Rural Technology Center Vannikonendal Inauguration

Asha Chennai inaugurated its 14^th Rural Technology Center on 19 June, 2026 at Vannikonendal, Tirunelveli, Tamilnadu. This RTC is the 4^th centre under Asha’s Project Pearl in Thoothukudi.

You may view the album here.

Asha’s runs RTCs in partnership with Pravartak (subsidiary of IIT Madras). We provide free computer science education to government school students, offering courses ranging from Digital Literacy and Scratch Programming to advanced courses such as Web Development, Animation, and Media Editing. Robotics and Artificial Intelligence are the latest additions to the curriculum, helping students gain exposure to emerging technologies. You may read more about it here.

Asha’s RTCs which benefit nearly 1,000 students across Tamilnadu are currently active in these locations-

Setting up the RTC

The work of setting up the RTC began in April 2026. Asha’s Pearl project coordinator, Mr. Murugan worked on getting the place ready. We got the electrical work done, installed 6 fans, workstations, 5 benches, table and chair for front office, and modem.

Inauguration Ceremony

Generally, Asha RTCs are paired with a school where the RTC teachers visit and teach the students for 3 hours every week. Here, we are paired with GHSS Vannikonendal which has around 650 students from class 6 to 12. Asha currently runs its Explore program in the school. It should be noted that last year, one of the classes in the school also completed the ACE program.

The inauguration ceremony began with a visit to GHSS Vannikonendal. Asha volunteers Mr. Rajaraman, Mr. Bhaskar, Ms. Joystna, and Mr. Shiva, along with Asha’s Project Coordinator at Thoothukudi, Mr. Murugan visited the school during the morning assembly. They met with the Assistant HM, Ms. Sumathi who welcomed them to the school.

Mr. Bhaskar spoke about the history of Asha and specifically the long association Asha has had with the Thoothukudi and Thirunelveli districts through Project Pearl. He spoke about the programs such as SPRINT, Karadipath, Explore, ACE and RTCs which are run by Asha across various districts. He also spoke about Asha’s experience in managing the RTCs successfully and the opportunities and exposure presented to students.

Mr. Rajaraman then addressed the students informing them about the new RTC established. He spoke about the importance of learning computers and the implications of digital knowledge in workforce in the future. Since the RTCs offer both basic and advanced courses, he urged the students to make use of the opportunity and learn at the RTCs.

Following the assembly, the team proceeded to the RTC accompanied by the Panchayat President, the Headmasters of GHSS and PUPS Vannikonendal, RTC teachers, and members of the local community. Mr. Rajaraman, together with the RTC teachers, cut the ribbon to inaugurate the center. The dignitaries also lit the kuttu vilakku, marking the auspicious beginning.

Since the volunteers could not meet the RTC students in the morning, Mr. Rajaraman and Mr. Bhaskar revisited the center in the evening to interact with students and their families.

More than the address by the volunteers, what made the event particularly engaging and interesting was the large number of children from feeder schools who have already engaged with Asha Chennai’s computer science programs in various way. This included PUPS Koovachipatti, PUMS Athikinaru, PUPS Vannikonenthal and also from the ACE program in GHSS Vannikonenthal etc. They shared their experience learning computers so far, the projects they had done and their participation in the various Impressions events. They were really excited to continue their journey with the new RTC and the excitement was contagious!

Student enrollments have already begun and more than 120 students have signed up, signaling an exciting start for the new center. The RTC will operate in two evening batches (4:30–6:00 and 6:00–7:30), and four batches on Saturdays and holidays. The RTC will start by offering Digital Literacy and Scratch Programming courses.

RTC Vannikonendal will be a two teacher RTC and will be led by Ms. P. Nithya and Ms. S. Tamilselvi. We wish Ms. Nithya, Ms. Tamilselvi, and all the students at the Vannikonendal RTC a successful and enriching journey ahead.

Pearl Asha Impressions – June 2026

Asha’s SPRINT initiative focuses on teaching Computer Science to students from Grades 1 to 8, supporting over 180 primary and middle schools in Tamil Nadu and 15 schools in Uttar Pradesh.

It reaches schools across Thoothukudi, Thirunelveli and Tenkasi districts. It all started with Asha placing regular teachers in under‑resourced schools, and in 2014 we took it a step further by adding computer teachers. These teachers don’t just teach computer science, they also bring in carefully chosen open‑source digital content, along with material developed by Asha, to make learning in other subjects richer and more engaging.

As part of the computer science curriculum, every student gets hands‑on experience by creating and submitting projects. Children in 4th and 5th standards put together presentations using OpenOffice, while those in 7th and 8th standards dive into programming with Scratch. The projects are team‑based, with Asha teachers mentoring and guiding students through the process. Out of the vast volume of projects submitted, selected projects get showcased at Asha Impressions, a platform where students proudly present their work.

You may view the album here.

The Event

Asha holds two Asha Impressions events every year. One at Chennai where students from other geographies like Thiruvallur, Thiruvanamalai and Chennai participate. Since Thoothukudi is the farthest geography, transporting younger children becomes a huge challenge. Over the years, we have conducted a separate event for them. This year, however, projects by 6th to 8th children in Scratch Programming and Physical Computer were featured in the main Asha Impressions held at Amazon.

Asha Impressions at Project Pearl was held on Saturday, June 20, 2026, at PUPS Nalatinputhur in Thoothukudi. Out of the 210 projects submitted, 16 projects from 15 schools were finalized by Asha Lead teachers and volunteers. Since the older students had showcased their projects at Chennai, only projects by class 4/5 students in Digital Literacy were featured in this competition. Mr. Rajaraman, Mr. Bhaskar, Ms. Joystna and Mr. Shiva were invited as judges for this competition.

The students arrived at PUPS Nalatinputhur in 3 vans and 2 autos organized by Asha. The students were provided breakfast, and the coordinators and teachers set up the place for the competition. The competition began by 10 pm once the judges arrived and settled in.

To keep the order of competition random, the names of the projects were written in paper and dropped into bowl. The judges picked the teams in order of the draw.

The students presented on interesting topics like Moolligai sedi, Uruppu Mandalam, Animals and their young ones, Kottaikalum Aranmanaikalum etc. making the event interesting and fun. They confidently answered the judges during the Q&A round. At Asha Impressions, the Q&A is given more weightage since it allows the judges to evaluate the depth of knowledge and technical understanding of the projects presented.

Prize Distribution

By 1.15 pm, nearly 11 teams had completed presentations, after which everyone was invited to have lunch. The competition ended by 3.45 pm and the judges took time to discuss upon the winning teams. The prize distribution was held by 4.15 pm. Asha volunteers, Mr. Rajaraman and Mr. Bhaskar reiterated the importance to project work for learning and the significance of Asha Impressions. The judges then announced the winners and handed medals and certificates.

