WorkAnHour is Live- helps us raise more than $250k

 Work An Hour (WAH) 2011 campaign is now live. We have started well with $3239 on day 1.

This year, we have 20 very deserving projects. There are so many truly inspiring stories - of both the children and the organizations that serve them. I'll mention a few of them here:-

1. Aadarana orphanage - 1 child got admitted to IIT, 3 others are in 4th year of B-Tech Engineering and 2 completed their MBA. (We're supporting the girls' orphanage)

2. Asha Deepa - The founder's own brother and sister are blind. His first-hand experience of the difficulties that his siblings faced inspired him to start this school.

3. Asha Trust- Tribal Empowerment - This school in a remote village in Manipur brings education to 500+ children. This region suffers from poor agriculture prospects, tribal rivalries and other social issues. Corruption blocks the benefits of Central government schemes from reaching these children.

4. Samta Gram Vikas Saradhi - The children of this school held a month long literacy campaign (to teach their illiterate parents) and a rally in 5 neighboring villages before the start of school season to highlight the importance of education.

There are many more amazing stories here. All these stories need to be told! More importantly, these projects desperately need the funds to continue functioning.

 More projects to follow in future emails.

Remember - we need to raise $250,000 (more than $4000 per day). We need to create a massive ripple effect and for that we need all Asha volunteers spend a few minutes to donate and tell everyone else about it. We're confident that once viewers sees our project pages and videos, they'll feel compelled to donate. But we need to get the word out.

Here's HOW YOU CAN HELP:

1. Donate for your favorite project(s) at www.workanhour.org

2. "Like" the WAH Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/workanhour) and Asha For Education Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ashaforeducation)

3. "Like" our posts and comment on them on our Facebook pages (so your Facebook friends will see them and take notice of the campaign)

4. Post WAH youtube videos on Facebook & Twitter (these videos have been painstakingly created with detailed descriptions and links to the project/donation pages. See an example here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkQ7KQvaRLs)

If you need any information on Workanhour, please visit www.workanhour.org or email us at wah@ashanet.org.

Thanks & Regards,

WAH 2011 team

www.workanhour.org

Asha for Education presents Work An Hour 2011

Having trouble viewing this ? Click here

Dear Asha Patron,   Most of us look for real meaning in our jobs. We aspire that our daily work product makes a lasting and positive impact on the world. The Work an Hour program (popularly known as WAH) from Asha for Education provides us with exactly that opportunity. Given the pressures of navigating through our hectic lives, it is often difficult to volunteer our time for charity. The WAH program allows us to symbolically volunteer an hour of our time by donating an hour's worth (or more) of our salary. These donations directly empower underprivileged Indians by providing a much needed education and vocational training, and give them a fair chance at changing their lives for the better.   Following 13 successful campaigns, Asha for Education is proud to present the 14th Work An Hour (WAH) campaign. Last year WAH received terrific support from patrons like you. We raised over $135,000 to support 13 projects that aided children's education all over India. For a recap of WAH 2010's fund utilization, please, click here.  This year, we have carefully evaluated and selected 20 projects for funding through the WAH campaign. These projects require a total funding of about $250,000 and will support 4415 students spread across 70 schools. These projects serve the most vulnerable sections of India including orphaned girls, tribal women, disabled children, and children of landless laborers, sex-workers, and slum dwellers. Please keep in mind that such projects rely heavily on funding from patrons like you. The campaign will run from July 15th to September 15th 2011.   For more information on these projects, please, click here.   Asha for Education has been rated as a 4-star charity per Charity Navigator, America's premier independent charity evaluator. Asha for Education has a zero overhead policy, where the less than 2% administrative expenses are covered with bank interest. As such, any inhibitions about your money being used inefficiently or wastefully can be laid to rest. Every last cent you donate will count, and be used directly towards the project(s) you support. Please see Charity Navigator.   Warm regards, Asha for Education  Donate Now   Empower Underprivileged India.      Work An Hour (WAH 2011) Mail Checks to: 'Asha for Education', PO Box 1287, Princeton, NJ  08542. Please mention 'WAH 2011 donation' on the memo    WAH Facebook  Asha Twitter - @WorkAnHour Contact Info: Website: www.workanhour.org Email: wah@ashanet.org

