Adarsh Seva Sansthan (ASES) is a grassroots organization dedicated to empowering marginalized communities across 90 urban slums and 50 villages in Jharkhand, India. To date, ASES has protected thousands from child marriage, child abuse, and neglect, supported women’s and youth leadership, improved access to education, and built grassroots networks for community members.
Urban slums and rural communities in Jharkhand are largely made up of migrant workers, often living without legal recognition and excluded from receiving basic services. Girls in these communities are disproportionately impacted by poor nutrition, lack of access to quality education, exposure to hazardous environments, exploitation, and child labor. Adolescent girls are often pulled into caregiving roles or forced into early marriage due to poverty, cultural pressure, and weak protective mechanisms. Limited awareness around mental health, reproductive health, and child protection leaves young girls unequipped to make informed decisions or self-advocate..
With support from the Girls Opportunity Alliance Fund, ASES will strengthen 10 children’s collectives and 2 adolescent girls resource centers, where girls will have platforms to learn, lead, and self-advocate. The spaces will also host sessions on reproductive and sexual health, legal literacy, life skills, and leadership development. Additionally, the project aims to establish community-based systems to identify girls at risk of child marriage. These girls will receive essential resources and support plans, including counseling and educational opportunities. The project will also conduct community awareness campaigns around girls’ rights and education.
The project will directly reach 500 adolescent girls and will engage an additional 2,000 community members. The project aims to reduce child marriage, improve educational outcomes, and shift harmful social norms. Ultimately, the organization envisions lasting change through a self-sustaining ecosystem where empowered girls and informed communities collaborate to uphold children’s rights and gender equality.
To learn more about ASES, please visit the organization’s website and social media pages:
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