The winners of Asha Impressions, Project Pearl, Thoothukudi are:

1st place – PUMS Kayathar south for One minute story

2nd place – PUPS Karadikulam colony for Avoid Plastic

3rd place – PUPS Koovachipatti for Parts of speech and PUPS Vadakku ilanthaikulam for Healthy and Unhealthy food

RIGHTSTART 2026

“The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery.” -Mark Van Doren.

One of the important element of Asha’s pedagogy is the ‘Teacher as a Learner’ model. We believe the teachers are lifelong learners. To support this philosophy, Asha organizes regular training sessions throughout the year, enabling teachers to strengthen their curriculum knowledge and equipping them with innovative tools to make learning more engaging and enjoyable.

As a part of this goal, Asha conducts its largest annual 5-day residential teacher training program called Rightstart every May. Teachers from all Asha geographies participate in this program. We invite external educators who challenge teachers to broaden their perspectives, expand their learning horizons, and embrace new ways of thinking.

You may view the album here.

Participants

Almost all the teachers from all our projects attended the RightStart teacher training. The attendees from our projects were as follows:

In addition, teachers from these other organizations also attended RightStart:

Organizing the Event

We organized the Rightstart event in IIT Madras between 18-21 May, 2026. As this was a 5-day event, arrangements were made for the accommodation and meals of teachers traveling from various geographies, including Thiruvallur, Thoothukudi, Thiruvarur, and Tiruvanamalai. Several teachers also choose to commute to and from Chennai every day, especially from our Sangamam and Poorna Vidhya projects, instead of staying back at the hostels.

The women were accommodated in the hostel named ‘Tunga’, while the men were housed in ‘Krishna’. One warden was assigned to each of these hostels to help the teachers settle in. Breakfast and dinner were organized in the Himalayas Cafeteria. All teachers were provided food coupons on arrival. Breakfast time was scheduled from 7.30 am to 9am and dinner from 7.30pm to 9pm. Our administration team also worked with IITs Security officers to secure permits for the vehicles entering the campus. Most of the teachers arrived by vans on Sunday and checked into the hostels.

The training itself was organized for the first 4 days at the Vanavani school auditorium inside the IITM campus. The fifth day training and the final valedictory program was organized at the Central Lecture Theater. Audio systems, projector etc. were managed by the local staff at these location making it easy for Asha to just come and use these facilities.

Keeping with our tradition, we distributed eco-friendly cloth bags to the teachers with their stationery kit.

The Event

The teachers were requested to gather at the Vanavani Auditorium by 9:15 am as the program was scheduled to start at 9:30 am. Mr. Rajaraman, Volunteer and Project Coordinator at Asha, welcomed the gathering and spoke to the teachers about the plan for the 5 days. With wide variation in what the teachers were teaching (Maths, English etc. for primary children, CS for all classes, advanced CS at our RTCs etc.), our common RightStart training has been consciously moving to train the teachers on broader topics of pedagogy which are relevant for any teacher. This year continued the same trend with a special emphasis on questioning!

Day 1 – 18 May, 2026, Monday

The training sessions were divided into two per day. The morning session on day 1 was conducted by Dr. V.R. Devika.

Storytelling and Heritage

Dr.V. R. Devika is an educationist, author, and actor and is the founder and managing trustee of The Aseema Trust, a nonprofit organization that links traditional performing arts and education. She has been training teachers and schools for decades in how to use storytelling and heritage in the classroom to enhance engagement and learning.

Dr. Devika conducted a session titled “Storytelling and Heritage”. The session aimed to help teachers explore how storytelling can be used as a tool in the classroom. She illustrated this by sharing videos from the Mahabharata, and a traditional Theru Koothu village performance. In addition, she also introduced participants to actions and dance movements that can be incorporated into lessons, making stories more engaging and interactive for children.

She was assisted by Reshma, a Bharatanatyam teacher from Rukminidevi Natyakshetra, who demonstrated the dance steps!

Nature Around Us

Post lunch, the session was taken over by Mr. Arun. Mr. Arun has been in teaching for the past 29 years. He is a nature conservationist and an educator. He is also a long term coordinator in the SSTCN, sea turtle conservation network and one of the Founders of Marudam Farm School.

Mr. Arun engaged the teachers on the theme “Nature Around Us”, emphasizing observation-based learning. In his session, he spoke passionately about nature and pressing environmental issues. He shared his perspectives on the current education system and touched upon topics such as politics, global warming, and plastic waste. Through his talk, he highlighted the urgent need to protect the environment and underscored the importance of creating awareness among students. He created a lively discussion in the hall by asking provoking questions about the meaning of education and what it should prepare students for.

He invited the teachers to go on a walk outside and explore the fauna in the IIT campus. The teachers were divided into teams of about 10 and were guided by Mr. Arun and some other volunteers from their school. They pointed out various plants and invited the teachers to ask questions about their names and characteristics.

Day 2 – 19 May, 2026, Tuesday

Karadipath Training

On day 2, we had planned for a session by the Karadipath team. Asha Chennai has partnered with KaradiPath to launch the Magic English SLL program. Karadi Path has developed a method for teaching English through actions, songs and stories. Their idea is to create an environment for learning English the same way as children learn their own mother tongue. Asha is already implementing the Karadi Path programme at about 75 of our schools which will further expand to additional 20 schools this year.

We believe that every teacher can benefit from a deeper understanding of how language learning works. To support this, we offered Karadi Path training to all our teachers this year. The session was led by Ms. Preetika, COO & Head of Innovation at Karadi Path, along with her team, who introduced the teachers to the unique KaradiPath learning approach.

Through stories projected on the screen, Ms. Preetika demonstrated how images can enhance storytelling and make language learning more intuitive. Two facilitators ??? and ??? performed a lively dance to narrate a monkey story, blending movement and narrative in a way that made the session both interactive and memorable.

This training not only showcased creative methods of teaching but also highlighted how storytelling, visuals, and performance can come together to make language learning more engaging for children.

Touching upon the questioning theme of this RightStart, Preetika pointed out to a study that found that classes where only the teacher’s voice was heard for more than 50% of the time performed significantly worse than classes where students voice was heard more than 50% of the time!

Dealing with Conflict and Discomfort

The afternoon session was conducted by Ms. Thilakavathi who is a legal professional and counselling psychologist. She serves as an Advocate Commissioner and Panel Lawyer with the Madras High Court Legal Services Committee, and works as a legal consultant and trainer.