TeamAIDAsha marathon fundraising program

TeamAIDAsha marathon fundraising program had another great season in 2010. We raised a record $77K (total for AID + Asha, Boston chapters). Since the beginning of the program we have raised a total of more than $440K for AID + Asha and trained about 175 runners finish their marathon or half-marathons.

We are starting another season shortly and we can use your help in various ways. Initially the main volunteer requirements are in publicity (starting asap) and water support (starting in May). We also have other needs like project updates so that runners know where the money they raise is allocated and so on.

Also, by helping the TAA program and the runners, you will be able to spread the word about the hard work you and fellow volunteers have been doing and keep the runners motivated during their own personal challenge. More ideas welcome!

We try to spread the load around a large number of volunteers. So, you may need to help only for a short while (1-2 hours per week for publicity for emailing etc, 2-3 hours per month for water support). We have listed approximate estimates for each volunteering area.

If you can help (even if it is for a short while), please sign up at the link below so that we can contact you for follow-ups.

http://goo.gl/fjRGX

If you plan to run this year, please attend our TAA information session on Sunday, April 10th at MIT (stay tuned for more details). There will be a separate signup for runners.

You can get a summary of the TAA program at the link below:

http://www.teamaidasha.org/FileShare/Info/TAA2010_Season_Summary.pdf

Please feel free to forward to friends/family/anyone you think might want to join the cause as well !

Thoughts from the Dalai Lama...

There is a saying in Tibetan that “at the door of the miserable rich man sleeps the contented beggar.” The point of this saying is not that poverty is a virtue, but that happiness does not come from wealth, but from setting limits to one’s desires, and living within those limits with satisfaction.

Vermont Summer Trip

Things to do

1. Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS)
   Amazing Raptor. Shows at 10am and 2pm
2. Quechee Gorge
3. Balloons of Vermont
4. Church Street Marketplace
5. Lake Champlain and the Waterfront
6. Spirit of Ethen Allan Cruise
7. Drive around University of Vermont, Burlington
8. Wildflower Farm
9. Teddy Bear factory

Places to eat

1. Firestone, Quechee, VT
   Excellent pizza place http://www.firestonesrestaurant.net/Lunch%20Menu.pdf

Places to live

1. Burlington, VT
2. Shelbourne, VT
3. Cholcester, VT

Acadia National Park and Bar Habor Maine

 

Things to do

1. Horse Carriage Ride: http://www.carriagesofacadia.com/
Please make prior reservations. We tried the “Day Mountain Summit” tour at 4pm and loved it. Make sure you carry sweaters and go on a clear day!

2. Acadia Bus Tours: http://www.acadiatours.com/ 
Worth it! They have just 2 tours 10am and 2pm. Our driver George was the best! Loved the history and Wild Blueberries…not to mention the popovers!

3. Cruise

4. Park Loop Road
About 3 hours loop including stopovers

• Visitor Center (includes park tickets and 15 min Acadia movie)
• Cadillac Mountain
• Sand Beach
• Thunder Hole
• Otter Point
• Wild Gardens of Acadia
• Jordan Pond House
  • Try the “Chai with Popovers” and “Blueberry Crisp a-la-mode”

5. Ranger-led programs

7.Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse

8. Bar Harbor downtown

8. Hiking and Trails

9. Camping

Place to stay

Belle Isle Motel

They usually have the best rates in Bar Habor. 2 queen beds for 4 people and very short drive (5 min) from Acadia National Park. Add to it Continental Breakfast Great guests in Camille & Darren. You can reach them at http://www.belleislemotel.net/

Things to carry

• Sweaters (You cannot be over-dressed in Bar Harbor)
• Caps and Sun glasses
• Sun screen
• Lots of Water

More info

http://www.nps.gov/acad/planyourvisit/things2do.htm

The time for the next BIG Idea has come!

