HOW WE STARTED

 

INCEPTION (UDGAM) 

The Hindi word Udgam means “Place of Origin or Birth”. The Udgam of Aseem Asha Foundation is a

the unison of various places, having starting point at Aligarh Muslim University where the founder Mr. Aseem Usman was pursuing his graduation. His stay in the hostel was usually accompanied by his regular visits to Missionaries of Charity, a social service organization founded by Bharat Ratna, Mother Teresa. He worked with people affected by Leprosy & Tuberculosis. Later, his acquaintance with one of the famous Urdu poets Shahrayar shaped his mission. Being inspired by his thought-provoking poetry, his passion, SERVICE OF PEOPLE, ignited. During his graduation days, Aseem was also the editor of a student’s newsletter, “We Care Today”, which highlighted the socio-cultural issues of Aligarh. The revenue generated through this editing found its way to helping needy people.

The major milestone of forming the Aseem Asha Foundation was the emergence of the group Flying Birds of India that was informally established in early 2005 at AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia where Aseem was pursuing his PG Diploma in Development Communication. Later that same year, children affected by the Gujarat Riot staying in Happy Home and orphanage of Okhla joined it and developed print designs based on poetry written by the Sufi poets Khusrau and Rumi this para doesn’t make any sense. Needs revision post discussion.

Aseem worked on a project “Finding a Voice,” in Seelampur, North East Delhi funded by UNESCO, Queensland University (Adelaide, Australia), and UNDP. His research work has been published in UNESCO publications and other international journals. In 2006, young women of the Seelampur Community joined the group. He trained more than 500 people on how to raise their voices by making short films and digital stories, based on their own issues under the banner of his group, Flying Birds of India. They produced short documentary films, which addressed real-life issues encountered by their peer group and community. Issues like girl-child discrimination, the need for adequate health care and education, eve-teasing, domestic violence, and changing gender roles in society, amongst many others, were addressed too.

Aseem also has another feather in his cap. Firstly, he got an opportunity to work with the music maestro, A.R. Rahman on a project named “22 Sufi Khwajas of Delhi”, secondly with eminent film director Muzaffar Ali for his “Sufi Festival - Jahan E Khusrau”, and last but not the least with renowned painter Jatin Das on his National JDCA Film Festival. Developing an inclination towards various art forms led to the establishment of the Aseem Asha Foundation in March 2008.