In her session, she shared strategies to prevent conflicts and facilitated activities where participants worked in pairs to exchange thoughts and experiences. Her session emphasized non-violent communication as a way to strengthen interpersonal relationships, highlighting the importance of empathy, active listening, and expressing needs without blame.

In addition, she offered practical approaches to repairing relationships and building trust, while providing a foundational understanding of gender sensitivity.

Day 3 – 20 May,2026, Wednesday

Once upon a Science

Over the years, Dr. Purva Bhatter has collaborated with Asha to train teachers in innovative approaches to teaching science and helped to strengthen the science content offered through Asha Kanini. She is the founder of KriVidya, which aims to transform science education in India.

Continuing her tradition of experimentation, this year she introduced a fresh idea: a training program that blends language arts, science, and computer science. Each team was tasked with reimagining a classic children’s story by exploring the science behind it through three steps:

1. Understanding the science through hands-on experiments.

2. Rewriting the story through a scientific lens and adapting it to a modern context.

3. Digitizing the science and its outcomes using Scratch or HTML.

She divided the participants into 15 groups, assigning each group a specific topic. The morning was spent in lively discussions, with teachers collaborating on their assigned science concepts.

In the afternoon, every group presented the story by enacting it, and illustrated its science theme through experiments, making abstract ideas more relatable. To deepen the connection between science and technology, each team also showcased a Scratch program linked to their topic, demonstrating how digital tools can creatively explain scientific concepts.

Day 4 – 21 May, 2026, Thursday

Math Training

Day 4 was dedicated to a full day session on Math. The session was conducted by Ms. Meena Suresh. She has been training Asha teachers since 2015 and has played a key role in building a comprehensive program to strengthen Mathematics education. Her contributions include enhancing lesson plans, enriching the content offered through Asha Kanini, helping us identify the components of Maths kits that we have equipped schools with, and helping us shape the assessments that we conduct for both students and teachers.

The main theme for this year was questioning: asking questions that make the students think and in particular open ended questions. In the first session in the morning, she engaged the teachers in a questioning activity using categories such as Always True, Sometimes True, and Always False.

A question like “will the product of 2 odd numbers always be odd?” or “will the square of a number always be larger than the number?” makes one think much more than objective questions that have a single correct answer. Ability to generalize the result is an important skill that develops through these questions.

Meena mam also explained various mathematical concepts and formulas using drawings and visual representations, making abstract ideas easier to grasp.

As the final part, she also introduced open-ended questions to spark critical thinking and meaningful discussion, encouraging students to approach mathematics with curiosity and creativity. A simple question like, find the odd one among 9, 16, 25 and 43 can have any of the 4 numbers as the answer. Rather than an objective answer, the answer becomes one of creatively coming up with interesting explanation for our choice of answer!

Rajaram also assisted Meena mam in the questions sessions. Nathiya, our Maths trainer assisted her in the mathematical concepts session. Teachers participated very enthusiastically, especially coming up with creative answers during the last session!

Day 5 – 22 May, 2026, Friday

Importance of Questioning

Dr. Hema Ramanathan wears many hats: teacher and teacher educator, author and writer, podcaster and blogger. She has taught at PS Senior Secondary School and Rishi Valley School in India, as well as in schools and colleges in the US. This year, she led an engaging session on the “Importance of Questioning”.

Dr. Hema turned the usual order of lectures by spending the first hour in Q&A! Teachers were encouraged to ask her any questions, personal or related to her areas of work and the teachers also participated enthusiastically. She then highlighted questioning as a vital tool in classroom teaching and learning, showing how thoughtful questions can spark curiosity, deepen understanding, and encourage active participation. She explained how the lower order questions which typically start with “what”, “where”, “when”, “who” etc. go towards recall and understanding of the lesson. Higher order questions that start with “why”, “how” or “what if” take the children deeper in terms of applying the concepts they have learnt. She also explained how to prepare for and ask such questions in a classroom.

Closing Ceremony

The second half of the 5^th day was the closing ceremony and the valedictory function for the teachers. Teachers are encouraged to showcased their talents through engaging performances, which include songs, dances and drama. The teachers spend time learning and rehearsing for these and are pretty excited to showcase their performances during the closing day. As always, the performances were varied, vibrant and cheerful. They also took the opportunity to poke fun at the coordinators, lead teachers and stewards – all in good spirit of camaraderie!

Every year, Asha honors employees who have completed more than 5 years at Asha with a Loyalty Award. This year, the awards were presented to 10 employees who completed 15 yrs, 10 yrs and 5 yrs with us. Here are their names-

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JJ Nagar, Palavakkam Library Inauguration

You may view the album here.

Over the years, Asha has established libraries across our projects with the vision of creating welcoming spaces for reading and self-study. Located in rural areas, these libraries open their doors to underprivileged children from Asha-supported schools as well as nearby government schools, offering them a safe and supportive environment to learn and grow. More than just collections of books, they have become vibrant community hubs where children can explore ideas, nurture curiosity, and build confidence.

Each library is staffed with dedicated teachers who guide students through a variety of engaging activities. Children begin their daily visit by spending the first 30 minutes on homework, after which teachers introduce them to activities like reading newspapers and storybooks, practicing card reading, learning Tamil songs or stories, exploring English books, conducting simple experiments, or creating crafts. One laptop is provided to the teacher which is used by students to watch short educational videos and learn basic computer skills. These libraries are not only places of study but also gateways to imagination, creativity, and lifelong learning.

Asha libraries at Thiruvallur

In Thiruvallur, Asha had been running two libraries, one at Seethanjeri and the other at Anna Nagar. The Seethanjeri library was run until December 2024 and discontinued later due to staffing issues. The Anna Nagar library is run by Ms. Nivetha and continues to operate through the year. The library is open from 5.00-6.30 PM from Monday to Saturday, where children spend time doing their homework, reading or doing some activities during their time there. Sundal or peanuts are usually distributed to the kids.

Michelin India at Thiruvallur

Michelin’s initiative, “My Village, My Pride” program, provides an opportunity for its employees to assist in the development of their village. A few employees of Michelin from JJ Nagar wanted to take up this village as part of this program. Michelin approached Asha to establish a new library at JJ Nagar in the Ellapuram block of Thiruvallur district. The children from this village go to PUPS Palavakkam school that is located about 2 Kms away. Asha has been working with this school for more than 10 years. Asha also has a history of running a mini-school during Covid at JJ Nagar. Therefore, we were happy that Michelin selected JJ Nagar for their “My Village, My Pride” program as we were well aware of the need of this village.

This village has a large Irula population. The Irula (Irular) community, an indigenous Dravidian ethnic group in Southern India, is classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group. JJ Nagar has a significant Irula population, where many children face challenges such as poverty and limited awareness about the importance of education, factors that often lead to school dropouts.

