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Asha is a non-profit organization with the primary goal of providing basic education to children in India. Asha was started in the summer of 1991, when a few students at Berkeley got together to do their part in bringing hope and opportunity to poor and underprivileged children.
We at Asha believe that an educated population is both a critical requisite and an effective catalyst for socio-economic changes in India. We work through non-governmental organizations working in rural areas of the country. We raise funds for these groups, conduct site visits and monitor their progress. We also try to raise awareness in our local community about child illiteracy issues in India.
We usually hear about projects through mail or word-of-mouth. Asha works with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that have no political or religious affiliations. We screen the projects rigorously through correspondence and site visits.
After a project is approved for support, we raise funds for their requirements.
After sending the funds, we regularly monitor the progress through periodic written reports and annual site visits.
No Asha is not an acronym. Asha stands for Hope in several Indian languages. The hope that good education holds for the children of India and for the future of the country. The hope that we aim to bring into the lives of children in India.
Since its inception, people from different parts of the US and Europe have joined this endeavor. Asha for Education has more than 50 chapters across 3 continents.
Asha for Education is run entirely by volunteers. Thus, we do not deduct any salary / expenses from general donations.
We are a group of professionals from the Zurich area, and our chapter was started with Indian Students Association of Zurich in 2002.
Though chapters of Asha are part of the worldwide organization, they function as independent entities. Thus, Asha Zurich carries out its own fundraising and funds projects selected by its own members. We do work closely with other chapters and sometimes jointly fund projects.
We raise (plan to raise) funds through direct donations, cultural programs and fundraisers. We evaluate and fund projects in India, arrange for site visits and publicize them among our donors.
Asha is an open group, with no bureaucracy or hierarchy. We encourage members to take initiative and volunteer for what they enjoy doing. You can join Asha simply by attending our meetings!
There is no membership fee required for joining Asha. However, members do contribute, on a purely voluntary basis, funds for administrative expenses.
Asha meetings are open to all. Please check the meeting venue and time here for information on when and where our meetings are held. Please also join our mailing list for announcements on when and where the meetings are held.
Yes. Depending on the amount of time commitment you can make, you can volunteer for one-time or periodic activities. You can also help raise funds by doing publicity during social/cultural functions.
Absolutely! We have a number of members and active volunteers who live outside of Zurich. Take a look at our Get Involved page to see the various activities you can undertake as a volunteer - a number of them can be done even if you're in another city.
Make a donation to Asha project funds.
Help us publicize Asha at local events or by making a presentation in your company.
Email us at: info(AT)asha-zurich(DOT)ch! We'll be happy to let you know about what we do.
