Picture This.
You are away from home, living in a city that shares not a sliver of resemblance with the place you grew up in. The air feels different, the streets sound foreign, it just lacks the one thing you crave most: a feeling like home.
That evening, you step out, hoping to shake off the melancholy. Aimlessly, you find yourself in a store, scanning. Chips, cookies, bottles of coke — all familiar, yet very uninviting. And then, something catches your eye. A small, unexpected packet.
You reach out and pick up a packet. It’s Churpé bites, the same chewy, sweet-salty treats from your childhood—made of dry cheese and sugar—a delicacy that was once a staple at every celebration back home. You hold the colourful packet and transport to the time when your grandmother would hand them to you after a long day of playing outside.
This isn’t just a snack. It’s a story, a connection, a bridge to the world you left behind.
This is what the Ladakh Nutrition Project (LNP) and their Women’s Self-Help Group (SHG) initiative aim to provide: a taste of Ladakh that carries stories, traditions, and a sense of belonging to all the Ladakhis far from home, all while empowering the women who make it happen.
Supported under the Water Agriculture & Livelihood (WAL) program funded by Ernst & Young Foundation, the SHG brings together women aged 40 to 71 who are redefining their roles beyond farming, knitting, and weaving. They create Churpé bites, roasted barley flour, and masoor dal—turning what they naturally do as a part of their culture into economic opportunity.
Introducing Delden And Dechen
Women on both sides have played an active role since the initiative began less than a year ago. Their work involves training women to package, label, produce(a few) of these products, building not just livelihoods but independence.
“These candies aren’t just treats,” Dechen shared. “They’re pieces of Ladakh, stories we’re proud to share. For the women who make them, they’re symbols of empowerment.”
Their vision is to move from packaging to full-scale production. With LNP’s backing, the SHG plans to grow its own raw materials—from seeds to harvest—giving the women control over every stage of the process.
So, if you ever come across a Churpé bite, think about the hands that shaped it. Remember Delden, Dechen, and all the others making it possible. But in the meanwhile; What candy connects you to home?
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