Interview with Jazzmine of Hara House | Zero waste tourism

Today's interview with Jazzmine (pictured above), co-founder of Hara House, a zero waste guesthouse in India that provides fun, educational tours in India. I love this idea so much - so read on to learn more about Hara House!

Tell me about your zero waste guesthouse – your main mission or ethos and what makes it great.

Hara House is a zero waste guesthouse and tourism organization in India. We are a social enterprise and use 20% of profits to invest in community development and youth empowerment projects. We inspire communities to work together towards a sustainable hospitality and tourism industry that positively impacts people and the planet. We currently operate in Bikaner, Rajasthan where we run a youth community hub in the basement of our first guesthouse where youth have access to social justice and environmental action education and resources. We also hire female students to lead our day tours for tourists to see the city of Bikaner, which provides a flexible option for young students and gives them a platform to connect with diverse people, work on their English language skills and gain confidence.

How did you become inspired to start Hara House?

In 2015, I took an internship in India working in grassroots development, which lead to a fellowship, and is where I met my business partner, Manoj. After working on various projects, from waste management to women's health and microfinance, Manoj and I were inspired to set off on our own creating a project that could financial sustain these innovative projects being led by youth in the community of Bikaner. This led to the concept of Hara House, utilizing tourism dollars to empower the community for social justice and environmental action, and Hara House opened in October 2018.

What is something you’ve learned, grown in personally or discovered because of Hara House?

I've learned that youth will save the world. They are empathetic, compassionate, smart, and frustrated with what has happened to our earth. If we provide them with a platform to use their voice and the tools and resources they need to implement their own projects, they will bring so much goodness to our future generations.

In an ideal situation where you had every resource available, where would Hara House be in the next five years?

Hara House would have three zero waste properties across India (we're already half way to property #2!), be operating multi-day experiential tours across the nation, and be a leader in sustainability in the hospitality and tourism industry across the globe.

What do you think about the future of conscious consumerism?

I'm very optimistic about our future. If every single person could influence one person a week to incorporate one sustainable practice to their lifestyle, from implementing a compost system in their apartment to researching the values of the brands and organizations they support, we can make massive, global impact. There is a wonderful community of brands, bloggers and influencers who are using education to empower others to live more consciously, instead of scolding them for making harmful choices. It's obvious our community is inclusive. We provide and create resources to make conscious consumerism more accessible and affordable, the two most crucial steps to starting your journey in conscious consumption. I truly believe the bigger we make this community, the more impact we have on changing the world. We are all so creative, innovative and collaborative together. It's so exciting to see more and more people start to join the movement everyday all over the world!

What is your one piece of quick advice for anyone interested in being more ethical/sustainable/eco/etc?

Stop letting convenience rule your life. Get resourceful!

Just for fun, if your guesthouse were an Ice Cream flavour, what flavour would it be?

Salted caramel in a waffle cone (this is actually just my favorite).

Now for some fun, let’s get to know YOU (Jazzmine) a bit better!

Do you prefer radio or podcasts?

Podcasts all the way!

Books or movies or TV?

I LOVE movies.

Puns or one-liners?

I love being punny.

Dogs or cats?

Puppies!

What or where is your happy place?

Any restaurant rooftop overlooking the Lake Palace in Udaipur after sunset with a wine glass in hand.

Have your received any wise words lately?

Patience is when you should be upset but you choose to understand.

What or who inspires you the most?

My mom - she's a bad ass and fights crime for a living.

What is one thing you've done that you're really proud of?

Followed my dream.

If you could move anywhere else in the world to live for 1 year, where would it be?

India is definitely where I feel at home, but I could easily get up and move to Colombia any day.

Want to learn more about Hara House? Check them out on Instagram at @thehararevolution, or visit their website.