This new library offers a safe, welcoming space for children to learn and grow, fostering reading and continuous learning to strengthen education and inspire students to stay engaged.

We started getting the place ready by starting on the civil work needed. Broken windows were replaced, fans and lights were installed and we fixed new doors. The facility was given a new coat of paint as well.

Asha volunteer, Mr. Rajaraman and Mr. Anbarasu, who manages the CSR and HR at Michelin, visited the facility when it was getting ready to take stock of the situation and to ensure the work was progressing as planned.

Once the library was ready, students started coming in by 16 February,2026.

Inauguration Function

The library was inaugurated on 26 February, 2026, Thursday by Mr. Jean-François Rene, Executive Director Michelin India / Site Director – Michelin Industrial Plant, Chennai and Mr. Rajaraman, Volunteer and Coordinator for Asha Chennai. The event was attended by Mr. Anbarasu C, HR General Administration, 15 other Michelin employees, Asha staff and the HM of PUPS Palavakkam school, Ms. Chinthamani. You may watch the video here.

The library is now managed by Asha librarian, Ms. Maariyamal B, who runs it from 5-7 pm. Nearly 60 students from around the area visit the library and spend time doing homework, reading or craft work.

Toilet Renovation at PUPS Thirupatchur

Under Asha’s project Sugadharam, we take up the renovation of toilets in schools supported by us. This largely depends on the availability of funds. This year we took up the renovation work at PUPS Thirupatchur. This school has been a part of our Project Sangamam and we have been associated with it for over10 years. Additionally, both this school and the GHS Thirupatchur, also in the same campus are extremely supportive of Asha. Most of the Asha Chennai monthly meeting, many of our ACE teacher training sessions etc. are organized in this school’s facilities.

We generally take up renovation work during vacation so that the students are not disturbed by the construction. The work here was taken up before the Christmas break in December 2025. The girls’ toilet was in a bad shape and needed repairs.

Since the toilets were in poor condition, a lot of work had to be done. We hired local masons who have previously worked on other Sugadharam projects to work on the renovation of these toilets. We started by cleaning up the overgrowth around the area. The old Indian style toilet was removed to be replaced with a new western toilet.

A new hand wash basin and taps were installed and the plumbing was replaced.

A fresh coat of paint was applied to the entire building.

Since the floor space outside the toilets were damaged, it was dug out and new cemented floor was provided.

A new metal roof has been installed for the toilet. In earlier years, the school was surrounded by open spaces with few neighboring structures. Today, however, few buildings adjoin the school premises. To ensure privacy for the girls, the roof has become an essential addition.

Asha volunteer and project coordinator, Mr. Rajaraman visited the school during the construction to oversee the progress. The toilets were ready for use once the children returned from their December vacation.

In villages where student dropouts from government schools are not uncommon, we believe that providing improved sanitation facilities will help restore trust in schools and encourage regular attendance. By investing in toilet renovations, we are not only addressing a basic need but also laying the foundation for healthier learning environments.

STUDENT EXCURSION 2026

You may view the album here.

As part of Asha’s Joyful Learning initiative, excursions have become a cherished tradition for students in schools we support. This year too, children from across our geographies- Thiruvallur, Thoothukudi, Thiruvannamalai, Thiruvarur, and Chennai -set out on exciting journeys to various destinations, combining joy with meaningful learning experiences.

Each trip was carefully planned with the necessary permissions secured from schools, ensuring that not only students but also their teachers and headmasters could participate. To avoid disrupting regular classes, excursions were scheduled exclusively on weekends. We primarily included students from Classes 4 and 5, as younger children in Classes 1 to 3 are too small to manage long trips and less likely to fully enjoy the experience.

Over the years, we have found that managing two to three buses per trip is ideal. Anything beyond that severely limits the venues we can take the children to. Coordinators often began their day as early as 3 a.m., traveling across school locations to pick up students and ensuring that everyone returned safely by night. Their dedication, along with the support of volunteers, made these trips possible. This year, we organized 11 excursions, engaging 31 buses and reaching more than 2,200 students.

These excursions are funded by Amazon under its Amazon Future Engineer program. While most of the participating schools were supported by Amazon, some neighboring schools directly supported by Asha also joined in.

Throughout the day, students were well cared for. Snacks or breakfast were served in the morning, a proper lunch was provided in the afternoon, and snacks or dinner rounded off the evening. Transportation, entry tickets, and drinking water were all arranged, and no money was ever collected from the children. Everything was free, allowing students to simply enjoy the experience without worry.

Conducted in batches until early March, the excursions gave thousands of students across different locations the opportunity to explore, learn, and grow.

Project Sangamam (Thiruvallur)

The highly anticipated student excursions officially commenced on January 25, 2026. The first batch of students were from our Project Sangamam in Thiruvallur where they embarked on an exciting one-day trip to Chennai. Traveling in three buses arranged by Asha, the children started their journey as early as 5:00 AM! Children were filled with excitement, singing, and dancing along the way. The carefully planned itinerary included visits to the Birla Planetarium, Guindy Park, and Besant Nagar Beach.

At the Birla Planetarium, the students were struck with awe during their first-ever visit to the Sky Theatre. The projections and push-back seats which provided a unique viewing experience of the overhead dome thrilled them! They also got to enjoy the 7D show and the Sphere show at the planetarium. After visiting the various exhibits at the planetarium, the students took some time to play in the park. Throughout the day, Asha ensured the children were well-nourished by providing water, morning and evening snacks, and a hearty lunch.

After lunch, they were taken to the Guindy Children’s Park and then the Besant Nagar Beach. The beach is where the children find their greatest joy. They happily played in the water, enjoyed beach snacks, and bought souvenirs for their families back home.

Over the next 4 weeks, Asha coordinators took batches of students from different schools supported by Asha to these one day trips. Mr. Rajaraman Krishnan, Asha volunteer and Coordinator, visited the children during a couple of the excursions and spoke to the children about their trip.

Project Poornavidhya (Chennai)

Around 120 students from Project Poornavidhya embarked on an educational excursion in Chennai on February 28, 2026. Their journey began at the Birla Planetarium in Kotturpuram, which is the fifth B. M. Birla Planetarium in India and is located within the Periyar Science and Technology Centre campus.

The children were completely captivated by the virtual tour of the night sky and planets projected onto a specially perforated hemispherical aluminum dome in the Sky Theater, as well as an engaging 7D show. They also spent time exploring various museum exhibits and playing in the science park. Following a lunch provided by the accompanying Asha coordinators, the group headed to Guindy Park. There, the students explored the Snake Park and enjoyed playing at the nearby Children’s Park, rounding off a safe and memorable day filled with learning, fun, and discovery.

