September 2009 • Aasha Keys to Success. No skill is more critical to success in India than English language fluency. Through our newest initiative, Aasha Keys to Success, this month we have launched a program to more aggressively pursue English proficiency. We have established a partnership with Speakwell, one of India's top English-language training centers, to provide professional, quality English language instruction to the Sharanam girls. The initial program will include 4 days of instruction per week from a dedicated, experienced, hand-picked teacher, for a duration of 4 months. All of the Sharanam girls will participate in the program. We believe this will be one of our most directly impactful programs, delivering immediate tangible results. August 2009 • Aasha Horizons. Preparing for life after 12th grade is critical for the 7 Sharanam girls currently in 10-12th grades. Through Aasha Horizons, we expose the girls to young professionals, advisors, and professional environments to help them to consider their options and identify opportunites. This month, we held a lunch with HR professional and recruiter Debjani Pal, a former Mumbaiker currently living in London who recruits for Indian firms in the IT sector.   • Aasha Recreation and Life Skills. We held our 2nd annual back-to-school shoe shopping trip. These shopping trips provide the girls with an opportunity to choose their own shoes and experiment with their individuality. More importantly, participating in the same activities that their middle-class schoolmates enjoy changes how the girls think about the lives they deserve in their futures.   July 2009 • Aasha Education. The school year in Mumbai commences each July, and this year marks our fifth year supporting the educations for the girls living at the Sharanam Centre for Girls. Through the Aasha Education program, we have focused on sending the girls to quality private schools, funding after-school tutoring, and switching students as possible from Hindi-medium schools (where language of instruction is Hindi) to English-medium schools (where the curriculum language is English). The girls are each receiving a quality education and are on a solid trajectory toward attending university and pursuing professional careers. This is an exceptional achievement for Indian children from destitute backgrounds. In addition to funding the private school fees and after-school tutoring, we also provide the funding for transportation, bookbags and uniforms, as well as the purchase of umbrellas and raingear (the start of the school years corresponds with the start of the rainy monsoon season). As the 2009-2010 school year begins, there are: - 4 girls in English-medium primary school, 2nd-4th grades - 3 girls in English-medium 11th and 12th grades - 4 girls completing Hindi-medium 10th who will move to English-medium 11th in 2010 - 19 girls in Hindi-medium 2nd-9th grades   May 2009 • Aasha Horizons. This month, during the school summer vacation, we launched our newest initiative, Aasha Horizons, a program aimed at providing girls with professional experience and exposure. To launch the program, we partnered with a multi-national firm in South India to provide a 2-week intensive professional learning experience. The eldest 7 Sharanam girls (10th-12th grades) traveled with Karen by plane from Mumbai to Chennai where they stayed in a serviced apartment. They went to the office every day in formal businesswear and received professional training on MS Office, presenting to customers and business English. They also learned about different careers through department tours and by interacting with young professionals. The program culminated with individual final presentations and a "graduation" ceremony. "The Chennai trip was my happiest holiday. This trip changed my thoughts. I am always thinking what can I do in my future but now I can decide. Before I think jobs are very hard but I looked at what jobs people are doing. This trip changed my thinking. Now I have confidence. I can do anything in my life." Aasha friends Steve Ackert and Celeste Bounds raised 100% of the funds for this life-changing program through their San Diego marathon run.   • Aasha Recreation and Life Skills. During the school summer vacation, we organized a series of outings for all of the younger Sharanam girls not a part of the Aasha Horizons trip. During these outings, Karen brought the girls to the nearby Bandra neighborhood, where depending on the age group, they: ate lunch or dinner in local restaurants, played at the playground, walked along the beach, visited at Aasha friends Karilyn & Paul's home, and/or visited Karen's home. These outings provide a fun experience as well as valuable childhood memories of fun times during summer vacations. Just as importantly, these outings also provide the girls with the opportunity to become familiar with other neighborhoods than their own, and to feel comfortable and confident in middle-class environments. Experiences like these are critical to shaping how the girls consider their future lives and their potential in the world.   April 2009 • Aasha Recreation and Life Skills. We've engaged Aasha friend and yoga teacher Joe Pradhan to provide yoga classes several days a week for the Sharanam girls during their summer vacation.   • New Penpal and Birthday Partners in France. We have a new group of friends: eleven girls, all about 11 years old, from a Girl Scout troop outside of Paris. The girls are all students at The American School and they sent a huge gift package for Sharanam full of writing papers, art supplies, and more. The girls in France have been matched up with the girls in India and they sent a year's worth of personalized birthday cards to India; the Sharanam girls have sent the same back to France, along with Thank You cards. The partnership has been a great way for the girls to enjoy a special birthday while also learning about the lives of children in other parts of the world.   March 2009 • Aasha in the News. The Aasha Foundation was featured in an article in Mumbai's DNA (Daily News & Analysis) newspaper this month. While they got a few facts wrong regarding our emphasis on education, it's always nice to receive positive press! http://www.tinyurl.com/aashanews January 2009 • Aasha Recreation and Life Skills. Just after New Year's we took the Sharanam Girls on an outing to a nearby modern multiplex to see the latest hit movie starring Shahrukh Khan, "Rab Di Bana Di Jodi". We were joined by Aasha friends Mark Lapwood, David Crawford and Oliver Kaye. As with all movie outings, the girls enjoyed dinner in the food court after the movie.   • Sharanam Portraits. Just after New Year's, Aasha friend Mark Lapwood took a series of portraits of the Sharanam girls. Mark is Australian, and is an award-winning filmmaker and cinematographer based in Mumbai. These portraits were taken at Sharanam, in natural light with the girls wearing their normal clothes. It was a fun experience for the girls and we hope to be able to take portraits like these annually.   View more news items: 2009 | 2008 | 2007