Towards a Resilient McLeodganj: Learning, Connecting and Preparing Together

A resilient community begins with people who know one another, understand the risks around them and are ready to help. In McLeodganj, this idea is guiding a continuing effort to connect community engagement with disaster preparedness and practical capacity building.

On 31 October 2026, marking World Cities Day, EduCARE India’s community resilience work brought people together in McLeodganj for an Aapda Rakshak training and interaction. The engagement continued on 12 November through interactions with the Tibetan Settlement Office, carrying the conversation forward towards a resilient McLeodganj.

Community disaster resilience training in McLeodganj on World Cities Day, 31 October 2026.

From awareness to community preparedness

The 31 October gathering created a space for residents and community representatives to engage with disaster risk reduction and the role of local people in preparedness. Organised within the wider Aapda Rakshak Abhiyan and the effort towards a Resilient Kangra, it connected a global observance with a local purpose: helping communities become better prepared, more connected and more confident in responding together.

The McLeodganj interaction introduced the idea of neighbourhood Aapda Rakshak teams and a ward emergency resource centre. These are proposed building blocks for sustained local participation, supported by further training, community dialogue and practical follow-up.

Continuing the dialogue with the Tibetan Settlement Office

The follow-up interaction with the Tibetan Settlement Office on 12 November extended this engagement to an important local institution. It provided an opportunity to continue the conversation on community resilience and explore how local participation and capacity building can support a safer, better-prepared McLeodganj.

Continuing the conversation: interaction at the Tibetan Settlement Office on 12 November 2026.

For EduCARE India, this continuity matters. A training session can open a conversation; ongoing engagement helps build the relationships needed to carry it forward. Working with community representatives and local institutions can help ensure that preparedness reflects people’s everyday surroundings, concerns and capacities.

Building resilience through participation

The direction ahead is to connect awareness with opportunities for people to learn and contribute. This can include identifying neighbourhood priorities, encouraging volunteers, developing practical skills and strengthening communication between communities and institutions. These are areas for further development through consultation and follow-up.

An inclusive approach also means considering people who may need additional support during an emergency, including older residents, persons with disabilities and those unfamiliar with the area. Community knowledge is essential to making preparedness useful and accessible.

Participants in the follow-up engagement towards a more resilient McLeodganj.

A continuing commitment

From the World Cities Day gathering to the Tibetan Settlement Office interaction, the commitment remains clear: building resilient communities through community engagement and capacity building.

EduCARE India will continue to encourage residents, volunteers, students and local institutions to contribute to this effort. Every conversation, shared skill and sustained connection can help move McLeodganj towards a stronger culture of preparedness and mutual support.

An invitation to take part

For students, volunteers and potential partners, this initiative offers opportunities to contribute to community engagement, disaster preparedness and capacity building. Join us in working towards a more resilient McLeodganj, where local knowledge, practical skills and mutual support help communities prepare and respond together. To learn more about EduCARE India and opportunities to get involved, visit www.educare.in.

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You Matter: A New Space for Community Wellbeing in Bankhandi

On 9 October 2026, on the eve of World Mental Health Day, a consultation and partnership meeting in Bankhandi marked the launch of the Maple Leaf Healthcare & Wellbeing Centre. The gathering brought the focus to community health, psychosocial wellbeing and the relationships that help people feel heard and supported.

Participants at the consultation and partnership meeting marking the launch in Bankhandi.

Listening, inclusion and connection

“You Matter” is the message at the heart of the centre: your voice, your dignity and your wellbeing. Its launch material brings together three simple commitments — listen to lived experience, shape support together and build community connections. These offer a starting point for a welcoming space where people can speak about their concerns and take part in shaping support.

The centre’s message: You Matter — listen, include and connect.

A partnership rooted in community

The centre is to be developed and managed by EduCARE India in partnership with Maple Leaf Hospital, Kangra, and the Department of Social Work at the Central University of Himachal Pradesh. The launch consultation connected social work and community development with health, wellbeing and resilience.

The launch banner sets out the focus on community health, wellbeing and resilience.

Supporting children, young people and families

The announced focus includes children’s and young people’s social-emotional skills, early support for developmental and mental health concerns, psychosocial wellbeing, conflict resolution and addiction prevention. These priorities set the direction for the centre as its activities develop.

A discussion during the consultation and partnership meeting.

Learning and contributing together

Volunteers, interns and students will work alongside doctors and guest resource persons. The centre offers a setting for connecting learning with community participation, with an emphasis on listening, inclusion and practical support. Future plans include de-addiction and rehabilitation support; these are part of the proposed development of the centre.

A shared moment at the Bankhandi launch gathering.

An invitation to take part

For students, volunteers and potential partners, this initiative opens a conversation about how each can contribute to community wellbeing. To learn more about EduCARE India and opportunities to get involved, visit educare.in.

Explore EduCARE India

#educare #india #NGO #Mental #Health #psychosocialsupport #internship #volunteer #mapleleaf #CUHP #social-work#MSW 

Launch of Kangra Gardens initiative - Kangra Botanical Garden

Mr Kiran Topiwala aka Lathiwala modern Gandhi (MA Development Practice, Emory University, USA) has worked hard on the Kangra Gardens design.

Kangra Botanical Garden is the central project of Kangra Gardens and aims to embody everything Kangra Gardens stands for. In this way, it help to not only integrate various EduCARE India projects related to biodiversity, nature and environment conservation, environment consciousness, eco-enterprises, botanics, ayurveda and naturopathy for wellness, sustainable eco-tourism, but will also be a home for them.

