Who we are Asha-Kiran
The Foudation
Asha-Kiran a Welcoming Space
Asha-Kiran is committed to embracing differences and recognizing the value of diversity, honoring people's right to life, movement, growth, development, education, and freedom.
At Asha-Kiran, we understand that poverty is, above all, a lack of opportunities to make choices in life. When a person does not have the possibility to decide their future or to develop their aspirations, basic human rights are denied. Based on this reality, the primary beneficiaries of our social work are children and young people in situations of vulnerability, often itinerant, in transit, or immersed in migratory processes. Our activities take place in Spain, India, and Senegal, where we work to create real opportunities for development, protection, and dignity.
We are committed to staying close to them and supporting their lives and hopes by providing an alternative to the disrespect of their rights, neglect, indifference and abandonment. Our projects rely on mobilizing citizens and generating spaces that strengthen bonds that heal, networks that support and accompany, and tools that further development, self-knowledge and mutual learning.
Join us in this beautiful work.
Origins How did Asha-Kiran come to be?
Asha-Kiran (Ray of Hope, in Hindi) was born as a “personal need for a transpersonal action” on the part of its founders, and took shape after Uttam Módenes, during his many trips to India, received countless requests for support from numerous people who wished to live in satisfactory conditions.
Understanding the impossibility of offering real and sustained support without a minimum infrastructure, Uttam and Paloma Sousa (Hansa) decided to create Fundación Asha-Kiran in Spain and Asha-Kiran Shelters Foundation in India.
After studying possible intervention projects in the field, we decided to start by creating Day Care Centers, spaces to support vulnerable children in their daily lives, and Yashodhara Shelter Home for children with more pressing needs, so as to give their lives a stable direction and promote observance of their rights as per the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
At present, and after having concluded some projects, we now have several Day Care Centers for Migrant Children, specialized in the care and schooling of the children of migrant construction workers in the city of Pune.
Asha-Kiran launched Vínculos Project in Spain in 2024 to accompany vulnerable youngsters, especially migrants and young people in exile, homeless youth at risk of extreme social exclusion and lacking support networks.
Mission and Vision “Life is a series of individual moments.”
At Asha-Kiran, we understand the importance of the basic needs of each moment to be met, or not be an obstacle, for each moment of life to be lived with the highest possible quality.
Asha-Kiran defines “quality” as the chance to feel safe and secure, to make life choices, to look forward to the future, and to have full vitality. We believe that the development opportunities that our social work provides to the children and youngsters who benefit from it can provide “quality” individual moments.
Mission
Fundación Asha-Kiran is an organization made up of people from diverse political, religious, and cultural backgrounds, united by the goal of creating welcoming and healthy environments—places where extremely vulnerable children and youngsters can find love, care, protection, access to healthcare, safety, and opportunities for participation that will allow them to develop their vitality and the ability to be happy, qualities we believe are innate in every human being.
In our mission, the Convention on the Rights of the Child acts as a basic and permanent frame of reference. We also adhere to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Geneva Convention on the right to life, access to asylum, the right to live in a safe environment, the right to education and the right to have a decent future. Our objective necessarily implies the mobilization of citizens to provide aid and accompaniment, initiating and sustaining community development processes that respect the diversity, identity and culture of the people we stand by.
Vision
At Asha-Kiran, we work with the hope of building together a world that furthers the aspirations and opportunities of children and youth – welcoming, open, inclusive spaces where children and youth are human beings beyond their migratory status, financial means, skin color, family lineage, and place of origin. We believe that a suitable world for them will be the beginning and the result of the transformation in the way human beings live.
Board of Trustees
President Uttam Módenes (Gipuzkoa)
Vice-president and Secretary Paloma (Hansa) Sousa Leal (Madrid)
Board member Silvia Benítez Redrejo (Madrid)
Management Team in Spain
Project Director, Spain & Africa Griselda Bereciartu
Asha-Kiran Representative in Malaga Dayana Saavedra
Collaborating Entities Walking the way together
Businesses play a very important role in society, not only as generators of wealth, but also as agents of community development. Therefore, aside from having economic objectives, they also have social and environmental ones.
Corporate Social Responsibility is the active, responsible and voluntary contribution of companies to socio-economic improvement and environmental preservation.
We are grateful for the support provided by the following public and private entities:
Asha-Kiran in India
Asha-Kiran Shelters Foundation is the name of Fundación Asha-Kiran in India.
We have our own legal structure in the country to carry out our Projects in India.
ASHA-KIRAN SHELTERS FOUNDATIONPhone (+91) 92261 04518
Asha-Kiran in Spain
We have a center for the care and accompaniment of extremely vulnerable youngsters in Pasaje Eguiluz 2, Malaga.
We invite you to learn about the social work we do in Spain with vulnerable youth. We wish to serve as a way for your solidarity and social commitment to bear fruit for those who need it most.
Contact: dayana.saavedra@asha-kiran.org
Phone: (+34) 672 42 95 48