What’s this about?

Support a Child is an Asha Austin’s fundraiser. Each year, people from around the world come together in a demonstration of great human spirit, to help educate underprivileged children in India. Support a Child presents select projects that are run by grassroots non-profits in India. These projects, with the support of your donation, strive to bring a positive change in the lives of thousands of children.

PROJECTS

Khushboo Welfare Society

Gurgaon, India

Khushboo Welfare Society, a school for children with mental and multiple disabilities, with ~100 children, in Gurgaon, India. Asha-Austin is currently supporting their new initiatives program, since 2016, by contributing ~20k USD annually which funds salaries of a physiotherapist, occupational therapist, arts teacher, music teacher, dance teacher, computer teacher, yoga teacher and pottery instructor.

Samarth

Rural Orissa, India

Samarth (formerly GDOHWA – Ganjam District Orthopaedically Handicapped Welfare Association), is a project to facilitate the development of children with Disablity in Rural Orissa, India.

 

support A child for one year

The amounts suggested below support one child’s needs per project for 2022. We do accept company matching!
For any questions regarding our projects above, don’t hesitate to contact us!

 

KWS-Gurgaon

$25

Per month per child
  • Total Annual Support: 300 USD 
  • Type: Special Needs School (Urban, Rural)
  • Beneficiaries:Children with mental and multiple disabilities

     

  • Click here for project details
  • For you: A lunch for 2!
    For the child: A month’s support at KWS!

Please check if your company matches your donation to maximize the impact of donation!

Donate Now: $300

Please contact us for any questions regarding company matching.

Samarth-Orissa

$30

Per month per child
  • Total Annual Support: 360 USD (Edu) or 360 USD (Room & Board) 
  • Type: Special Needs School (Rural) 
  • Beneficiaries: Children and Adults with Disablity
  • Click here for project details
  • For you: A dinner for 2!
    For the child: A month’s support at Samarth!

Please check if your company matches your donation to maximize the impact of donation!

Donate Now: $360

Please contact us for any questions regarding company matching.

Frequently asked questions

The student will mainly receive education and in some cases, health care (annual medical check ups where available) and nutrition. Every project has slightly different details. Please see the project details.
We are looking at annual support for sponsorship of a child’s education for the entire academic year. This relationship for a minimum of a year makes a difference to the child, as his/her needs for the year are met. Studies have shown that giving a donation amount as a one-time donation is better than giving the same amount split into smaller recurring donations. Also, it helps make tracking the donations plus matching amounts easier on us.
Asha-Austin has a long working relationship with KWS. Asha-Austin has worked with KWS since 2008 and has been involved with support of special educators salaries from 2008-12. Since 2016, Asha-Austin has been supporting salaries of staff of their new initiatives program, namely their arts/music/dance/yoga/computer teachers and therapists (occupational therapy, speech therapy, physiotherapy and pottery teacher). Asha-Austin understands their financial needs, fundraising model, vision and future plans for growth better. For more information, please visit the project page.
We have around 100 sponsorship opportunities for both Samarth and KWS. KWS is expected to grow at 10% rate every year. If a donor sponsors a child and gets the donation amount matched, the donor will be considered as a sponsor for two children’s education.
We cannot take any more restricted donations once the needs are met. We would encourage you to make a general donation to the chapter, or to be on the wait list. We will inform you as and when new opportunities arise. If a donor doesn’t renew support for the next year, and if slots are available, we will get in touch with you.
Special education can be expensive due to low teacher to student ratios of 1:4. Usually, each class has one special educator with an assistant teacher and manages about 8-12 children depending on their level of disability. Also, the cost of setup for therapy infrastructure can be high. Certain therapies like physiotherapy need to happen on a regular basis to prevent muscular atrophy. Most therapy and co-curricular activities are therapeutic and highly beneficial for the children.
Yes. We do accept matching donations. A lot of US companies match donations made by their employees. Please submit a matching donation request with your company and mention ‘Asha Austin – Support a Child’ in the comment section.

About Us

OUR STORY

Asha Austin, a chapter of Asha for Education, is a completely volunteer driven organization, comprising of dedicated individuals from Austin, striving to make a difference to the society. We believe that education is one of the primary factors in shaping a child’s future and by extension, the future of the entire country.

Asha for Education 2017 Annual Report


OUR IMPACT

Since 1997, as a chapter, Asha Austin chapter has disbursed 802k USD to over 18 projects and 3 fellowships across India. Since Jan 2018, we have disbursed 24k USD impacting the education of ~400 children in 3 projects and 1 fellowship across 4 states. Read more about our impact at the below links.

Asha for Education Austin Chapter – 2017 Annual Report


MORE WAYS TO CONTRIBUTE!

VOLUNTEER

DayTimeVenue
1st Sunday3:30 pmIn-person
2nd & 4th Tuesday9:30 pmDial-in only
3rd Sunday3:30 pmDial-in only

Dial-in & Screen Share: via Google Hangout

Meeting Minutes are available on Asha Austin Wiki page.

FUNDRAISE

Create a fundraiser in Facebook for Asha For Education

Participate in Strides of Hope 2018-19

join the cause

JOIN OUR MAILING LISTS

asha_austin_members (~2-3/week): meeting agenda/minutes announced here!

asha-austin-friends (~1-2/quarter): fundraisers announced here.

KEEP IN TOUCH OVER FACEBOOK

Austin Chapter Facebook page

Team Asha Facebook page