ASK Foundation

The ASK Group also believes in building a legacy of social progress. A legacy that empowers people and uplifts communities. This belief led to the genesis of ASK Foundation in 2008 - the corporate social responsibility arm of ASK Group. 

 

The ASK Foundation works on developing livelihoods by collaborating with social entrepreneurs and NGOs by supporting them on a financial and capacity building basis to help scale and execute their ongoing projects.

 

MISSION

To empower rural communities to be prosperous, self-reliant, and develop communities

 

VISION

Enabling better livelihoods and increase infrastructure capacities of rural communities in India through development and enhancements of key resources such as Water, Agriculture & other means of Livelihoods, Education, Health & Sanitation, Financial Inclusion, Women Empowerment, Skill Development of Youth, and the Conservation of Biodiversity

 

OUR PROJECT

SAMRUDDHA KISAN INITIATIVE

We believe that comprehensive socio-economic development of villages will be a key driver of growth in India. Keeping this belief in mind, we have selected several partners to work in selected villages in Mokhada Block (Palghar district), Akole Block (Ahmednagar District), and Shahada Block (Nandurbar District) in Maharashtra.

 

Through the Samruddha Kisan Initiative, ASK Foundation is focusing on the causes of Water, Agriculture & Livelihood, Education, Livestock Development, Health & Sanitation, Women Empowerment, Skill Development for Youth, Financial Inclusion, Community Development, and Promotion of Biodiversity.

 

LOCATIONS

Mokhada

OUR REACH

  • 4 Villages, 18 Hamlets
  • 1,069 Households
  • 4,793 Beneficiaries

OUR INTERVENTIONS

HEALTH & WELLNESS:

ASK Foundation continues its efforts towards helping and caring of Covid-19 patients. The second wave of Covid-19 had seen a sharp increase in patients as well as increase in severity of symptoms. In many cases Oxygen was key in saving lives.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

  • 4 Village Health Sanitation Committees (VHNSC) formed
  • 13 Mother Committees formed
  • 44 Pregnant Women and 35 Lactating Women counselled
  • 1 Mata Mela organized impacting 98 women
  • 29 sessions for adolescents regarding health, hygiene & nutrition conducted impacting 125 girls
  • 2 sessions on family planning conducted for 30 families
  • 4 health camps conducted impacting 447 villagers
  • 15 baby showers, 20 half yearly birthdays and 35 Mother Meetings held


DRINKING WATER & IRRIGATION:

The ASK Foundation worked with social entrepreneurs and NGOs so that 35 Hectare area was treated for water harvesting through bunding, counter trenching, etc. thus providing one of the fundamental necessities i.e. CLEAN WATER.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

  • 3 dams desilted
  • 202 drip irrigation systems and water storage tanks set-up
  • 80 jal kunds and 26 farm ponds created
  • 9 solar lift irrigation systems installed
  • 12 wells dug
  • 4.99 crore liters of water for irrigation harvested
  • 1.5 crore liters for drinking water harvested
  • 6 Solar based drinking water schemes started
  • 25 portable solar units installed on farm ponds


AGRICULTURE & LIVELIHOOD:

The ASK Foundation worked with its implementation partner supporting farmers on a financial wellbeing. The program included capacity building with greater access to techniques such as paddy cultivation and moisture cropping, vegetable, and jasmine cultivation; empowering them and entire communities.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

  • 217 farmers associated for jasmine cultivation
  • 311 farmers associated for vegetable cultivation
  • 500 farmers associated for improved paddy cultivation & moisture cropping
  • 10 farmers associated for Strawberry cultivation
  • 5 farmers associated for Mushroom cultivation

The Agricultural and Livelihood initiative also encouraged villagers to adapt to alternative methods such as Wadi Cultivation (two or more crops strategically selected for intercropping) and setting up as well as assisting in the running of equipment banks, and better livestock development practices empowering them and entire communities.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

  • 235 families now practising Wadi Cultivation across 196 acres barren land
  • 62 families involved in Sonchaffa Cultivation
  • 5 equipment banks set up for modern tools and equipment
  • 18 goat owner groups covering 126 families associated for improved Livestock Development Practices
  • 1 family associated for poultry support

The ASK Foundation worked with its implementation partner supporting farmers by empowering them and entire communities in one of the village's ongoing conservation efforts of the Sacred Forest (Devrai). Kitchen gardens were also set-up to promote growth and consumption of nutritious food, and minimise the exploitation of natural resources.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

