Archive · 24 Jan 2026
Rural Indians Document Fading Cultures Through Storytelling
In the remote corners of India, people like Beena Nitwal, Deepak Pachhai, and Radhamani K P are learning to document their own stories.
They are part of a special program called the Himal Prakriti Storytelling Fellowship.
This program teaches them how to use cameras, write stories, and share their experiences.
Their stories are published on a website called Voices of Rural India.
This helps preserve their unique cultures and traditions.
The program also helps them earn money and stay connected to their villages.
It's a way for them to share their lives with the world and keep their heritage alive.
The Himal Prakriti Storytelling Fellowship trains rural Indians to document their own stories through writing and video.
Voices of Rural India is a platform that publishes these stories, preserving rural cultures and traditions.
Fellows are paid an honorarium of Rs 15,000 per month for six months and Rs 1,500 per published story.
The initiative has trained 51 fellows and published over 100 stories across 11 states in India.
Stories cover a range of topics, including oral histories, local folklore, and ecological literacy.
- Who
- Rural Indians, including Beena Nitwal, Deepak Pachhai, and Radhamani K P, trained by the Himal Prakriti Storytelling Fellowship.
- What
- A storytelling initiative to document rural cultures and traditions through written and video stories.
- When
- The initiative began in 2020 and has been ongoing since then.
- Where
- Across 11 states in India, including Uttarakhand and Kerala.
- Why
- To preserve fading rural cultures and provide income for affected communities through digital journalism.
- Organization
- Voices of Rural India
- Fellowship Duration
- 6 months
- Fellowship Honorarium
- Rs 15,000 per month
- Story Payment
- Rs 1,500 per story
- States Covered
- 11
- Fellows Trained
- 51
- Stories Published
- Over 100