March 3, 2011 - 4:31pm
Campus Club: Asha for Education
BY CLAIRE GOSCICKI
Members of Asha for Education — a campus organization that raises funds for developing Indian educational programs — make it a priority to inspire and motivate those less fortunate.
As one of more than 73 international Asha chapters, Asha-Ann Arbor selects a variety of educational initiatives in India to support each year. Members facilitate donations to both schools and specialized educational programs, such as after-school tutoring.
Currently, the group is involved with Prayas, an institute for children living with mental or physical disabilities or in poor social conditions, and Pudiyador, a non-profit organization promoting education for children living below the poverty level.
Rackham student Karthik Sathiyamoorthy, Asha’s project coordinator, said the group strives to identify the most promising initiatives to fund.
“We’ll physically go and look at a site,” he said. “We (then) vote to decide if the project will be supported.”
Ensuring that the organizations are using funds wisely is also a priority, according to Rackham student Vishalakshi Krishnan, Ann Arbor chapter coordinator for Asha.
“Once we pick a project, we do an annual assessment to see if the group is using the money in the way they said they would,” she explained. “If a project becomes self-sufficient…we’ll move on to another project which would need more help.”
Group members seek funding projects through community events and personal donations.
Eat to Educate, an annual fundraiser running today in the North Atrium of East Hall from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., is offering meals for a small fee from local restaurants, like Suvai: Taste of India and Temptations. Other fundraisers include a 5K walk/run in Detroit and a station for henna — a dye used decoratively on the body — at the Ann Arbor Art Fair.
Krishnan said in addition to spreading awareness of Asha on campus, the events also serve to enlighten people about Indian culture.
Krishnan, who said she’s been involved with the club for three years, added that she would like to continue recruiting new members while organizing events in association with other Asha chapters in the metro Detroit area.
Sathiyamoorthy echoed Krishnan’s statements, emphasizing the importance of having dedicated volunteers.
“We’d like to have a larger volunteer base and continue to be financially healthy,” he said.
