ASHA NIVASChild Development
Empowering, philosophy of promoting Self-Help and Mutual help.
Child Development
Asha Nivas is dedicated to the all-round development of marginalized children and children in distressin the most vulnerable circumstances, including child labourers, street children, children of pavement dwellers, children of commercial sex workers, and runaway children. To address these challenges, Asha Nivas has developed a holistic framework of care and protection delivered through the following intervention programmes:
To prevent children from entering child labour and to support working women living below the poverty line, Asha Nivas runs pre-schools for children from vulnerable communities. Each year, early childhood care and education is provided to children living in urban slums.
Our early childhood education programme, designed for children aged 2 to 5 years, focuses on holistic development through play-based learning, creativity, and social interaction. We believe that quality early education lays a strong foundation for lifelong learning. Asha Nivas operates 20 pre-schools, reaching 375 children. These centres do more than teach—they nurture curiosity, build confidence, and prepare children for a smooth transition into mainstream education. With a strong focus on inclusion and parental engagement, we work closely with families to encourage regular participation in pre-schooling, ensuring that no child is left behind.
To motivate and empower students, monthly motivational programmes are conducted, equipping children with the confidence, discipline, and skills needed to realise their full potential. Recognising that academic success is often limited by a lack of resources, Asha Nivas bridges this gap through free coaching centres, where experienced tutors offer personalised after-school academic support. These coaching centres serve as safe learning spaces, guiding children towards brighter and more secure futures.
Poverty and poor economic conditions prevent many children from accessing uninterrupted education. To address this challenge, Asha Nivas supports the education of children from disadvantaged families, ensuring they are not forced to abandon their dreams due to financial hardship.
Education is more than literacy—it builds confidence, nurtures imagination, and opens doors to opportunity. Through our Education Sponsorship Programme, Asha Nivas provides financial assistance, academic encouragement, and emotional mentoring to children in need. This support covers school fees, uniforms, books, and personal guidance, removing the barriers that often lead to school dropouts.
By investing in education, sponsors do more than fund schooling—they help children develop dignity, independence, and hope, empowering them to build meaningful and self-reliant futures.
To ensure that every child has access to education, Asha Nivas conducts School Enrolment Awareness Rallies in underserved communities. Through placards, banners, slogans, skits, and awareness T-shirts, these rallies actively engage children, parents, and local leaders in understanding the importance of formal education.
By mobilising communities, Asha Nivas encourages the enrolment and retention of out-of-school children, reinforcing education as a fundamental right and a pathway to a better future.
To nurture active citizenship and social responsibility among children, Asha Nivas has established Child Parliaments, each consisting of 20 to 25 members. These child-led platforms empower children to actively participate in decision-making and community development and social awareness.
Through Child Parliaments, children are encouraged to:
- Stand up for child rights
- Promote awareness on education, health, hygiene, and environmental protection
- Participate in community initiatives such as cleanliness drives, tree plantation, and peer education
Each Child Parliament includes elected ministers with defined portfolios and meets monthly for leadership training, discussions on local issues, and planning social action. The programme aims to nurture a generation of informed, responsible, and compassionate change-makers.
Crhilden in need of Care and Protection
A home is more than a physical space—it is built on love, care, and safety. Sadly, many children are denied this basic right due to broken families, neglect, abuse, abandonment, or the loss of caregivers. Forced to escape unsafe environments, they end up on the streets, exposed to hunger, exploitation, and emotional trauma. Rapid urbanisation and poverty have only deepened this crisis.
At Asha Nivas, we believe that no child should grow up unseen or unloved. Our Street Children Programme offers hope through a comprehensive model of care that includes rescue, protection, emotional support, education, skill development, and family reintegration. We support each child’s journey from crisis to confidence, helping them reclaim their childhood and build a safer future.
Shelter Homes
Asha Nivas operates two government-recognised shelter homes:
- Sanadhana Girls Shelter Home, Metha Nagar (Capacity: 21 girls)
- Samarpana Boys Shelter Home, Ottery (Capacity: 27 boys)
Children referred by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) receive:
- Safe accommodation and nutritious meals
- Access to formal education and vocational training
- Medical care and personal hygiene support
- Individual and group counselling
- Recreational activities and life skills training
Beyond these services, our shelter homes provide something essential—love, trust, and dignity. Every child is cared for in a nurturing environment by adults who listen, guide, and stand by them.
Open Shelter
Our Open Shelter Programme supports children in immediate need of care and protection, including those found in street situations, lost, or temporarily displaced. Supported by the Directorate of Child Welfare under the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS), We have two Open Shelter
- Sanadhana Girls Opne Home, Metha Nagar (Capacity: 12 girls)
- Samarpana Boys Open Shelter Home, Ottery (Capacity : 21 Boys)
The open shelter provides:
- Short-term residential care in a safe and welcoming environment
- Food, clothing, hygiene support, and medical care
- Recreation and non-formal education
- Life skills, personality development, and leadership training
- Awareness sessions on drug abuse, HIV/AIDS, and child rights
A key focus of this programme is family reunification. Through careful counselling of both children and families, we work to restore children to safe, supportive homes whenever possible—ensuring their safety, dignity, and emotional well-being remain at the centre of every intervention.
After established rapport with children above 15 years who are not interested in studies are gradually weaned to accept some skill training according to their capacity and interest. Asha Nivas trains children and provides coaching in the field like lathe work, two wheeler and three wheeler mechanism, computer. Those who successfully complete the training programme are placed in suitable jobs.
Child Development Gallery
