. EHF believes that resilient youth are the key to building resilient mountain communities, and its mission is to help young people chart new pathways in higher education, careers, and social engagement.
Founded and led by Mashqura Fareedi, who returned to the hills after a career in the development sector, EHF is a women-led team with deep roots in the region. The foundation works primarily with students from rural, low-income backgrounds, many of whom are first-generation learners. EHF’s approach is hands-on and holistic, focusing on building self-efficacy, critical thinking, problem-solving, and social-emotional skills through real-world projects and mentorship.
EHF’s flagship programme is the Trailblazer Fellowship, a 10-month journey for final-year college students. Fellows participate in residential training, online classes, and project-based learning, all designed to nurture personal growth and leadership. The fellowship places a strong emphasis on 21st-century skills such as communication, collaboration, and digital literacy. Fellows are encouraged to identify and address local problems, develop resilience, and engage with pressing social issues in their communities. Many alumni have gone on to pursue higher education at leading institutions or join prestigious fellowships like Teach for India and SBI Youth for India.
Images courtesy: EHF website
Complementing the fellowship is the EmpowerED programme, which works directly with colleges to support a wider group of students. EmpowerED provides career guidance, admissions support, mock tests, interview preparation, and access to scholarship information. It aims to make higher education and diverse career options more accessible, particularly for students who may not have had such opportunities before. The programme also brings in mentors from various professional backgrounds, giving students exposure to a wide range of fields and real-world experiences.
EHF is proud of its impact so far: it has collaborated with 13 colleges in Darjeeling and Kalimpong, placed 13 Fellows in higher education institutions and fellowships, engaged over 35 professionals as mentors, and reached over 5,000 students through Fellow-led projects. The foundation is now scaling up, with the goal of reaching 10,000 students in the next two years through EmpowerED and the Trailblazer Fellowship.
Meet the EHF team
Mashqura Fareedi, Founder & CEO
Pallavi Basu, Program Lead
Mesang Sherpa, Program Manager
The foundation’s approach is collaborative and community-centred. EHF partners with local and national organisations for mentorship, curriculum development, and coaching. It leverages technology to build vibrant youth and campus communities, aiming to create lasting support networks and foster youth-led social action in the hills.
EHF’s work is supported by the Azim Premji Foundation and it was incubated at IIM Bangalore’s NSRCEL Impact Orbit programme. The foundation is committed to measuring its success through tangible outcomes—such as student placements, case studies of Fellows’ growth, and the visibility of youth issues in the region.
At its core, EHF is about unlocking opportunities for young people, supporting them to become changemakers, and building a brighter, more resilient future for the mountain communities of Darjeeling and Kalimpong.