You might have heard the buzz by now - Asha for Education is gearing up for a shot at $500,000 grant as part of Round 2 of the Chase Community Giving program!

Every year Chase donates 5 million USD to various charities and you can help make Asha one of the top recipients ((in round 1 we came in at rank 33 and won $25K given to the top 100).

Chase relies on Facebook users to vote for their favorite charities and the non profit with the highest votes is selected for the donation. Voting has already started and will end on May 25. We are targeting getting upwards of 150,000 votes which is a tall order. Your vote and every vote you can help Asha get from your friends and contacts will allow 3000 underprivileged youth in urban India to find skilled jobs and 750 people in rural India start and nurture small businesses as part of our BIG IDEA submission (http://www.ashanet.org/bigIdea/)

This is the time to show your love and support Asha for Education by VOTING by following the steps below. Spread the word and get your friends / family / neighbor / co-workers to vote for Asha and help us get to the top of the Leader Board and stay there!!

Instructions on How to Vote:
1. Open the URL http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/770459884-asha-for-education
2. Click on ‘Vote and Share’
3. You will see a message saying ‘Chase Community Giving is requesting permission to do the following : Access my basic information (Includes name, profile picture, gender, networks, user ID, list of friends, and any other information I've shared with everyone)’.
4. Click on Allow
5. You should see ‘You must like Chase Community Giving to Vote’. Click on Like
6. Click on Vote and Share

Chase Competition:- Less than 24 hours left - lets finish strong!!

Friends,

We've almost hit the 3000 vote mark. A lot of us have worked very hard for getting us this far. With less than 24 hours to go, lets make one final push and finish strong!! 

STEP 1: Visit and "Like" the Chase Community Giving App on Facebook -http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/
STEP 2: Visit the ASHA Chase page and click on "Vote and Share" - http://tinyurl.com/voteAsha (You'll be asked to allow permission. Click "Allow" and then click on "Vote and Share")

STEP 3: Confirm that you see a "Thanks for your vote" message next to number of votes that Asha got so far. If you still see "Vote & Share", click on it again.

Those who haven't voted :

Here's your last chance to get your vote in. Please show your support and help us finish as high as possible.

Those who have already voted:

We are very grateful for your enthusiasm and support. Your support is a big source of encouragement and motivation for us volunteers :-)

Those who voted and got their friends, family and coworkers to vote:

You're super awesome!! :-)

Everyone, please check one final time that your vote actually went through at http://bit.ly/kbMAxn (you should see a "Thanks for your vote" message next to the number of votes that Asha got so far. If you still see "Click and Vote", your vote hasn't registered yet - so pls click on "Vote & Share" one more time).

Everyone, please continue to encourage your coworkers, friends and family to support a good cause and vote for us.

Cheers,

Chase Competition Team 

Asha for Education’s Idea for Urban India Vocational and Skills Training

More info at http://www.ashanet.org/bigidea/

Asha for Education - Vote for Hope!

