From the Co-founders: 30Stades has turned 2 & we thank you for being part of this journey

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step, said Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu. We took that first step two years back. Yes, 30Stades has turned two in the blink of an eye!

And it has been a fascinating journey – of discovering India, its cultural diversity, and above all, finding compassion in the hearts of its people.

When we set out in the winter of 2020, the aim was to document our traditional crafts, performing arts and the path-breaking work of NGOs and social enterprises. On the way, we learned that not hundreds or thousands but lakhs of people and institutions are working towards making life better for others.

We wrote on those planting forests, rejuvenating water bodies, protecting wildlife, providing free education and guidance to underprivileged children, working against human trafficking and women fighting all odds to turn entrepreneurs, becoming role models for others. Then there are our risk-taking farmers going back to natural and organic farming and those working with tribals in remote areas to give them a better life.

The list is not exhaustive but what gives us satisfaction is the impact we have been able to create in our own little way. By connecting small farmers to those practising organic farming and companies with artisans, who need outlets for the sale of their handmade products; taking local heroes to a global audience (our 4 lakh readers are spread across 172 countries) and documenting India’s disappearing arts and crafts for posterity, we feel we have done better than our expectations.

In the process, many institutions got funded, some received awards for their work that we highlighted and others managed to scale up businesses. There is much more but we will keep it at this for now; the rest for some other time.

We thank our readers and writers for their unflinching support, which encourages us to dig deeper and bring out more unique and inspiring stories about the wonderful people and the country we inhabit.

As we enter the third year of our journey, Team 30Stades will endeavour to offer you a wider range of stories that will bring a smile to your lips and warm the cockles of your heart. Thank you!

Warmly,

Rashmi & Urvashi

Look up our YouTube channel