SECMOL - The Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh

The Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL) was founded in 1988 by a group of young Ladakhis to reform the educational system of Ladakh. Today our activities are extremely varied and numerous. We organize activities for Ladakhi youth, run a campus for students going to school or college en Leh, develop solar energy projects, and much more.

SECMOL's activities

	SECMOL Campus at Phey » SECMOL Campus is located near the village of Phey 18 km from Leh. The solar heated campus is home to about 40 students from remote villages.
	Solar energy and Sheyson Solar Earthworks » SECMOL has many years of experience with solar energy. Its campus in Phey is completely solar-powered and heated. It now offers design and construction of solar buildings to others.
	Youth camps » SECMOL's annual youth camps are enormously popular among rural students. They learn Ladakhi history and geography, English, and solar energy, alongside Ladakhi dancing and games, etc.
	Volunteering » SECMOL usually has a few volunteers, both domestic and international, helping with English teaching, architecture training, ice hockey, and much more.
	Ecotourism - Around Ladakh with Students » SECMOL's eco-friendly travel agency, Around Ladakh with Students (ALS), specialises in cultural exchange for student groups and organises homestays, interactions with Ladakhi students, monastery and historical visits, treks and village tours.
	SECMOL publications » SECMOL and its sister concern Melong Publications publish books about Ladakhi language and food, children's stories, and school books and teaching materials designed specially for Ladakh.
	Education reforms in Ladakh » One of SECMOL's main objectives has always been to improve the education system. Since 1994 we collaborated with the local government in a movement to improve education in Leh District.

A few words about Ladakh

Ladakh, the eastern part of Jammu and Kashmir state of India, is a high-altitude desert region, on the upper reaches of the Indus River. Until recently a somewhat isolated rural society, Ladakh has seen enormous and sudden changes since the 1960s, when the Indian government started having an impact on local life through defence activities (Ladakh shares borders with both China and Pakistan) and development activities such as schools, offices, and subsidies. The region opened to foreign tourism in 1974, and is a popular destination for trekkers as well as travellers visiting ancient Buddhist monasteries, and since 2000 domestic tourists have been coming too. It is also home to a large Tibetan community.