Asha for Education is a non-profit secular organization dedicated to change in India by focusing on basic education in the belief that education is a critical requisite for socio-economic change.

In keeping with this focus, our volunteers are involved with and support projects that are secular and have an education-related component to them.

The objectives of this group are:

1. To provide education to underprivileged children in India.
2. To encourage the formation of various local groups across the world to reach out to larger sections of the population.
3. To support and cooperate with persons and groups already engaged in similar activities.
4. To raise the required human and other resources to achieve the group objectives.
5. To provide opportunities to individuals living outside India who wish to participate in Asha activities in India.
6. To address, whenever possible, other issues affecting human life such as health care, environment, socio-economic aspects and women's issues.

We raise money in the U.S. through cultural programs and fundraisers to help support agencies in India that are directly involved in children's education. All donations made to Asha NYC/NJ go to projects in India that have been approved by the chapter. These projects send progress reports and financial reports to the Asha chapter. In addition, volunteers visit the projects once a year. We have no political or religious affiliations.

The New York City/New Jersey chapter of Asha was started in the summer of 1994 by students from Columbia, Rutgers and Yeshiva Universities. It now includes a number of professionals working in the area, and also includes students from other universities, such as the City University of New York and New York University.

Asha NYC/NJ currently supports several projects in various parts of the country, including West Bengal in the East, Maharashtra in the West, Uttar Pradesh in the North, and Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in the South. To view a map and see an in-depth description of these projects, please visit our Projects Page.