Project Cauvery (Thiruvarur)

Our students from Project Cauvery in Thiruvarur enjoyed an enriching trip to Pudukkottai in February 2026. Their first stop was Chithannavasal, a renowned Jain cave and archaeological site dating back to the 7th–9th century, where the students were fascinated by ancient Jain beds, a cave temple, and magnificent rock paintings. Next, they explored the historic, 400-year-old Thirumaiyam Fort. This hill fort built in 1687 offered the children a direct glimpse into Tamil Nadu’s rich history and its significant role in the Palayakaar Wars.

The excursion concluded with a relaxing visit to the scenic coastal beauty of Manora Beach. Throughout the journey, the children were well cared for with breakfast and lunch provided by Asha, and they were accompanied by project steward Ms. Komalavalli, the project coordinator, and dedicated teachers from Thiruvarur to ensure a safe and memorable experience.

Project Pearl (Thoothukudi)

Students from the Thoothukudi project participated in weekend excursions organized in batches starting in February 2026, traveling to Kanniyakumari and Madurai. The batch that visited Kanniyakumari enjoyed boating and explored several prominent landmarks, including the Kannadi Palam, Vivekananda Rock, Thiruvalluvar Rock, and the historic Vattakotai Fort.

Another batch of students traveled to Madurai, where they had the rare and thrilling opportunity to visit the Madurai Airport. For the government school students, watching airplanes take off was an extraordinary, joy-filled experience outside of their everyday lives.

They also visited Keeladi museum dedicated to the archaeological findings at Keeladi, a site along the Vaigai River dating back to the 6th century BCE that reveals an advanced, literate, and urban civilization. The students toured the Museum in Sivagangai to see excavated artifacts, including ancient pottery, jewelry, and iron tools. Because the trips required an early morning start, the Asha coordinator meticulously organized the buses, entry tickets, and all meals, providing the children with breakfast, lunch, and snacks for a thoroughly enjoyable trip.

Project Thulasi (Thiruvanamalai)

Nearly 270 students from Asha supported schools in Thiruvanamalai went on excursion in March, 2026. They visited Vedanthangal and Mahabalipuram in Chennai. Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary in Madurantakam taluk of the Chengalpattu district in Tamil Nadu is a sanctuary where than 40,000 birds have been recorded during the migratory season every year.

Mahabalipuram is a premier UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its 7th- and 8th-century Pallava dynasty rock-cut architecture. Just 55 km south of Chennai, this coastal gem offered the students a perfect blend of ancient heritage and seaside charm, making the trip both educational and delightfully fun.

ANNUAL DAY CELEBRATIONS 2025-26

You may view the album here.

At Asha, joyful learning isn’t just a philosophy, it’s a lived experience. From Sports Day to excursions and Annual Day celebrations, we create moments that go beyond textbooks and classrooms. These events open doors for children to discover themselves: while some excel in academics, others find their spark in sports, dance, drama, or music.

By offering such diverse opportunities, we nurture confidence, teamwork, leadership, and emotional intelligence. These experiences don’t just entertain, they ignite curiosity, creativity, and a love for learning that lasts a lifetime. True education, after all, is about shaping the whole child – mind, body, and spirit.

This year, Asha supported Annual Day celebrations in 129 schools across Tamil Nadu. While government funding provides a base, it falls short of covering the full costs. The school teachers and local villagers also donate to support the function. Asha also bridges this gap by providing schools with prizes, snacks, and support that make these celebrations truly memorable. Thanks to contributions from Amazon and Asha’s own budget, thousands of children experienced the joy of performing, participating, and celebrating together.

These moments of laughter, applause, and discovery are not just events, they are milestones in building a brighter, more holistic future for every child.

Thiruvallur – Project Sangamam

Sangamam in Thiruvallur is one of our largest projects. Here we supported annual day celebrations at 77 schools. Asha project coordinators organized the prizes and snacks for the students. Asha teachers along with coordinators participated in the celebrations alongside the students. Mr. Rajaraman, Asha Volunteer and Coordinator also had an opportunity to visit and be part of some of these schools during their celebrations.

We have supported annual day celebrations at the below schools this year-

Thoothukudi – Project Pearl

At Thoothukudi, we supported celebrations at 15 schools this year. Our project coordinator, Mr. Murugan and Asha teachers actively participated in the events and ensure the prizes were readied in time.

At Thoothukudi, we supported annual day celebrations at the below listed schools-

Thiruvanamalai – Project Thulasi

Under Project Thulasi in Thiruvanamalai, we supported annual day celebrations at 20 schools. Asha provided prizes for various events. Our project coordinator, Mr. Dhinakaran and Asha teachers attended the events and cheered the students.

We supported the below listed schools this year-

Thiruvarur – Project Cauvery

We supported annual day celebrations at 11 schools in Thiruvarur this year. We provided schools with prizes for various events. Our project coordinator, Mr. Akhilan and Asha teachers participated in the events.

We supported the below listed schools at Thiruvarur this year-

Chennai – Project Poorna Vidhya

Asha supported annual day celebrations at six schools this year. Asha volunteer, Mrs. Kasturi and Asha teachers attended the event and gave away prizes to the students.

Asha supported celebrations at the following schools in Chennai this year-

You may view the album here.

Asha Computer Education (ACE) is the flagship initiative by Asha, to bring computer literacy to government school classrooms. ACE was inaugurated in October 2023 with a goal to train 52 government teachers in Thiruvallur district to deliver Asha’s one-year computer science curriculum across 52 schools. You may read the full report here – ACE Program Inaugurated on 19th Oct 2023

The ACE program is entirely funded by Amazon under its Amazon Future Engineer program. By joining hands with government teachers to implement ACE, Asha attempted to equip rural students with essential computer skills that would open doors to higher education, better job opportunities, and a brighter future.

In 2024, we launched ACE V2 in 53 more schools, and in 2025 in 40 more schools offering a more extensive, two-year computer science curriculum, and expanded our geography to Thoothukudi, Thiruvannamalai and Villupuram, in addition to Thiruvallur. Here is the report- ACE V2 Inauguration. With some schools stopping out after the completion of the first full year for ACE v1 and v2 in April of 2025, we had 125 schools implementing ACE in 2025-26.

This initiative was designed to demonstrate the scalability and effectiveness of our curriculum, pedagogy, training model, evaluation framework, and overall delivery approach. As a result, over 4000 students have directly benefitted from the ACE program.

