Volunteer with Asha

Asha means 'hope' in Hindi, which is definitely fitting because that is exactly what this NGO has given, and continues to give, to the slums of Delhi. When my friend asked me if I wanted to go to India to volunteer as an English teacher, which didn't take any convincing whatsoever, I had not yet grasped what I was about to become a part of. Even on my first day as a volunteer, as I walked into the Asha office and received an orientation on what I would be doing, I still hadn't taken it all in.

As I sit here now, writing this post, I'm starting to think that I may never really take it all in, at least not on this first trip to India. So what do I mean by 'it'? I guess I mean a couple of things. Today, 'it' means the impact of the work that Asha is doing in the slums. It is my fourth week here in India, and this week, I am helping out in the office all day, proofreading a document that details Asha's accomplishments and also describes the purpose and structure of the organization. Even though I really miss teaching the kids, I am actually grateful for the time that I have here in the office, particularly because I think I am starting to get 'it', Asha's importance that is.

I read about how Asha has worked to improve health, education, family financial situations, and the overall slum environment, and I cannot believe that this organization, started by one, amazing Christian woman, Dr. Kiran Martin, has been able to bring so much change in just 24 years. Asha has set up centers in 50 slums throughout India's capital city, Delhi, and with these centers, is able to serve a population of approximately 400,000 slum residents. At these centers, children are taught English, pregnant woman receive check-ups, and children get vaccinated. As a result of Asha's work, there has been virtually no infant mortality in Asha slums since 2000. It is hard to believe that this is only a small part of what Asha is doing in the slums.

I've been teaching English in Mayapuri slum for three weeks now, and although I've been having an amazing time with the kids, I don't think I've really been looking at the big picture. Asha is doing so much more than helping a few kids learn English; it is changing lives in a big way that I am beginning to understand and see more clearly. I can't wait to go back to Mayapuri on Wednesday and, with new eyes, really see the magnitude of what God is doing here in India through Asha.