The group consists of 3 individuals from complimentary backgrounds – Aayusha Shrestha is a design professional who has over the last seven years, closely worked with allo (himalayan nettle) weavers, lokta paper producers helping create a line of contemporary and sustainable designs and products. She also is the founder and designer of her own label – AAMO, which prioritizes the understanding, documenting and preserving traditional skill sets of home-based metal crafters. 

Tracy Ghale is a development professional with a background in social science research, social development issues, Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI), prevention of Gender Based Violence (GBV), community participation, and sustainable livelihoods. She is passionate about preserving the environment and climate change issues. 

Yangchen Dolker, native of Mustang, currently manages projects related to education, health, and restoration of ancient Tibetan art in upper Mustang for Lo Gyalpo Jigme Foundation (LGJF). Her work is closely tied to her Loba identity and cultural revival. 

Thun-Lam
Our idea aims to conserve traditional skills and practices of the ‘drokpas’ (nomads) without causing harmful impacts on the fragile ecosystem of Mustang and the surrounding Himalayas. We aim to partner with nomads to nurture and systematically preserve indigenous knowledge and the environment by using traditional materials such as yak hair and indigenous skills to create innovative and contemporary utilitarian products. In addition, we hope that our model can be easily adapted and contextualized for other nomadic groups across the Himalayan region who have similar symbiotic relationships to the yak and the ecosystem.