Ashankur, which means "Sprouts of Hope," is focused on the empowerment of marginalized women in India to enable them to increase their control over decisions affecting their lives both within and outside their households.

Why this project?

The Ahmednagar District of Maharashtra is a drought prone area with an overall literacy rate of 48% - and only 35% for women. The dropout rate among school going girls after the 8th Class is 55%. Being a rural area caste prejudices are strong and the community is very patriarchal. Due to Globalization villagers who had gone to urban areas are migrating back to their own villages but without many job opportunities there. Alcoholism, gambling and dacoity are increasing by the day in the men folk. Women are the first victims of these social hazards. Because of severe shortage of electricity, especially at night, atrocities against women keep increasing. In this present situation it is still many of the women who are the bread earners for their families.

Empowering women

Empowering women through this traditional drudgery is a long process. We believe, however, that women if organized and made aware, have the power and potential to overcome and build society. With this belief in mind, Ashankur Rural Women's Program was initiated in 2002. The ‘Ashankur Trust’ is a collaborative venture between the Pune Jesuits and Religious of Sacred Heart. While implementing Watershed Projects in the villages of Ahmednagar over many years, the Pune Jesuits had experienced the pathetic situation of women and had felt the need of having an independent program for women. It was for this that in the year 2002 they invited the Religious of the Sacred Heart to collaborate. The Provincial of Sacred Heart Sisters assigned Sr. Daphne Sequeira to implement and coordinate the program. Since mid of 2010 Sr. N.I. Sophie took over as the director.

Objectives

In the year 2004 the program was registered in the name of ‘Ashankur Charitable Trust’. Today the the following objectives of that trust are:

• Developing a network of local institutions for Women SHGs (Self-Help Groups) as a base for economic and social activities in the project area.
• Skill Training for girls / women, and school dropouts among them, leading to livelihood activities for example producint home made detergent powder, liquid soap, tooth paste powder, phynayel (floor cleaning lotion which expells mosquitoes)
• 9-months training course for health services at the centre (semi-government certificate)
• Empowering women to participate actively in local self government, social issues, preventing domestic violence, etc.

Remark: For the project information in German visit: Frauenprojekt-Ashankur