The 8th edition of the Winter Camp, organized by the Youth Association Kanji (YAK), concluded with an enthusiastic closing ceremony at Kanji village on February 15. Councillor Lamayuru Constituency, LAHDC Leh, graced the occasion as the chief guest.

The Kanji Winter Camp, initiated by YAK in 2017, has successfully run for the past eight years. The 2025 edition, spanning 45 days, saw the participation of 55 registered children from Kanji village.

The camp provided an array of learning experiences, including alternative skill-based education, STEM learning, Social, Emotional, and Ethical (SEE) Learning, cultural preservation, IT training, leadership and confidence-building classes, ice hockey coaching, and academic counseling.

The event was supported by Royal Enfield and the Eicher Group Foundation, in collaboration with their NGO partners—Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust (SLCIT) and Leh Nutrition Project (LNP). These organizations assisted in facilitator training and the ice hockey camp.

Addressing the gathering, Chief Guest Dr. Morup Dorjey, Hon’ble Councillor of Lamayuru Constituency, LAHDC Leh, congratulated the youth of Kanji for their unwavering dedication to their village. He assured full support to YAK Kanji in its future endeavors and highlighted his contributions towards the development of remote villages like Kanji.

The President of Youth Association Kanji remarked, “With each passing year, we continue to learn alongside the children. This motivates us to keep organizing such camps, where children not only learn and have fun but also reconnect with their roots, away from the hustle of modern life. Our efforts over the last eight years have led to an increase in school admissions at MS Kanji, nurtured more confident youth, and even produced ice hockey players who have represented the region at the UT level and India at the international level.”

Thinles Angmo, Education Head of Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust, and Tsering Dolker, Program Coordinator at Eicher Group Foundation (Royal Enfield) Leh, were also present and addressed the gathering.

The closing ceremony featured an exhibition ice hockey match between the Under-15 YAK Black and YAK White teams, along with a unique on-ice cultural dance performance by children under 12. Additionally, students showcased self-composed cultural programs and class projects developed during the 45-day camp.