Asha was founded in Berkeley in 1991 with the goal of providing basic education to underprivileged children in India. In the years since its inception, the organisation has grown to having chapters all over the united states and in other countries as well.

The members of the Berkeley chapter are mostly students from Cal (UC Berkeley). There are also members who work in and around Berkeley. The focus of the group is to raise awareness among the student and the local community about the need for promoting basic education in India. The group funds a number of educational projects in rural India and maintains a close personal involvement with them.

Funding is raised from cultural events as well as individual donations. Some of our events like 'Images of India' are very popular in the bay area. The Berkeley chapter also works closely with the other Bay Area chapters, the Stanford and the Silicon Valley chapter, to organize large events.