What Is Asha Bhawan?
Asha Bhawan, the Hindi name for the ‘House of hope’,
opened its first ‘Caring Community’ in the greater
Delhi area in 1999. Our first residents were male heroin
addicts and alcoholics. Over the years the outreach of Asha
Bhawan’s ministry and the composition of our community
have evolved. Our residents now also include female
addicts, their children, and in recent years, more and
more abandoned children of parents who have left our
program to return to addiction. Large numbers of homeless
and parentless children have
entered Asha Bhawan’s
community directly from
the street.
What happens to the children?
 Addiction does not destroy the lives of addicts alone, but whole families and their homes. Children suffer the most.
In many nations, including ours, society has come to expect the government to provide social services and a safety net for abandoned and ill cared for children.
In India a well developed and comprehensive welfare network does not exist.
India’s 1.2 billion population contains the largest number of street children at risk in the world.
Asha Bhawan has opened its heart and doors to the younger generation of displaced people who can be found living on the streets and begging in public places.
They find themselves trapped in an
environment where they commit crimes,
become victims of crime, begin a life of
addiction sniffing glue and gasoline, and
are often drawn into prostitution. Some
have parents. Some are orphans. But all
are without parental care.
Many do not know their own age or
family name. They lack the most basic
hygiene, sanitation, healthcare, food,
clothing, shelter, and education—
everything that most of us
take for granted.
What Can You Do For these Children?
Asha Bhawan’s communities are found throughout India. Our ability to house and care for the addicts and children who seek entrance is only limited by the resources made available to us. By supporting the Asha Bhawan Children’s Project financially, you will be helping to provide Indian children at risk with a home in a safe and orderly environment.
There, under the loving care and supervision of Asha Bhawan’s house parents and staff, the children will receive a balanced diet, clothing, healthcare, and an education. They will be privileged to grow up in a rich atmosphere of loving fellowship and nurture. They will attend school and will also participate in sports, recreational, and cultural activities.
‘The A,B,C’s of God’s Love’
God is love. We believe that the world needs to see God’s love in action. The Asha Bhawan Children’s Project provides people the opportunity to express their love in a very practical way, and which will change the lives and destinies of some of the neediest children in the world.
While Asha Bhawan’s adult communities have significant income generating projects which help to defer the costs of their stay in the community, the Asha Bhawan children are too young to participate in those kinds of activities. Their duty is to study and play and grow in every aspect. Their needs are partially met by the efforts of the adult Asha Bhawan community and the generous support of Asha Bhawan’s friends in India and beyond India’s borders.
|