ANNUAL REPORT 2002 - Asha for Education

While we continue to grow at a steady pace in the U.S. we saw a huge growth in chapters in India andabroad. Several Asha-US volunteers returned to India and contributed to buildings chapters in India.Some of our newer chapters are Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Pilani and Kolkata for a total of over 10chapters in India. Working closely with them has improved the grassroots perspective of Asha-abroad chapters.The Melbourne (Australia) and Singapore chapters are being revived, and London and Zurich are the mature chaptersin Europe with many new ones starting up in Munich, Eindhoven, and Oxford....the proper education of its youth- ERASMUSWe continue to attract committed andpassionate volunteers. Asha's decentralizedand democratic structure welcomesvolunteers from all over. One new volunteer put it well"I liked Asha for its wide reach and the commitmentdisplayed by its volunteers ….there was a perceivableenergy and spirit in Asha. ….a variety of people fromdiverse backgrounds, with a common set of principles and singular commitment." Along with the privileged middleclassvolunteers we also have rural youth volunteers from less privileged backgrounds who bring a very valuableperspective to Asha. The Asha-special group has three volunteers who are visually disabled, who are helping guideprojects that work with the blind with their own experiences. Such volunteers are an immense source of inspirationto the rest of us.Asha is a wonderful place to be. A diversity of opinion and initiatives coexists happily, much like amicrocosm of India itself. We hope our annual report will give you a glimpse of what Asha is, what itbelieves in, what it has done. Through its pages we welcome you to the world of the Asha family.Melliyal AnnamalaiPresidentANNUALREPORT2002pg: 4