Asha for Education
By Robert Portnoy
Background
Asha for Education was created in the summer of 1991 by V.J.P.Srivatsavoy, Deepak Gupta, and Sandeep Pandey. Its goals were numerous. The goal of Asha for Education is to provide education to underprivileged children in India, to encourage the formation of various local groups across the world to reach out to larger sections of the population, to support and cooperate with persons and groups already engaged in similar activities. They also raise the required human and other resources to achieve the group objectives, provide opportunities to individuals living outside India who wish to participate in Asha activities in India, and address, whenever possible, other issues affecting human life such as health care, environment, socio-economic aspects and women's issues.
Createors of Asha for Education
V.J.P.Srivatsavoy
He was working in India with Unilever, Mumbai. He passed away in May 2000. Please read the article about the late founder - Remembering Sri .
Deepak Gupta
He is currently a Professor at IIT, Kanpur and continues to be involved with Asha in shaping its vision.
Sandeep Pandey
He is currently in India and is devoted to grass roots work full time. Read this clarification about S. Pandey's current activism and Asha for Education.
Why was Asha for Education founded?
The three founders got together and brainstormed ways that they could help develop India. They all thought that education is critical piece and effective starter for social and economic change in India. Their main goal became basic education. The group that came from the meeting was called Asha, to represent the hope that brought the group together and hope that they could help.
Paul Allen vs. V.J.P., Deepak, and Sandeep
Similarities:
They both worked in groups, and were not sole founders. Also, they were students.
Differences:
The creators of Asha for Education were a different type of entrepreneurs, they were social entrepreneurs, while Allen started Microsoft.