About ACE Impressions

The curriculum of every Asha program is designed so that 1/3^rd of the term is dedicated to Project work. After the teachers cover the curriculum, the students are grouped into teams of 2,3 or 4 and required to create and submit a project. Both the government teachers and Asha teachers act as guides to help children in creating their projects. They are also provided support to hone their presentation skills.

Over time, children have been able to pick up diverse and interesting topics for their presentation. They spend time of their own accord to research topics, use features taught beyond the curriculum and submit excellent projects.

This year, under the ACE program, we received an impressive 933 project submissions from 3,745 students, marking 100% participation across all ACE schools.

Despite the challenges of exam schedules and the onset of vacation, the students demonstrated remarkable commitment, delivering projects of outstanding quality which is an achievement in itself and speaks volumes about the effectiveness of the program.

This year, the students were taught three courses-

1. Digital Literacy
2. Scratch Programming and
3. CSF Express Programming

The 933 projects were first evaluated by Asha’s lead teachers, from which 123 were shortlisted. These were then reviewed by Asha volunteers, who selected 41 projects for the final competition. ACE Impressions is the platform where these finalists are invited to Chennai to present their work and compete with peers for prizes. The competition is judged by external experts from academia and the technology sector, ensuring a fair and rigorous evaluation.

You may read reports on the previous Impressions events here. ACE Impressions – Batch 1 and ACE Impressions – Batch 2

The Competition

This year both the Asha Impressions for our SPRINT program and the ACE Impressions for the ACE program were held within 2 days of each other – Asha Impressions on 18^th April and ACE Impressions on 20^th April. Once the Asha Impressions concluded, there was no time to rest. The preparation for ACE Impressions had been underway alongside.

The competition was held on 20 April, 2026 at the CLT Auditorium at IIT Madras. IIT Madras, a long term partner of Asha in many programs, graciously gave us this auditorium and nearby hall for free!

The teams from Thiruvallur and Thiruvanamalai started early morning around 3 am, while the teams from Thoothukudi travelled overnight in buses organized by Asha. Asha project coordinators, Government teachers and Asha teachers accompanied the students. The buses reached IIT around 8.00 am.

Once the children had their breakfast, everyone assembled in the auditorium. The judges arrived by 9.00 pm after which Mr. Rajaraman, Asha Volunteer and Coordinator, welcomed the gathering. The Digital Literacy competition was planned to be held at the main auditorium, while the room across the hall would be used for the other two competitions.

Before the start of the event, Mr. Rajaraman briefed the judges about the grading parameters and set expectations regarding the projects. He provided background on the ACE program and outlined what was expected from the students in their project work.

The Digital Literacy presentations would carry 30-30-40 weightage. Project and presentation would be graded at 30% whereas the Q&A would carry 40% weightage. Judges were encouraged to actively engage students with technical questions, asking how they developed their projects and requesting demonstrations or modifications to better understand the functionality of specific features.

In the case of Scratch Programming and Physical Computing, where the presentation component was less extensive, the weightage for project, presentation and Q&A was adjusted to 40-20-40.

Across all competitions, the Q&A sessions held particular importance, as they allowed judges to assess both the students’ depth of technical knowledge and their level of involvement in the projects.

Each competition was assigned four judges. After selecting the competition they wished to evaluate, judges were provided with scorecards. Soon after, the students began presenting their projects. Judges were requested to allocate 15 minutes per project- 10 minutes for the presentation and the remaining time for the Q&A session.

The competitions began around 10 am, and the teachers and staff guided students as per the scheduled line up. In Digital Literacy the students presented interesting topics like Water pollution, AI In Science, Our Universe, Solar System, Traditional vs Modern Farming, Renewable Energy, உத்வேக பயணம், Thirukkural etc. They created acts, brought in props, added fun music, and games making their presentations engaging and entertaining.

A special mention goes to the students who presented on the topic of Eye Donation. Their contribution went far beyond preparing and presenting a project, they took the extraordinary step of pledging their own eyes. Guided by their teacher, they visited doctors to understand the process in depth, and later received official confirmation letters and eye donation cards from the hospital.

Their act of generosity also got them a place of mention in the local newspaper!

This selfless act of service left the audience deeply moved and inspired. It is truly commendable that when students grasp the essence of what they are taught, it transforms into meaningful action that benefits society. Such outcomes reflect the highest purpose of education- knowledge that sparks compassion, responsibility, and real change.

The Scratch Programming students presented on topics like Top 10 Most Powerful World Leaders, Dora explores English, Mobile Awareness story, Nobita in Indian festivals, Brain test game, Science simulator etc.

CSF Express Programming was introduced in ACE schools in 2025. CSF refers to Code.org’s Computer Science Fundamentals curriculum. The Express Course is an accelerated, self-paced track within their program that teaches core computer science concepts to older students or those moving at a faster pace. The Express Course uses a block-based coding approach, allowing learners to build programs by snapping visual blocks together like puzzle pieces.

Students presented on topics like Maanin Meetchi, Exploring religious places in Tamilnadu, Disaster Management and Safety Awareness, Fish hunting game, Spaceshooter etc. For one of the projects titled Four Friends, the students staged an elaborate skit. For the project Maanin Meetchi the students even crafted a handmade stage, adding a unique and captivating visual appeal to the story.

We broke for lunch around 1 pm. Lunch was biryani which is generally a house favourite. It took about one hour for everyone to have lunch and settle. Post lunch the students continued to present their projects. The competitions were done by 4 PM, post which the judges shared the list of winners with Mr. Rajaraman.

Prize Distribution

Since ACE program is funded entirely by Amazon, we had requested Amazon to participate in the event. Mr. Shyam Sridhar, Director-Operations and Program Management at Amazon graciously accepted our invitation as the Chief guest for the event.

A total prize fund of INR 9,00,000 was allocated to the winning teams. Instead of distributing the amount in cash, Asha will channel the prize money into infrastructure development projects for the respective schools, ensuring that the rewards create lasting impact and benefit the wider student community.

The winners were announced by the respective competition judges to loud applause and cheer.

The winners of the competitions are-

The Government of Tamil Nadu has launched SPARK (Tamil Nadu Schools Programme for Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Knowledge of Online Tools), an initiative aimed at equipping government school students with practical skills in digital technology, AI, and coding. Asha hopes to engage with the Spark program the same way in which it has trained the teachers of the ACE program.

To acknowledge and appreciate the dedication of all CS trainers who contributed to ACE, Asha presented them with smartwatches as a token of gratitude for their hard work and commitment.

After the distribution was completed, the students boarded their buses and set off home after taking a small detour to the beaches of Chennai!