  • 20 landless families supported for Enterprise Development (saloon, carpenter, tailor, shop keeper, rice mill, snake catcher)
  • Conservation efforts at the Sacred Forest (Devrai) which is home for rare flora and fauna (29 species planted across the sacred forest)
  • 1,069 kitchen gardens set up
  • 52,460 trees planted (mango, cashew, and forestry)
  • 79 Hectares of Land treated through various Natural Resource Management practices


ACCESS TO EDUCATION:

474 children impacted through various educational initiatives. To empower present and future generation of individuals and communities by enhancing reach and access to education, we collaborated with social entrepreneurs and NGOs, supporting them on a financial and capacity building basis in the following major projects:

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

  • Refurbished and repaired 3 anganwadis and 3 schools
  • Cycle Library initiated in 3 schools with 15 cycles to help children as they often have to walk long distances to reach school

The ASK Foundation works on developing livelihoods by collaborating with social entrepreneurs and NGOs, supporting them on a financial and capacity building basis, empowering individuals and communities.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

  • Programme initiated to make digital banking accessible to villagers at their doorstep.

    4 E-Dosts have provided banking services to 565 villagers

  • 156 families have benefited from Financial Literacy sessions
  • 1303 villagers received benefits worth Rs. 14.37 lakhs through the Haqdarshak programme which helps link villagers to government schemes.

Under our Educational initiative, we began the 'Password' campaign, a subscription-based education program that supplements the existing education system. Magazines in the local language ie Marathi are given to the students to promote the habit of reading. These are aimed at standard 5 to 10 and cover topics on environment, civic matters, democratic values, scientific temperament, poems, stories, general knowledge, current affairs, etc. We have also started a Sports for Change and STEAM programme for Standard 1 to 8 to make Science, Maths, Technology and Sports an important part of their growth.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

  • 400 children from 4 schools were benefited from password campaign promoting the habit of reading. These magazines will go into the library and be passed on to future batches going forward.
  • Shikshan Mitra programme initiated in 4 schools
  • 152 children from 1 school benefiting from Sports for Change programme
  • 74 children from 1 school from standards 1 to 5 benefiting from SteamShala Programme
  • 67 children from 1 school from standards 5 to 8 benefiting from Innovation & Tinkering Lab Programme
  • 2 libraries set up under STEAM
  • Deskit bags distributed to 7 schools


INFRASTRUCTURE:

As part of the ongoing developmental work towards providing better living condition, capacity building, empowering individuals and communities, our initiative of Enhancing Infrastructure resulted in:

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

  • Clean kitchen programme initiated for 769 families
  • 1,069 LED lights distributed
  • 33 streetlights installed
  • 10 kitchen platforms supported
  • 5 Biogas units supported
  • 2 information centres set up
  • 2 seed banks set up
  • 1 oil extraction unit set up
Villagers have benefited through Government schemes worth Rs. 4 Crore till date


Akole

OUR REACH

  • 6 Villages, 10 Hamlets
  • 1,255 Households
  • 7,109 Beneficiaries

OUR INTERVENTIONS

AGRICULTURE & LIVELIHOOD:

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

  • 300 farmers associated for soil sample testing, analysis, and reportage
  • 19 self-help groups (190 families) associated for cultivator & weeder program to reduce drudgery among women
  • 25 Self Help Group associated for Seed drill.
  • 136 families provided agricultural tools
  • 850 farmers associated training- For introducing best packaging practices of wheat and gram
  • 380 farmers associated training – Towards importance of soil, organic farming, pest control, and disease management etc.
  • 172 farmers associated for wheat cultivation
  • 153 farmers associated for Gram cultivation
  • 139 farmers associated for indigenous maize cultivation
  • 266 farmers associated for vegetable cultivation (chilly, brinjal, tomato)
  • 144 farmers associated for paddy (Breeder & Foundation) paddy cultivation

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

  • 47 farmers associated for Indigenous paddy( Raybhog, Kalbhat, Kamod, gari & Hali Kolapi)
  • 207 farmers associated for Indigenous Millets (Nagali & Millet)
  • 300 farmers associated for farm bund farming (mango, Sapota, Lemon, Jackfruit, Cashewnut, Jamun) etc.
  • 7 farmers associated for Sonchafa Plantation, 2 farmers for Marigold.
  • 1 Community Seed bank started
  • Insitu demonstration of 44 varieties of rice and 27 varieties of Millet have been started
  • 7 BPL families associated for income-generation activity (providing sewing machine, hotel equipment, juice center, breakfast center, salon, beauty parlour, refrigerator)
  • 6 families associated for home-based tourism
  • 29 tourist guide associated First Aid training.
  • 500 kitchen gardens set up

