Ashakiran Inc

AshaKiran works towards a healthy and harmonious community and provides support services to the growing South Asian Community in the State of Alabama. AshaKiran means 'a ray of hope'. It was founded in 2006 with the mission to educate, empathize and empower persons of South Asian origin who may be going through ‘crisis situation’.

AshaKiran works at two levels-

1)   Outreach Activities: It runs an outreach program to educate and increase awareness about available local resources in the community. As part of outreach, AshaKiran also organizes free health screenings, senior citizen healthy living workshop, leadership trainings and career workshops for youth, helps with tutoring, translations etc. In other words, the work at AshaKiran addresses on a daily basis, issues of inclusion, cohesion, equity, access, campus life, multiculturalism and empowerment. Over time, AshaKiran has grown as an organization and is now an established resource in the community.

2) Provides ‘Ashaline’, a confidential and dedicated telephone line, served by trained volunteers to provide support and referral services to persons dealing with domestic violence, social isolation, abandonment, or family crisis. As a next step to this service, in 2011, AshaKiran acquired a “Safe/Transitional” house.

AshaKiran works with people from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka. It caters to more than 18 languages and aprox.75 dialects. It is the only organization for South Asian’s in this region. Additionally, cases are known to come both locally, as in a 200 mile radius as well as from cities like Tennessee, Georgia, Ohio, California etc.

Unique experience of South Asians in US: Based on recent statistics, almost 40% of the South Asian community in the United States suffers from emotional trauma. Women especially, experience problems related to emotional abuse, domestic violence, depression etc and are often reluctant to seek help from traditional and mainstream sources due to language, cultural and immigration barriers. This is where AshaKiran steps in. It actively liaisons with local community organizations for volunteer training/shelter services and with other South Asian organizations for capacity building initiatives, networking and advocacy. AshaKiran makes their services more accessible and provides the multicultural and multilingual support and counseling.

 The money raised will be used :

1)       Towards safe/transitional house.The safe/transitional house is aimed at providing a temporary living environment, free of  violence and intimidation to survivors of abuse, to facilitate them ‘stand on their feet’ and make positive life changes.

 2)       Organize free Health Screening -In 2011 sixteen different health screening stations were set up and there was a turnout of aprox. 400 people from all walks of life. Out of these, in a span of 4 hours, close to 300 were able to get their screening done. AshaKiran anticipates a larger participation in 2012.

What People Have to say about us:

"Thank you AshaKiran volunteers. You have made a difference in the lives of our students and teachers." - Huntsville City Schools.

"Providing various services to South Asian community is a magnanimous task that AshaKiran has undertaken so sincerely. I will always be indebted to them for changing my life. "- Survivor of domestic violence.