Nature’s shop

The shop was preceded by a social venture called Himjoli that was launched in 2009 by Pankaj Wadhwa. Himjoli works with 18 NGOs and 25 self help groups based in Kumaon,Uttarakhand,and markets their products. These NGos work across several areas–education,healthcare,sustainable livelihoods,natural resource management,alternative renewable energy,social forestry and women’s development.

“Himjoli was started with an aim to reduce migration to cities by creating more sustainable jobs in the villages in Uttarakhand. The incomes there were low and that’s how the idea to sustain the livelihoods of people from their home villages came about. We decided on expansion later and started a store in Delhi to make the reach of the products wider,” says 48-year-old Wadhwa,director of Himjoli,who left his corporate career a few years ago to start this social venture and divides his time between Delhi and Uttarakhand.

Thousands of rural farmers,artisans and women’s groups are involved in this enterprise that looks at transforming lives through “trade not aid” as the profits from Himjoli products are invested back into the communities and producer groups to help improve the standard of living. Some of the partner NGOs that Himjoli works with are Aarohi,Umang,Kumaon Grameen Udyog,Inhere,Aepan and Avani. Himjoli’s rural products are sold through ten stores across Uttarakhand,an exclusive store in Delhi,a distribution system in Bangalore and Delhi and through sales and exhibitions across the country.

It’s been around for only a month but Himjoli has already found many takers. “One of our most selling products has been apricot oil. Even our herbal tea packs have been appreciated by people. One of our customers from Goa came here and bought a few tea packs. She liked it so much that she told us to deliver tea packets to Goa,” says

Prakash Chandra,the area manager at the store.

The products can be home delivered in Delhi and and the NCR. Himjoli’s gifting line includes pack of silk boxes,silk tealight lamps,walnut chocolates,jams and honey and bodycare products.

For more information,contact:

Himjoli at 011-26561110