At Indiahikes, we firmly believe that all children must trek. “There’s so much to learn from the outdoors. We want to see more children trekking. Right now, we don’t see that happening,” says Arjun Majumdar, the founder of Indiahikes. Keeping this in mind, Indiahikes has now introduced a 50 per cent Trek Scholarship for children on selected Himalayan treks.

Furthermore trekking as a family creates an impact that last a lifetime. Everyone is out of their comfort zones, struggling together and being awe-struck by the beauty of the mountains together! The memories created are priceless and precious.

Children between the age of 8 and 14 are eligible for this scholarship.

“These are the most formative years in a child. If they are exposed to the outdoors at this age, they will for sure, turn into more knowledgeable and self-sufficient adults,” believes Sandhya UC, co-founder and COO, Indiahikes.

Indiahikes will sponsor half of the trek fee for each child. At the end of the trek, the child will be given a Certificate of Achievement. Schools often decide to hand out these Certificates of Achievement at their morning assemblies. That’s a huge accomplishment for children!

Institutions and teachers have seen the direct impact of trekking on their students.  “Children from Makkala Jagriti had never heard of trekking before, nor had they ventured near the hills. It was a beautiful experience where they learnt about their own strength, helped each other and became one with nature. They were so inspired by the Green Trails experience that they went door to door in their community to speak about waste segregation. They love to often reflect about the trek and the constant question lingers – ‘When are we going on the next trek?’” – Sunayana Chatrapathy, Deputy Director, Makkala Jagriti

Nidhi Tiwari, an outdoor instructor and a mother of a 10-year-old, says, “This is a terrific initiative! I think one of the things that holds us back from sending our children on many treks is the cost involved. I have sent my 10-year-old son, Avik, on two Himalayan treks so far! He has planned four more in the next few months and a scholarship will definitely help, financially and in terms of internal motivation!”

In our own experience, trekking has proved to be very beneficial to children. We would like to spread these learnings to as many children as possible. So next time you’re off on a trek, take your child along with you!

To avail the scholarship, get in touch with the Experience Coordinator of your trek. If you’re still unsure of how to go about it, write to info@indiahikes.com and we’ll help you out.