WHO ARE WE
AsHA, which stands for Altruism Society Honour Assistance, is a public charitable trust established under the Indian Trust Act of 1882. Established in 2019, AsHA was created by a group of like-minded youths from the scenic village of Kachukata, located in the Gossaigaon Block of Kokrajhar district, Assam.
Driven by a shared mission to spark socioeconomic growth in our neighbourhood, AsHA has emerged as a symbol of hope in the face of hardship. Our journey began with a strong desire to address our community’s critical concerns, which was motivated by our founders’ enthusiasm and dedication.
Since its inception, AsHA has been committed to building a just and equitable society. We prioritise working in the Kokrajhar district, recognising its particular development requirements and the resilience of its residents. We hope to uplift and empower individuals and communities by working together to encourage positive change from within.
AsHA’s reach spans over two districts, covering 10 blocks and 80 villages. We are working with 350 Self Help Groups and 10 Village Organisations to build a strong network of grassroots initiatives for sustainable development.
Our approach is holistic, with an emphasis on critical areas such as livelihood development, educational empowerment, women’s rights, healthcare access, and disaster management. By working closely with vulnerable communities, marginal farmers, and students, we hope to satisfy their needs and aspirations while also creating inclusive growth and resilience.
HISTORY OF AsHA
Ashadul Akand is a civil engineer by qualification. His first job after completing his education was with Seven Sisters Development Assistance (SeSTA) where he was assigned to support in the implementation of project of Diversion Based Irrigation. During his tenure Ashadul also worked to promote SHGs, assisted in income enhancement through livelihood promotion of women farmers through promotion of System of Rice Intensification (SRI) and System of Crop Intensification (SCI). He then joined JMECT where he worked as Project Coordinator in an education project supported by Paul Hemlem Foundation. He had little idea about the challenges of the rural areas. After working for three years in the development sector, he got to understand the problems in the rural people and was interested in returning to his village to start his own organization.
In 2019 Ashadul started Altruism Society Honour Assistance (AsHA) based in Gossaigaon block of Kokrajhar, Assam to work with the Below Poverty Line (BPL) families in the rural area. He started to work with Self Help Group. During Pandemic the organisation worked mainly on providing relief to COVID 19 affected families and promotion of nutrition garden with families who were unable to afford to buy vegetables. The initiative was supported by organizations such as SeSTA and Goonj. As schools closed down during pandemic, Ashadul mobilized youths from village to teach to lower primary students as they were not in touch with the syllabus.
Ashadul aspires to dedicate his life to serve rural communities of Kokrajhar district.