Asha Ashram

Lalpur, Uttar Pradesh

A Community Development Initiative

The Asha Ashram

• The Asha Ashram was started by Sandeep Pandey and Asha Lucknow in 1998.

• The ashram aims to create a self-sustained and socially responsible community in the economically backward (dalit) village of Lalpur

• One of the unique aspects of this project is that the Lalpur village community is playing a very active role in the activities of the ashram. They are eager to see this initiative succeed and have given Asha and Sandeep their complete support.

Overview

• Community center to tackle various grass root activities like women's issues, unemployment etc.

• Providing free health care and education to the villagers• Developing an educational model based on a philosophy

that focuses on cultivating values for a just human order and promoting skills that will help a person to become self-reliant

• Developing an innovative teaching curriculum that incorporates art and craft to develop the students' creative talents

• Teaching vocational skills like bee-keeping, so that they can sustain themselves

Ashram’s Internal meeting

Children at the ashram

Hari: he works and lives at Ashram

Most of the staff at the ashram are from Lalpur village

At a house in Lalpur - 2

The Asha Ashram - Bldg 1

This building was constructed as a part of the ashram

The Asha Ashram – Bldg 2

The covered courtyard of the ashram

Children at the ashram talking to a reporter

Fact sheet

    Established - 1998      Total funds disbursed in 2001 - $ 22,196 Chapters currently involved - Asha Lucknow

2000 $ 5,000 from Asha Seattle1999 $ 200 from Asha Cornell1999 $ 800 from Asha MIT1999 $ 10,000 from Work an Hour

Beneficiaries – 81 families