After hectic travels over the past two months, last week Dr Kiran was able to spend some time with the Asha community in Delhi. In an event attended by nearly 500 women and students from all Asha project areas, Dr Kiran spoke enthusiastically about her recent meetings and developments at Asha and conveyed her best wishes for Diwali.
She also congratulated the women’s and children’s associations on their achievements and encouraged them to continue their inspiring work. She attributed the success of Asha programmes to the community. “None of this would have been possible if you had not put in your efforts and catalysed that transformational work that has taken place in the slums over the last 26 years,” Dr Kiran remarked.
The event was also an opportunity for Dr Kiran to reflect on the values that Asha has been stressing upon in the past year and how their practice is bearing fruit in the lives of individuals in the slums. Talking about dignity and social justice, she reinstated the fact that the slum residents are not less than anyone and should stand as equals in the society. Commending the efforts of the Asha team, she remarked that from the drivers to the senior most staff, each one of them is equally important and dear to her. “Each one of you has had a key role to play in the Asha story,” she further added.
Some members of the community also took this opportunity to share their journey with Asha and thanked Dr Kiran and the Asha team for the changes they have brought about in their lives. Overall, it was an afternoon filled with great warmth as the Asha family came together to discuss the Asha values that form the core of our work and in many ways, define our identity.