Kiran, Sudhakar and Om Prakash working on to create a vege patch

Shabnam relaxing after a garden work bout 

The botanical garden has various purposes:

• To regenerate the ecosystem and promote the conservation of biodiversity
• To support community health and build towards food security and nutrition
• To engage people in connecting better with the environment

Mr Ashish, the Pharma in the Farmer mode.  

 

Creating a Task-force of Youth Volunteers for Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Response Preparedness

EduCARE India chose to scale down most of its projects to focus on covid-19 response in early 2020. The NGO continued to invest heavily on mobilising youth volunteers for Creating a Task-force of Youth Volunteers for Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Response Preparedness. 

Through early 2020 to early 2022, a total of about 5000 volunteers were trained in various skill-sets (Basic Fundamentals of Disaster Management, Volunteering, Emergency First Aid, Search and Rescue, Basic Fire Fighting) at our  Centre for Environment, Health and Safety at Kangra in association with Disaster Management Authority and the Red Cross Society. 

Some of these volunteers then went for a 2-week Advanced Search and Rescue course to Regional Mountaineering Centre, while a few select others were then sent for  advanced training to NDRF (National Disaster Response Force for their ToT (Training of Trainers) on CSSR (Collapsed Structure Search and Rescue).

COVID-19 Response and Expansion of Medical and Healthcare Outreach initiatives

 

EduCARE India has been providing volunteer support services to local Red Cross and a charity hospital during COVID-19 pandemic response in capacity building and strategic initiatives, including infrastructural development, community kitchen, new strategic initiatives, training and development,  community disaster education, and emergency first aid.

EduCARE India volunteers and international students in internship, namely Freja from Denmark and Julia from Netherlands had initiated a "Kangra Fights Corona" initiative in the initial weeks of the lockdown in March and April 2020 while working at our Centre for Environment, Health and Safety set up in partnership with local Red Cross, Disaster Management Authority, and Maple Leaf Hospital. This initiative aimed to spread message of community mobilisation for support to vulnerable individuals and families and spreading positivity and hope during the initial days of panic and chaos of coronavirus/covid-19 pandemic response.

Later this initiative was merged into another initiative - SEHAT SEVA (Social-care Empowerment, Health Advocacy and Telemedicine through Social Entrepreneurship and Volunteer Action) that EduCARE India had started working on to deliver public health and medical outreach services to needy and elders at home during the lockdowns with support of our various stakeholders - Red Cross, Emergency Operations Centre, Block Medical Office, and Maple Leaf Hospital.

A "Red Cross Psycho-social Support Centre" was also established to help the stuck up international and national tourists and the migrants in distress.

A residential "De-addiction and Rehabilitation Centre" was re-started to meet the rising needs of the patients.

A Community Kitchen was started in support of the visiting patients, and launched an online charity heritage auction to help the charity hospital raise funds.

Awareness visits were facilitated for frontline health-workers and Corona warriors.

Some of the disused hospital facilities were refurbished to prepare for possible rising emergency admissions at the hospital medical facilities.

Engaged and facilitated several national and overseas international students and young professionals for online volunteer work and internships in support of ongoing work and their academic fieldwork certificate and experiential learning needs.

Organised several workshops, seminars and workshops in support of some of the causes and sustainable development goals.

Launched setting up of a "Regional Centre for Geriatrics and Elderly Care" on the International Day for Older Persons, and committed 10% seed funding / social investment from EduCARE India and its affiliates to this cause.

Committed to set up about 1000+ SEHAT SEVA Centres / SEHAT SEVA Centres for the need of rural population in emergency times and for home health aide of the needy and elderly and in recovery patients in the normal times,

 

Kangra Fights Corona - a local platform for FIGHTING the coronavirus / covid-19 pandemic and response crisis with messages of HOPE & POSITIVE SPIRIT.

Kangra Fights Corona is a local platform for FIGHTING the coronavirus / covid-19 pandemic and response crisis with messages of HOPE & POSITIVE SPIRIT.

by

Freja Bang Rasmussen (Denmark) and Julia Joana (Netherlands)

March-April 2020

.

------------------WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER------------------

.

(Hindi below)

This is the time for the people to stand together and FIGHT THIS CORONA-VIRUS!

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Kangra Fights Corona is for all citizens of Kangra District. This is a platform to share videos and other posts to create the positive fighting spirit Kangra needs, during these 21 days lockdown.

.

IN THE TIME OF CRISIS - WE ALL NEED TO:

BE clever

BE positive

BE supportive

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

इस फेसबुक समूह / ग्रुप के बारे में:

कांगड़ा फाइट्स कोरोना आशा और सकारात्मक भावना के संदेशों के साथ कोरोना-संकट से लड़ने के लिए एक स्थानीय मंच है

------------------ हम सभ इसमें एक साथ शामिल हैं ----------------

यह लोगों के एक साथ खड़े होने का समय है और इस संघर्ष को बढ़ावा दें!

कांगड़ा फाइट्स कोरोना, कांगड़ा जिले के सभी नागरिकों के लिए है। यह कोरोना वायरस से संबंधित लॉकडाउन के दौरान सकारात्मक लड़ाई की भावना कांगड़ा की जरूरत पैदा करने के लिए वीडियो और अन्य पोस्ट साझा करने का एक मंच है।

आपदा के समय में आवश्यकता है कि हम :

चालाक बने

सकारात्मक रहें

सहायक बनो

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