Asha for Education

Urmul Jyoti Sansathan (UJS) is a relatively young organization, which started its efforts in 1995. Like UMBVS, UJS is an offshoot of Urmul Trust but unlike UMBVS, UJS' major thrust has been education since inception. Chetan Ram Godara, the founder of the organization, was a civil engineer by profession and has worked with Urmul Trust since 1986. UJS employs 25 full-time workers. Its main initiatives are following:

Run 31 non-formal education centers. It works with Lok Jumbish on this effort. However, its involvement with Lok Jumbish is on the decline as Lok Jumbish has become more bureaucratic.
Women groups
Girl education camp for girls between the ages of 10 and 15. The duration of these residential camps is 6 months. About 120 girls with no prior schooling or formal education are selected and educated through 5th standard in the 6 mos. At the end of 6 months the local Block education officer administers the 5th standard exam. Asha's financial help is sought in this effort and report below discusses it in detail.
Since 1996-97 it expanded its efforts to include health. It ran health camps including one for cataract eye operations. With the help of funding agencies it has opened a small eye hospital about a month ago.
In 1997 it formed Jagruk Nagrik Manch (JNM). This is a citizens' forum to create awareness and to help people fight corruption in their day-to-day interaction with government. Although this has been a new effort this program has proved to be extremely successful.