PAINTING OUR CANVAS WITH THE COLOURS OF ASHRAY
A mottled spread of our work congregating the mosaic of our thematic arena
Srushti Sonawane :-
Holi, the festival of colours, holds the power of a colourful world as opposed to the monochromatic scheme of things. A little drizzle when meets a ray of sunlight, enameling an ecstatic rainbow is the metaphor we replicate here at Ashray Foundation. Through the various shades of our thematic areas, we enshrine some of many social sustainability goals like environment, health and hygiene, water sanitation and skill development. Each in its own way amalgamate with the other hues effortlessly, yet coalescing as one beautiful portrait. Like Van Gogh’s yellow, Rembrandt’s red, Monet’s green, Klein’s blue, we are a motley like Malevich’s gradient, merging within the other without a discernible periphery, but as one emerging kaleidoscopic masterpiece in the making. Take the scenic route through our journey filled with marvelous hues of hope, harvest and harmony.
“The future will either be green or not at all.” is probably the most accurate description of what the time to come beholds. Green is the colour for environment, prosperity, rebirth and renewal. Set in the serene vista of Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, Project Cheer Urja is one such green dream of ours that has stood true against the test of time, nurturing a bio dome of sustainability through its manifold purposes like collection of pine needles and converting them into pine needle briquettes. Pacifying wild forest fires being the core objective of Project Cheer Urja, it has also successfully mounted its pennant on the grounds of conservation of green energy and generation of employment for the local beneficiaries. Apart from the pine needle project, other ecological initiatives that administer various agricultural practices like aromatic plant cultivation, usage of organic fertilizer, increasing Green Belt through development of kitchen gardens, integrated farming system etc. have been deeply promoted under the canopy of environment protection and conservation. The Green at Ashray emphasizes on such panoramic conservation of environmental aspirations whilst trumpeting the bugle of safeguarding biodiversity.
David Carson, in his attempt to elucidate the ethos of blue said, “Good things are associated with blue, like clear days, more than singing the blues. Just the word ‘blue’ in the singular is full of optimism and positive connotation to most people.” Against the popular analogy associated with “blue” being a sign of something melancholic, Ashray has been successful in turning the course of the stream towards building a substantial momentum and arriving at laudable success. Under the many resolutions of Project Jal Sangrah, “Holiya” stands tall as the name suggests, in colouring the lives of those in need with its distinctive features. A “Holiya” system traditionally known as Bhungroo works as an underground storage tank for excess rain water that earlier used to act as an obstruction by clogging water in fields, causing untimely flooding during monsoon. Not only has “Holiya” tapped into the matter of water scarcity and flood management, but it has also invigorated the depleting groundwater, securing the drought season. A watershed target getting accomplished by Ashray Foundation is the azure we countersign in our water management arena.
Ally Condie fondly likes to demarcate red as the first colour of the spring i.e. the real colour of rebirth, of the becoming, and rightly so, we share the same ideology. The red we see is the one that stands for others, with others. Through “Sanjivani”, our Mobile Medical Unit, we direct to assist the local communities and Government initiatives with our prompt response to primary critical care, saving one life at a time. Our “The HI(gh)(Fi)V(e) Initiative” in a collaboration with NACO, has taken a monumental lead in crafting a conscious, sensitive response towards HIV/AIDS vis-a-vis the core HIV prevention principles. Our conversations with key populations like Female Sex Workers and MSM have long proven that a small drop in the ocean can create enough ripples to make a wave. Our unwavering support to the #reddotchallenge and raising awareness through ‘The period conversation’, is us paving an avenue towards constructing a cohesive ecosystem for debunking the myths around menstrual hygiene issues. Implementing wellness-awareness sessions like Betterment beyond mat – Yoga, resulting in community wide outreach initiatives have tinted the communities with the colour of wellness. Seeing through our rose coloured lenses, there is a lot of dismal red around, which we pine to transform into the red of spring and these are a few of our strokes on the canvas of the bigger picture.
If one may ask, what Epictetus meant when he said, “Seek to be the purple thread in the long white gown!” It was most certainly a statement describing authenticity within the herd of commonality that simply protrudes the exclusivity of one’s craft, skill, or merely a passion to do things differently. Skill development is that purple thread we strive to weave in the fabric of society through our immense efforts at civilizing the marginalized communities. With an exclusive effort at inclusivity, our skill development initiative entails most key demographics like women, children, local communities below the poverty line from socially disadvantaged urban regions and rural communities. Through our many programs, we emphasize on the amassed empowerment of individuals by providing the essential skills training which will secure their future with reliable revenue generating opportunities. Youth/Women empowerment & capacity building through trainings on beauty & wellness, digital & financial literacy, retail, logistics, customer relationship management, craft domains (jute diversified products, patchwork, hand embroidery, mirror work & handicraft), pine art & craft, herbal soap making and small scale enterprise formation are few endeavors that comprise as a part of the skill development theme. Furnishing artisan cards to empower skilled artisans, setting-up cooperative establishments to impart digital and financial literacy, entrepreneurial projects for women beneficiaries, rearing and agricultural activities, marketing & branding support for homemade products etc. have been our prevalent thematic driving forces under the umbrella of skill development. A mammoth triumph at attempting to organize skill development programs is the real purple patch in the tapestry of Ashray’s many achievements.
Picasso, when probed about how far a little yellow goes, said “Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot, others transform a yellow spot into the sun.” With a hint of yellow, we at Ashray aspire to be those painters transforming our yellow into the sunlight that shines upon the ones who have seen long, dark and cold nights. Basking not just in the light, but also the warmth of the sun, we insist on being the Ash”Ray” of hope for our people in every nook and corner of the nation. The joy yellow delineates is unparalleled to any other shades on the palette. We resonate with a similar sentiment as that of Conor Oberst who avers on being the warm yellow light and pouring love on everyone.
For a ray of light to refract into a rainbow, a humble prism plays a vital role. What makes it truly stand out is its sheer transparency that does not withstand any smoke or mirror principle. What is accountability if not unmitigated transparency? We at Ashray desire to emerge like a tall, standing, vitreous edifice on the foundation of our principles, sanctioning every ray of light to scintillate through our transparency. Focusing the lens of transparency on prevailing issues in the society, simply encourages us to take up the challenge of stimulating a more conducive atmosphere and accomplishing one sustainability goal at a time. With different hues of humanitarian virtues on our canvas of transparency, Ashray Foundation seeks to be persistent in painting the picture of peace, prosperity, progress and people through its green, blue, red, purple, yellow on this colourful occasion of Holi. We invite all the patronages’ to join us on this ‘Holi’stic venture and colour yourselves with the incandescent Colours of Ashray.
