The 2nd Asha Conference
Asha's phenomenal growth over the past two years necessitated an all-chapter meet to discuss various issues. The activities, decisions and volunteer responsibilities are summarized in this article. Please refer to the conference website for specific details.
Growing in Strength: Presentations by 16 chapters covering their major accomplishments and concerns revealed that although the chapters were varied (in terms of size and age), they were facing many common issues (volunteer attrition, transferring knowledge to new volunteers). These issues were covered in a set of mini-workshops, which led to the formation of teams working on coordination, fundraising, web and finance. These teams are compiling a list "do's and don'ts" to help streamline chapter operations.
Working Together: The recent increase in national level activities is bringing all Asha chapters closer together. It is also providing a motivation to refine our decision making process at the national level. A small team of volunteers is working to establish efficient decision making processes while retaining Asha's open framework.
Asha 2000: After completing his studies in the US this year, Shanmuga (Asha Princeton) is planning to return to India and spend a year travelling across the country visiting the various NGOs supported by Asha. The goal is to provide:
Beyond a Service Provider: Venu Govindu started off the session on "Asha Roadmap" with the message that Asha should strive to be more than a "service provider" and aim towards a deeper relationship with our projects. After hours of discussions, volunteers compiled a list of what they would like to see in an ideal project. Among the points listed: education as a part of community development, utilizing and improving upon the existing formal education system, self-sufficiency, emphasis on educating girls, and projects with clear financial reporting.
Asha Fellows: Volunteers are evaluating a promising new initiative; an "Asha Fellows" program to provide financial and moral support to individuals interested in social work. We are learning about other organizations' programs to decide on the best implementation model for Asha.
The conference ended on a high note with Dr. Parameswar Rao's moving, thought provoking speech. On the whole, the conference achieved its purpose; passionate volunteers from across the country met face to face and exchanged views. Having synced up and recharged, the Asha community is well set for the next millennium!
The 60 volunteers (40 from out of town!) posing for a group photo at the 2nd Asha conference hosted by Asha MIT over the Memorial Day weekend.
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Chicago, July/August,
Contact Mukund (847 781 1724) |
The Cricket World Cup may be over, but the mania continues at Asha Chicago's IV annual cricket tournament. |
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Delaware, August 28th,
University of Delaware, Contact Roopesh (302 737 3069) |
Mrs. Nomita Chandy, the founder of Ashraya, one of Asha Delaware's projects, will be giving a talk at the University of Delaware. Volunteers from nearby chapters (Philadelphia and Princeton) will also be attending the talk. |
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Kentucky,July 13th - August 3rd,
Contact Shruti (502 852 3183) |
The Kentucky chapter will be raising awareness by participating in the Freshman Orientation information fair at the University of Louisville. |
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New York, August 15th,
The streets of Manhattan, Contact Ranjeet (201 795 2193) |
Asha NYC/NJ will be participating in the annual India-Day parade in New York. Last year volunteers received TV coverage and got to see Anupam Kher and Manisha Koirala at close quarters! They had so much fun that participation this year was a no brainer. |
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Seattle, July 17th,
Lake Sammamish State park, Contact Archana (425 882 1899) |
Asha Seattle's annual picnic will be held on Saturday, the 17th of July at the Lake Sammamish State park. Over 200 people are expected for this fundraising event. There'll be food, interesting games and hopefully lots of sunshine! |
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Washington DC, July 24th-25th,
Univ. of Maryland, College Park. Contact Sukumar (202 667 6299) |
Dr. Parameswara Rao continues on his quest to unite the various volunteer groups in the US. This 2 day brainstorming session at Washington DC will be attended by volunteers from Asha, AID, CRY, ILP, IDRF among others. |
Work An Hour for Education '99
On the 52nd anniversary of India's independence, 38% of her children are illiterate. On August 16th, thousands across the globe will join us and donate an hour's pay to the cause of education in India. Let us pledge together: an hour of your pay, the gift of literacy for a child.
The $40,000 raised by Work an Hour'98 was used to fund the following projects:
ASTHA, Delhi
Alternative Strategies for the Handicapped (ASTHA) provides professional services to persons with disabilities (such as cerebral palsy and autism). It seeks to raise awareness and increase the acceptability of people with disabilities in society.
Work an Hour funds are being used to set up a permanent research and communication center, to produce training and awareness raising material in the area of disability. Asha Seattle is funding the recurring expenditure required to take care of transport facilities for children, salaries for its educators, physiotherapists, pediatricians and pediatric neurologists. Himabindu Thota has more information about ASTHA.
Asha Center, Lucknow
The Asha center in Lucknow will be multidimensional, providing primary education and vocational skills, while emphasizing core values of trust, love and harmony with nature. More than 100 children, mainly from the socio-economically weak fisherfolk community living in nearby villages, will be provided free education. The school will be run by teachers engaged in self-reliance activities: herbal garden cultivation, bee keeping, production of chyawanprash and agarbathis.
The center will be used to train volunteers and teachers for the purpose of launching a movement in alternative education. It will also serve as a base for doing volunteer work or for research by part-time volunteers. Dr. Sandeep Pandey (one of the founders of Asha) will be leading this effort. Work an Hour funding will be used to procure land for the Asha center. Please contact Neeta Deshpande for further details.
Economically Disadvantaged Migrant Workers' Children, Kanpur
Access to education is extremely difficult for children of poor migrant construction workers and agricultural labourers, given their migratory life and adverse socio-economic conditions. To tackle such problems, Vijaya Didi and Asha India are operating centers in Kanpur to enroll 5-10 year old children in formal schools and to provide non formal education to those unable to attend schools.
In addition to basic literacy, vocational training will be provided for older children. A crèche for taking care of babies and education for the labourers, to increase their awareness of health, schooling, legal rights and democratic institutions, will also be undertaken. Work an Hour funds will cover expenses for these centers for the next three years. You can contact Sanjay Chandran for more information.