The UConn Chapter of Asha for Education was started in 2008. All of our past and current members have the intention of contributing to the educational security of underprivileged children in India. Our efforts are in conjunction with a nation-wide movement to help increase academic opportunities for the youth in India. The South-Asian country has over one billion people, many of whom exist in poverty. Therefore, education is source of freedom for the younger generations as they try and escape the oppressive cycle of destitution.
In the past we were able to help the children at the D.F. Blind School in Calcutta, India. The academic institute takes in children who are visually impaired and gives them a free education that parallels the curriculum that is used in standard public schools. The students are endowed with innovative tools and technology so that they can do math and write. They are also taught domestic skills, such as sewing and farming. Most importantly, the students at the D.F. Blind School learn how to read braille, which is an ability that will help them become a part of India’s functional society.
The money that UConn Asha has raised in these past three years has helped the D.F. Blind School to double in size, install a playground, and add new dormitories, classrooms, and a library. We conduct our annual large fundraising event to raise funds for the underprivileged children in India . In 2010, we hosted a world-famous acapella group named Penn Masala and had them perform at a concert in Jorgensen. We raised over $3,000 at the event. Currently, we are raising money for the children at the Navarsajan Trust Schools in Gujarat India. The money we raise provides scholarships for the education of female students during the school year.