Tuesdays for Tomorrow

~ An Inspired Catalyst ~

At the beginning of the century, Mandip and his daughter, Himali, had the opportunity to participate and promote a state government initiative in a village in Kerala. The enterprise aimed converting the villagers from hunters to naturalists.

The campaign triggered the idea idea of creating a similar model in the village of Khonoma in Nagaland. Mandip and his took action to teach these locals to pledge against hunting the endangered pheasants, and to become birdwatchers and guides.

"The village of Khonoma, in Nagaland, was in the black books because of their hunting of the protected Blyth’s Tragopan Pheasant. They knew it was wrong but it was tradition and people were hungry. It was explained that they could earn probably five times what they were netting from the meat by running home-stay businesses and guiding birdwatchers to the endangered rare species. Everybody wins."

Today, the villagers use their knowledge and skills for their livelihoods. The money they earn allows them to buy chicken for food, rather than them illegally hunting pheasants.