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

  • 1 livestock centre started at project area for door-to-door AI services. 119 AI services provided
  • 1108 animal health checkups done in Animal Health Camp - 5 Animal Health camps undertaken
  • 289 farmers associated support for mineral mixture for animals - Goats, Cows, Buffalos etc.
  • 399 Animals participated in Dangi Cow Exhibition – Dangi is a premier cattle breed
  • 62 goat keeping families provided support of hybrid Super Napier grass & 20 families provided support of Cactus for fodder crops
  • 124 goat keeping families provided with rain protection impacting 328 Goats
  • 50 families provided Machan support


EDUCATION:

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

  • 500 children from 3 schools benefited from Password Campaign promoting the habit of reading. These magazines will be returned to the library and passed on to future batches.
  • 720 students from 7 schools were benefited with digital support to the schools (10 LCD-TV, pen drives, and software)
  • Libraries set up in 3 schools
  • Shikshan Mitra programme initiated in 2 schools impacting 427 students


DRINKING WATER AND IRRIGATION:

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

  • 35 families associated for Natural Resource Management activities - 40 hectare area treatment completed
  • 20 farm ponds created impacting 80 families
  • 50 families associated with drip drum kit
  • 25 families associated with drip irrigation system
  • 6 families impacted due to de-siltation of water structures


Shahada

OUR REACH

  • 4 Villages, 12 Hamlets
  • 1,608 Households
  • 9,498 Beneficiaries

OUR INTERVENTIONS

DRINKING WATER AND IRRIGATION:

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

  • Total 117-acre area received protective irrigation from 38 temporary check dam & 50 families utilized water for vegetable cultivation
  • Total water harvested 3404 Cum from 38 temporary check dams
  • 30 borewells recharged
  • Installed 4 solar based lifting devices for drinking water benefiting 1503 individuals
  • Provided 8 mobile solar based water lifting devises for drinking water and irrigation of 24 acres
  • 22.82 lakh liters of water harvested from 2285.82 cubic meter work of farm bund
  • Two hamlets have covered in sanitation activity such as soak pit and cloth washing platform


AGRICULTURE AND LIVELIHOOD:

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

  • 400 farmers associated for groundnut cultivation
  • 100 farmers associated for vegetable cultivation
  • 282 farmers associated for soya bean cultivation
  • 60 farmers covered in improved sunflower cultivation
  • 100 farmers installed trellis-based vegetable structure with gravity-based tank & drip system
  • 100 farmers are utilizing sprinkler irrigation
  • 5 farmers associated for Thai Guava plantation as a model plot
  • 20 farmers covered in improved strawberry planation as a model plot
  • 50 farmers covered in high density mango planation
  • Conducted 5 animal health camps through which 3,634 animals benefitted
  • 600 kitchen gardens set up for women
  • 18 IRESA Bio Gas units installed
  • 3 families supported for Enterprise Development
  • Drudgery reduction equipment distributed to 430 women


PAST PROJECTS

COVID-19 Intervention: July 2020

The year 2020 has been a challenging year for humanity with a worldwide pandemic that brought our lives to a halt. During this time ASK Foundation wanted to contribute on the ground where impact could be real, hence we partnered with Indian Development Foundation (IDF). The objective of this project was to augment the infrastructure at Holy Spirit Hospital, Mumbai (Andheri-E) with additional Ventilators & High Flow Nasal Oxygen Machines at their ICU at a commitment of Rs. 1 crore. Through our CSR initiative, 9 Ventilators and 3 High Flow Nasal Oxygen Machines were installed. This helped the hospital staff fight COVID on a daily basis.

As of February 2021, the ventilators have benefited 244 patients and the High Flow Nasal Oxygen Machine installed have benefited 47 patients.

Our initiative will continue to help the hospital staff fight COVID and will help save many more lives in the years to come. To know more, view the video.

Cyclone Nisarga Disaster Relief Work: June 2020

Cyclone Nisarga ravaged multiple districts of Maharashtra causing massive damage to crops and infrastructure. Seeing this immense need, ASK Foundation decided to respond by supporting the restoration of education institutions.

Accordingly, 6 institutions in Mangaon & Srivardhan Blocks of Raigad District were identified and we worked with our partner Vanarai to refurbish and restore them. Through this initiative, 910 students will benefit and given the good quality of repair work, it will sustain for a long period of time.

Additionally, ASK Foundation also supported repairs of the Gram Panchayat office which is now fully operational.