About Us

ORIGIN

A group of young people in Chedurupally, who were eager to take up some community development activities, came together and registered, “Chedurupally Youth Association” under Society Act in 1995. This Association took up activities like – youth career guidance, Sports events, Devotional programmes and youth development activities in rural villages of Mahbubnagar District, Andhra Pradesh. With the experience of taking up activities, this Youth Association, in 2001 was renewed in under Society Act as “Aashray – Home away from Home. The organizational objectives, strategies were revised to include programs & activities, particularly on Child care & Development, quality education, youth development health domains. 

Aashray Genesis / Brief History:

‘Aashray’ is a Sanskrit word, which means ‘provide temporary protection or shelter in critical circumstances and any situations’. 

Prior to the reformation of Aashray, the Founders & Co-Founders of Aashray were part of any initiative, a participatory process of handling issues of street children in Tenali, Warangal and Hyderabad. This was a process where CBOs, NGOs, Municipal corporations educational Institutions and likeminded people, came together to work on street children issue.  (Project called Balatejassu). The founder members of Aashray understood the various reasons many children run away from their homes and they landed in railway platforms, streets of towns exposed to very harmful situations. Some of them are orphans, semi orphans and some had families. They lived in very dire situations around the railway stations. So, the Founder members of Aashray decided to initiate work for runaway /street and orphan children providing care and protection, education and support to reunite them with their families in 2001. Since then, Aashray identified, contacted and rescued street children in collaborations with Railway Police & other network NGOs in Hyderabad. As part of implementing the programs for the street and run-away children, Aashray started transit home /shelter homes near Secunderabad Railway Station, The Aashray team would rescue children, counsel them, repatriate & reconnected them with their families. For those who did not have parents/ guardian, they were referred to children’s institutions who provided care and protection and education to them. Aashray also managed residential bridge course schools / centre in Hyderabad in collaboration with State Education Department.

Aashray further worked on wellbeing of the needy children, community development and services to the migrants and labours welfare. In this course of journey, Aashray initiated child care institutions for boys and girls in alignment with and guidance of CWC and Woman and child welfare department. The Child Care institution premises were mobilized from government premises. These centres provided safe environment for children for their care and protection providing opportunities for quality education, life skills and other opportunities for overall development of children. Aashray also has worked on Migrant labour programs to create aware and facilitate their access to various government schemes for migrant and labourers in rural and urban district of Telangana.