When Mashqura returned to Darjeeling after spending nearly two decades working across India’s social sector, she carried with her a question that had shaped much of her professional journey: What if the experience and knowledge she had gained could be used to strengthen the place she called home?
Today, as the founder of the Eastern Himalayan Foundation (EHF), she is helping young people across the Darjeeling hills become changemakers in their own communities through mentorship, fellowships, and leadership development.
Growing Up With the Power of Education
Born and raised in Darjeeling, Mashqura credits her parents for shaping her values. Despite coming from modest backgrounds, they ensured that education remained the family’s top priority and never differentiated between sons and daughters when it came to opportunities.
Her mother’s journey had a particularly strong influence on her. Raised in a remote farming family, she became the only sibling to study up to Class 10. Determined to create opportunities for others, she started an adult learning centre and later established a school in a remote Darjeeling village in the early 1970s.
Years later, when Mashqura visited the village, residents told her that her mother’s efforts had inspired generations to education.
Discovering a Passion for Social Change
Mashqura’s interest in social development began during her school and college years. While pursuing an honours degree in English at St. Joseph’s College, Darjeeling, she encountered teachers who encouraged students to think critically about local realities and social inequalities.
Her involvement in theatre and street plays on issues such as alcoholism, gender equality, and environmental protection further deepened her understanding of community challenges.
Through volunteering with local organisations like DLR Prerna, she learned how interconnected social issues are and how sustainable change requires addressing root causes rather than symptoms.
These experiences convinced her that she wanted to dedicate her career to working with communities and creating social impact.
Building a Career Across India
Before entering the development sector professionally, Mashqura volunteered with several organisations working on disability rights, community development, and humanitarian support.
Over the next two decades, she worked with organisations including PRIA, DLR Prerna, Kalpavriksh Environmental Action Group, Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), Amnesty International, and the Azim Premji Foundation.
Her work exposed her to grassroots governance, environmental policy, democratic accountability, and welfare delivery. At ADR, she saw how access to information strengthens democracy by helping citizens make informed decisions.
Later, while working with the Azim Premji Foundation and government departments in Andhra Pradesh, she witnessed how effective governance can improve access to welfare services for vulnerable communities, especially in remote tribal regions.
These experiences shaped her belief that lasting change requires collaboration between citizens, civil society, and government institutions.
Returning Home and Starting EHF
The COVID-19 pandemic became a turning point. While supporting relief efforts through the Azim Premji Foundation, Mashqura reconnected with grassroots organisations working across Darjeeling’s villages and tea gardens.
Watching local groups reach remote communities strengthened her desire to return home and contribute directly to the region’s development.
In 2021, she founded the Eastern Himalayan Foundation. Rather than focusing on a single issue, EHF was created to support young people who wanted to solve problems in their own communities.
The organisation’s flagship Trailblazer Fellowship Programme helps participants identify local challenges and design projects around them. Fellows receive training in project planning, fundraising, communication, stakeholder engagement and leadership.
Whether working on education, waste management, water access, or environmental concerns, participants are encouraged to create solutions rooted in local realities.
Investing in the Next Generation
Beyond fellowships, EHF also supports students seeking higher education and careers in the social sector. The organisation has helped over 70 of students secure admissions to institutions such as Azim Premji University, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, and other social leadership programmes.
Mashqura believes young people bring fresh perspectives on issues such as climate change, mental health, technology and gender equality. Looking ahead, EHF is launching two new programmes.
One for Class 11 and 12 students focused on life skills, career awareness, and personal development and the other for undergraduate students to build skills and social awareness through civic engagement areas the EHF team plans to build with local schools and colleges within the National Education Policy (NEP)
Today, with a growing and committed team and an expanding network of Fellows, Mashqura hopes to build a model where young people lead meaningful change in their own communities. Her journey demonstrates how returning to one’s roots can create opportunities for lasting social impact.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Mashqura’s story highlights the importance of investing in local leadership. Through the Eastern Himalayan Foundation, she is helping young people move beyond identifying problems to becoming part of the solution.
Her work demonstrates that sustainable development is most effective when communities are empowered to lead their own change. As India continues to address complex social challenges, her approach offers a compelling reminder that some of the strongest solutions emerge from within the communities themselves.
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