Aasraa Trust

Our Mission

Aasraa Trust is based in Dehradun, India, the Capital City of Uttarakhand, in the foothills of the Himalaya. It is dedicated to the education & social advancement of slum and street children. More than twelve hundred children now attend the various projects under Aasraa's umbrella.These children have been deprived of education, nutrition, medical attention and laughter. The day to day struggle to survive for children from the slums and streets has robbed them of a chance to compete fairly in our society. The aim and objective of the Aasraa Trust is to level the playing field.

Aasraa Trust was established in March 2009 as an umbrella under which several different projects concerning the well being of disadvantaged children and youth run. Giving children choices and the education to make informed choices is the primary goal of the Trust. Aasraa has focused on providing supplementary education to the children of these families.

Aasraa Trust is concerned with the lack of educational opportunity available to children of the poorer sections of society. We are seeking to redress this imbalance and give as many children as possible a chance to spread their wings and fly. We will mentor them, support them and give them confidence... This is the meaning of Aasraa. Our organization's work in the field of education desires to create tangible change in regards to low school enrollment and gender disparities reflected in enrollment figures.

Our work seeks to alleviate poverty in Dehradun by providing the many disenfranchised children in the city with the opportunity to pursue an education. Back in 2009, our organization crafted a cyclical approach, first reaching out to children in the slums through our outreach programs. There, we conduct classes within the neighborhoods to foster trust and basic education. Then, committed students move to our "Street Smart" program facility, which provides a classroom environment where the children learn basic Hindi, English, and Mathematics. Once they've achieved an elementary level, we help to mainstream them into formal schools by providing scholarships that pay their school fees and living costs.