Himwant Foundation Society
Rooted in the Himalayas
Himwant Foundation works across six pillars of community transformation — empowering women, protecting culture, healing the environment, and uplifting rural Uttarakhand.
Our Six Work Sectors
Every programme we run connects back to one of these six areas — each one inseparable from the others.
Skill-building workshops, micro-enterprise support, and leadership training for women across Dehradun's rural and semi-urban belt. We create artisan collectives, provide legal literacy, and link women to livelihood networks.
Learn moreEarly childhood education, nutrition monitoring, and after-school enrichment for children in underserved villages. Our anganwadi outreach and scholarship programmes keep children in school and growing.
Learn moreGarhwali and Kumaoni folk art, traditional weaving, and ritual craft are at risk. We document endangered practices, run cultural melas, and train the next generation of artisans in heritage techniques.
Learn morePlastic-free campaigns, eco-friendly product manufacturing (jute, juco, clay), river-cleaning drives along Ganges tributaries, and reforestation in degraded Himalayan slopes form our environmental core.
Learn moreMobile health camps, menstrual hygiene outreach, digital literacy drives, and government scheme enrolment camps (PM Awas Yojana, Ujjwala, MNREGS) help communities claim what is rightfully theirs.
Learn moreInfrastructure gaps, water access, and market connectivity are tackled through community-led projects. We facilitate SHG formation, watershed management, and connect producers to urban markets.
Learn moreWe believe development that doesn't flow from the community cannot stay in it. Every programme Himwant runs is co-designed with the people it serves.
From organic agarbattis replacing petroleum-based ones at Himalayan mandirs, to first-generation learners in rural Garhwal accessing government scholarships — our work is small in scale and systemic in intent.
Monthly craft circles for 80+ women producing jute bags, handwoven textiles, and clay figurines — sold through our e-store with 100% earnings returned to makers.
A 12-week programme building public speaking, financial planning, and community advocacy skills for first-generation women leaders from rural villages.
Remedial classes, midday meal support, and government school enrolment drives covering 1,200+ children who had dropped out or never enrolled.
Replacing synthetic festival materials with organic alternatives: clay idols, juco chunris, natural agarbattis — reducing 5 tonnes of ritual plastic annually.
Quarterly camps enrolling villagers into government welfare schemes — PM Awas, MNREGS, Ujjwala, Aadhaar linkage — with 3,800+ beneficiaries to date.
Community-led watershed management in 12 villages — restoring water springs, building check-dams, and training local water committees in maintenance.
Community voices on 14 years of Himwant's work
"Himwant's artisan cooperative changed my life. I went from earning nothing to running my own unit and training six other women in my village."
"I attended the government scheme camp and within a month my mother had her PM Awas application approved. Nobody had told us we qualified."
"The eco-friendly chunris we now use in our temple have started a conversation. Three neighbouring mandirs have asked us where to get them."
Whether you shop, donate, or volunteer — your action connects you to a mountain community working hard to build something lasting.
Buy handmade jute bags, wallets, and eco-ritual products. Every purchase funds an artisan's livelihood directly.
Browse Products₹500 funds a child's school supplies for a month. ₹2000 provides a woman's craft training for a week.
Donate NowSkills in education, healthcare, design, marketing, or technology? We need you in the field and remotely.
Apply NowFrom a single workshop in a Dehradun courtyard to a six-sector NGO touching 48 villages — this is how Himwant grew.
Sangeeta Thapliyal is a visionary social entrepreneur, development practitioner, and community leader whose work has transformed the lives of hundreds of women, children, and rural families across Uttarakhand and the Himalayan region. With a strong academic background in Law and Social Work, she brings together legal awareness, grassroots development, and social innovation to create sustainable solutions for some of the most pressing challenges faced by marginalized communities.
As the Founder and President of Himwant Foundation, Sangeeta Thapliyal has dedicated her career to building inclusive development models that empower communities from within. What began as a small initiative to support rural women artisans has evolved into a multidimensional organization working across women’s empowerment, livelihood generation, education, environmental conservation, cultural preservation, and community welfare.
Under her leadership, Himwant Foundation has established impactful programs that provide women with economic opportunities, strengthen traditional skills and crafts, promote entrepreneurship, and preserve the rich cultural heritage of the Himalayan region. Her work focuses on creating long-term change by enabling communities to become self-reliant while safeguarding their identity, traditions, and natural resources.
No programme is designed without the people it serves. Every initiative is co-created through village consultations and women's circles.
We publish our annual accounts publicly. Every donor can trace their rupee to the programme it funded. No administrative bloat.
The Himalayas are not a backdrop — they are the reason we exist. Every programme we run considers its ecological footprint.
Garhwali and Kumaoni traditions are living knowledge systems. We learn from them before designing with them.
We measure success in decades, not quarters. Sustainable change in rural communities cannot be rushed or exited.
Artisan work is skilled work. We price products fairly, pay fair wages, and never romanticise poverty to market our programmes.
Social worker, former government school teacher, and weaver. 22 years working in Garhwali villages.
Rural development specialist. Oversees field operations across 48 villages in Uttarakhand.
Leads artisan cooperatives, She Leads Lab, and micro-enterprise mentorship for 200+ women.
Botanist and environmental educator. Runs Plastic-Free Pooja and Himalayan Water Collective.
Every product is made by artisan women in our cooperative. 100% of maker earnings return to them directly.
Hand-stitched by artisans in Chakrata. Natural jute, no synthetic dyes, fully biodegradable.
A4-sized jute file bag — perfect for offices and schools. Sturdy handles, linen lining.
Travel-ready jute-cotton blend baggage with double zip. Earthy design, strong frame.
Traditional Garhwali weave pattern. Cotton thread, zero plastic hardware. Gifting favourite.
Multipurpose juco zip pouch in earthy tones. Ideal for cosmetics, stationery, or travel.
Structured jute vanity purse with mirror and inner pocket. Handmade in Dehradun.
Zero-charcoal, forest-herb agarbattis. Replace petroleum sticks in your daily puja. 50-stick pack.
Handmade clay Ganesha — fully soluble in water. Replaces POP idols that damage rivers.
Naturally dyed juco fabric chunri for religious ceremonies. Hand-block printed by cooperative women.
Every rupee goes directly to programmes in Uttarakhand. No admin cut. Full transparency.
100% of your donation funds ground programmes. Our admin costs are covered separately through institutional grants.
Provides one woman with a full set of craft materials for a month of cooperative work.
Covers textbooks, uniform, and school supplies for one child for an entire academic term.
Replaces synthetic ritual materials in one village with 6 months of eco-friendly alternatives.
Contributes to building one check-dam in a water-stressed Himalayan village, serving 40 families.
Himwant Foundation is registered under Section 80G. Your donation qualifies for 50% income tax exemption. We issue certificates within 7 working days.
Secure payment via UPI, Net Banking, or Card
SSL-encrypted · Razorpay secured · 80G receipt in 7 days
We need teachers, doctors, designers, developers, storytellers, and farmers. Remote and field roles available.
Live and work in Himalayan communities. Experience rural Uttarakhand in a way no tourist can.
Receive a verified volunteering certificate from a registered NGO — valuable for students and professionals alike.
You'll see what your work produces — not in a report six months later, but in the classroom or workshop beside you.
Website management, content writing, grant application support, and social media — contribute from anywhere.
We'll reach out within 5 working days with next steps.
Reach us for partnerships, media, volunteering, or any questions about our work on the ground.
We typically respond within 24–48 hours.
If you are looking to community development, connect with Himwant Foundation Society directly at himwantfoundation@gmail.com
Add handcrafted products made by our artisan women