Testimonial

Mr. Vinoth Kumar, ACE Judge– First of all, I would like to thank my friend Ganga (an Asha omputer teacher in Thiruvarur) for giving me this wonderful opportunity to be part of ACE Impressions – Asha for Education. I truly appreciated the way the program was conducted; it was very well organized. It was inspiring to see the motivation and enthusiasm of the children, especially those coming from the southern parts of Tamil Nadu, showcasing their talents with the guidance of their teachers. It was impressive to witness how they progressed through various projects and earned their spots in the finals. I feel privileged to have been one of the judges, sharing my thoughts and helping choose the deserving winners. I am extremely happy to have been part of this experience and would love to contribute more in the future.

You may view the album here.

In Chennai, March 2026 proved to be a dynamic period for both Asha and the state of Tamil Nadu. Amidst the election frenzy, Asha prepared to host two major events—Asha Impressions and ACE Impressions. Both were scheduled to take place before the state election date of 23 April 2026.

To secure venues and finalize dates, we reached out to Amazon and IIT Madras. Confirmation soon followed:

• Asha Impressions to be held at Amazon Chennai office on 18 April 2026.

• ACE Impressions to take place at IIT Madras on 20 April 2026.

About Asha Impressions

Under Asha’s SPRINT program for primary and middle schools, we support about 200 schools across Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. Trained computer teachers are placed in these schools to teach computer science and integrate other subjects using innovative digital content.

At 100 schools in Tamil Nadu, the Amazon Future Engineer program, provides this support. Our eight year curriculum emphasizes both digital literacy (basic computer use) and computational thinking (programming and problem-solving).

A hallmark of our pedagogy is hands-on application. Each year, students create and submit projects that showcase their learning:

• fourth and fifth graders prepare presentations using OpenOffice.
• Seventh graders  design programs in Scratch and Physical Computing

These projects are team-based, with Asha teachers mentoring students throughout. Outstanding work is presented at Asha Impressions, a platform where children proudly showcase their creativity and skills to external judges. This year the students competed under three categories-

1. Digital Literacy

2. Scratch Programming

3. Physical Computing

The table presents a summary of the number of projects submitted from each Asha geography-

This year, students submitted 1,352 projects from 179 schools!!

Out of this, 38 projects were selected by Lead teachers and Volunteers to be showcased at the Asha Impressions competition.

Organizing the event

With both competitions scheduled so close together, the backend teams had to work swiftly to arrange banners, medals, certificates, gifts for students, and handmade gifts for the judges etc. For Asha Impressions, we initiated discussions with Amazon’s management and their GREF team, providing essential details such as the number of students, accompanying adults, volunteers, Asha staff, competition information, and the day’s agenda. This enabled Amazon to plan effectively- booking rooms, organizing meals and snacks, arranging judges, and

preparing gifts for the participants. Over the course of two weeks, both teams collaborated seamlessly to ensure every aspect of the event was well organized.

Day of the Event

Since most of the students were not from Chennai, they had to make a considerably long trip. Students from Thoothukudi and Thiruvarur started by bus overnight, reaching Chennai early in the morning. Students from Thiruvallur and Thiruvanamalai started from their respective locations as early as 3:00 am! Asha had organized buses for the transportation. The students were accompanied by Asha teachers, HMs and Asha coordinators from each project.

Amazon volunteers and the GREF staff greeted the children and helped them complete the formalities at the reception. Each student and accompanying adult was provided with an Amazon ID. The volunteers escorted the students in lifts to the 18th floor where breakfast was kept ready. Breakfast consisted of podi idly, dosa, vada, pongal with chutneys.

After breakfast, the students were escorted to the briefing area, where the team provided guidance on fire safety and explained the steps to follow in case of an emergency. After the briefing, students were escorted by the Amazon volunteers to their respective floors.

The Competition

Since there were three competitions – Digital Literacy, Scratch Programming and Physical Computing – three different rooms were allocated. Once all the judges arrived, Mr. Rajaraman, Asha volunteer and Cordinator, briefed them on the grading parameters.

The Digital Literacy presentations would carry 30-30-40 weightage. Project and presentation would be graded at 30% whereas the Q&A would carry 40% weightage. The judges were encouraged to engage the students with technical questions about how they developed their projects, and to request demonstrations or modifications to better understand how the features worked.

Since there was not much of presenting work under Scratch Programming and Physical computing, the weightage for project, presentation and Q&A was assigned at 40-20-40. In all the competitions, the Q&A sessions held particular importance, as they enabled the judges to assess both the students’ level of involvement in their projects and the depth of their technical knowledge.

For the Digital Literacy competition, since there were 17 teams, each team was allocated 15 mins which involved 10 mins for the project presentation and the remaining time for Q&A. Since the prize distribution ceremony had to be held at 3.30 pm, the judges were requested to adhere to the timelines to avoid delays later. Scratch Programing had 15 competing teams and Physical computing had 6 teams.

The judges were provided with the scorecard after which the competitions began in each of the rooms. Two Asha teachers were assigned in each room to assist the students and judges to manage the flow of teams for presentation. With all arranged, the competitions began by 9.30 am.

The students in Digital Literacy presented on interesting topics such as Cyber safety, Dinosaur Ulagam, Internal Organs, Seasons, Seyarkaikolgal, Social Media etc. They used action, drama, music, songs, quizzes and several props to put forth their ideas and made the presentations interesting. When the judges asked them to modify or show how certain features were used, they were able to confidently demonstrate their learning. Not only were the students sure about the technical aspects, they also had good knowledge about the topics they had selected.

In Scratch Programming, students presented on topics like Artificial Intelligence, Child Abuse, Global Warming, Cyber safety, Physics behind games, Science Experiments, Solar system etc. They also created interesting games like Treasure hunt, Quiz Race, Pen Ball game. The students invited the judges to try their hand at these games and also explained the logic and coding used behind their projects. The students were well prepared and took turns within their teams to present their projects to the judges.

Since physical computing had been introduced only in 11 schools, we received lesser number of project submissions compared to Digital Literacy and Scratch Programming which are being taught in over 170 schools. Out of 31 projects, 6 projects were selected for the competition. The students created projects on interesting topics like Digital Farmer, How the crow turned black story, Smart plant friend, Pet monitoring app etc.

Lunch was served by 12.30 pm at the cafeteria on the 18^th floor. It was a packed lunch with roti, panner curry, gobi fry, vegetable biryani, raita, gulab jamun and ice cream. The children were escorted from various rooms by Amazon volunteers to the cafeteria. Since the Digital Literacy competitions needed to conclude by 3 p.m., the judges graciously chose not to break for lunch. They remained until the competitions were completed and then had their meal afterward.

By 3 pm, all the competitions had concluded. The students were escorted from their rooms to the prize distribution area. The judges convened to decide upon the final winners of each competition. The names of winners were then handed over to the Asha teachers to prepare the certificates.

Special Thanks to Amazon Volunteers

We would like to make a special mention about the care and kindness with which the Amazon staff and volunteers have treated the children throughout the day. From escorting them through the office and elevators, to guiding them into rooms, making sure the seating was available, to helping them with water, coffee machines, the volunteers were deeply attentive and involved with the students.

When one of the students fell ill, the team ensured constant communication and support. The child was accompanied at all times by volunteers, Asha staff, and teachers, who provided food, water, and continuous monitoring. By noon, the child had recovered sufficiently to rejoin his teammates and successfully present the project.

After completing their project presentations, the students were invited to explore a selection of innovative Amazon products. Each product was introduced and explained, with the children encouraged to experiment and try them out firsthand. This hands-on interaction proved to be a fresh and exciting experience, sparking curiosity and delight among the students.

After the competitions were done, the students had some time in hand which they spent exploring the vending and coffee machines on the floor. Amazon ground staff and volunteers guided the children to help themselves with tea, coffee, boost or Horlicks, whichever they preferred. The array of beverages available fascinated the children. The automatic taps, the had-dryer, the lifts, lights that come on when a person walks into an area, the amazing view of the sea from the 20^th floor cafeteria kept the children enthralled! The children took time to chat with the volunteers and judges and were keen to take pictures with them before leaving. The interactions were heartwarming to watch and we are grateful to the wonderful team of staff and volunteers at Amazon for making the event such a positive experience.

Prize Distribution

The much-anticipated prize distribution ceremony commenced at 3:30 p.m. The Chief Guest, Mr. Shyam Sridhar, Director of Operations and Program Management at Amazon, arrived in time to view several Digital Literacy projects. He engaged with the children, judges, and Mr. Rajaraman, taking the opportunity to learn more about the scope and impact of Asha’s work.

The prize distribution was hosted by Ms. Preeti who has been a part of three other Impressions event in the past. The children were engaged in banter and kept in good cheer.

Amazon team was also invited to show a demo on their new AI products. They explained how the products were envisioned and their potential to make life easier in future.

The judges were invited on stage to announce the winners.

Digital Literacy Judges

Scratch Programming Judges

Physical Computing Judges

Following the prize distribution, students, staff, and volunteers were given snack and goodie boxes. Adults received Amazon keychains, while the children were gifted keychains along with a one‑liter steel water bottle featuring a marble design. Handmade gifts were presented to all Amazon volunteers, after which the children were escorted in batches. The volunteers remained with them until all formalities were completed. Finally, the students boarded their buses and set off to visit the Chennai beaches and finally head back to their homes.

Testimonials

Mr. Dilip, Asha Impressions Judge at Amazon – It was a privilege to be a judge for this wonderful event organized by ASHA in collaboration with Amazon. Watching the children confidently present their projects using Office software was truly inspiring. Their energy, clarity of understanding, and fearless public speaking skills were remarkable. Every participant demonstrated strong creativity and effort, making it a tough and highly competitive event. Overall, it was an enriching experience and a great reminder of the impact such initiatives create in shaping young minds.

Ms. Rekha V, Asha Impressions Judge at Amazon – It was truly a pleasure to be part of the Asha Impressions event. I really enjoyed seeing the enthusiasm and talent of all the school kids, their creativity and confidence were wonderful to witness. The projects were very impressive. The students explained their ideas clearly and showed good understanding. Their PPT presentations were very well done, and they used props effectively. I was especially impressed by their confidence. None of them got stuck during the presentations, which is uncommon at this age. It was clear that the students were guided very well. Their clarity and presentation skills reflected the support they received. I also liked the originality in their ideas and how confidently they answered questions. The event was well-organized, and it was a great experience overall. Looking forward to being part of more such initiatives in the future!

Asha India Conference December 2026

By Komalavalli, Volunteer – Asha Chennai

The Annual Asha India Conference 2026 was hosted by Asha Chennai from 26 to 28 December 2026 at our Thiruvallur office. Representatives from several Asha chapters including Assam, Mumbai, Rajatalab, Kaithi and Kanpur, along with Asha Chennai’s volunteers and staff from Thiruvallur, Thoothukudi, Thiruvannamalai, Thiruvarur, and Uttar Pradesh, came together for this three-day event. A total of about 40 participants attended the conference, making it a vibrant gathering of volunteers and staff from across the country.

Day 1

The delegates were welcomed with traditional local flavours- kolams, flowers, sandalwood paste (sandanam) and kumkum, followed by breakfast served on banana leaves. Some of the women guests even tried their hand at drawing kolams, adding to the festive spirit.

The conference began with “Tamizh Thai Vazhthu”, followed by a beautiful Bharatanatyam performance by two girl students from the Irula tribe.

The rest of the first day was devoted to presentations by various chapters, where they shared the work undertaken during the year. These presentations were followed by discussions on accounting and technical matters related to Asha Trust,

Day 2

The day’s sessions began with Mr. Rajaraman, Volunteer and Coordinator of Asha Chennai, delivering a session on “Factors that Affect Education.” This was followed by an open discussion on the educational policies adopted by different states.

It was heartening to see active and equal participation from staff members of various chapters alongside the heads of the respective chapters, making the discussion both inclusive and insightful.

After lunch, the delegates divided into two groups and visited two Rural Technology Centres (RTCs) located at Thomur and Kanakamachatriram. The RTC is Asha Chennai’s flagship project in collaboration with IIT Madras. Students proudly showcased their projects and shared their learning experiences, giving visitors a glimpse of the impact of the program.

Later in the evening, the group visited Vasantham Nagar, an Irula hamlet near the conference venue. Asha Chennai has supported a mini-school, ran a nutritious program (Arogyam) in this settlement for many years, and also assisted the community during recent flood situations.

The visitors were given a rousing welcome with thaarai and thappattais, traditional percussion instruments. The community organized local dances, plays, and songs for the guests.

It was truly a humbling experience to witness their living conditions first-hand and understand their aspirations and needs.

Day 3

On the final day, a visit was arranged to Pulicat Lake, located about 80 km from the venue. After reaching the destination, the guests were taken by boat to a nearby island.

The time spent exploring the picturesque landscape of the lake and island gave everyone an opportunity to relax, interact informally, and bond as members of the larger Asha family. Conferences such as this would benefit immensely from participation by all chapters in India and overseas as well.

Last but not least, a heartfelt word of appreciation goes to all the staff members who worked tirelessly to ensure the smooth conduct of the conference. From receiving the guests to their final send-off, every detail was thoughtfully arranged, ensuring that all delegates felt comfortable, cared for, and truly at home.