Asha for Education   "Asha for Education" (AfE) is participating in a campaign sponsored by Chase Bank in the US for winning a $500,000 grant and needs your support to win the 1st place. Your vote will help Asha get there. And all it takes is a few moments of your time.   You've helped us with generous donations in the past - all we ask now is YOUR VOTE to help us win upto $500,000. Please note that voting ends on May 25th - so do VOTE NOW!   We thank you for your time.   Sincerely, Asha for Education Why vote for Asha? Why should I vote? With over 270 million illiterates and over 370 million below the poverty line, a large section of the population reaps very little benefit from the ongoing economic boom. A girl's education is an abruptly ended hope for millions of girls as only 1 in 4 remain in school long enough to complete Class 10. With so many people struggling to make ends meet, with so many children deprived of normal childhood which you and I took for granted, I strongly believe you will join us in taking 30 seconds of your day to support them with a couple of clicks.   Why Asha? Asha is 100% volunteer driven, zero overhead organization committed to bringing socio-economic change in India through education. We believe that education is a critical first step towards bringing the underprivileged into the mainstream. For over 20 years, we have served tens of thousands of children in the lowest socio-economic strata of society through 400 project partners and 73 worldwide chapters. Asha is perhaps one the few organizations guaranteed to put all the grant money to support the under privileged through "Entrepreneurship Training for Rural Enterpreneurs", "Business education for farmers" and "Vocational and Skills Training for Urban Youth".  How do I vote?   Step 1: Visit and "Like" the Chase Community Giving App on Facebook - http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving (You will see a message saying "Chase Community Giving is requesting permission ...." Click on Allow. This is to make sure same person doesn't vote multiple times for the same Org) Step 2: Visit the "Asha for Education" Chase page and VOTE - http://tinyurl.com/voteAsha      How can I further help this great cause? You can help AfE get the 500 K grant by joining the movement. Please spread the message to your friends, family, co-workers, facebook/linked-in contacts.   This is our chance to make India proud, to show we care, to show we have ASHA.   Like us at http://www.facebook.com/ashaforeducation?ref=ts for more outreach tips.     Quick Links Why vote for Asha? How do I vote? Use Facebook to vote   You will need to use your facebook account to vote for Asha for Education. Click Here or scroll down to find out how. More about Asha for Education Asha for Education is a secular organization dedicated to change in India by focusing on basic education in the belief that education is a critical requisite for socio-economic change. Read more about us at www.ashanet.org

Our Idea for Rural India Entrepreneurship Training (Asha for Education)

More info at http://www.ashanet.org/bigidea/

Where Dreams Take Wings Asha for Education’s BIG IDEA

 

More info at http://www.ashanet.org/bigidea/

Chase Community Giving

I am helping a non-profit called Asha for Education (100% volunteer driven org focused on education of the underprivileged in India for the last 20yrs with 400 project partners, 73 worldwide chapters) that is competing for the Chase community giving challenge (for $500,000 or Rs. 2.2crores) awarded to the non-profit that gets the most votes on Facebook (in round 1, Asha came in at rank 33 and won $25K given to the top 100!).

Asha could really use your help in winning this – all they need is your vote!  Voting starts on May 19 and ends on May 26. Your vote will allow 3000 underprivileged youth in urban India to find skilled jobs and 750 people in rural India start and nurture small businesses.

Please consider support the very important cause by voting for Asha at (it takes less than a minute!):

*http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/770459884-asha-for-education*

Who is Asha for Education?

Asha for Education (Asha) is a 100% volunteer driven non-profit that has been dedicated to improving the lives of the underprivileged in India since the last 20year through education with 73 chapters worldwide.

What does Asha do exactly?

Asha has developed a strong network of 400 project partner non-profits / organizations in India – Asha’s individual chapters raise funds, spread awareness and collect best practices to enable the project partners to the real work of educating children and youth from marginalized segments.

Why you should vote for us?

If you help Asha win this great prize of $500k, you will take Asha’s efforts to the next level - you will help 3000 underprivileged youth in urban India to find skilled jobs through career guidance and training in computer skills and spoken English and 750 people in rural India start and nurture small businesses through a customized “mini-MBA” program.

You can learn more about this challenge & about the organization at http://www.ashanet.org/bigIdea/

Asha for Education–next BIG Idea

I am working on a campaign for a non-profit that I support and actively volunteer for, called Asha for Education (100% volunteer driven org focused on education of the underprivileged in India for the last 20yrs with 400 project partners, 73 worldwide chapters). We are competing for the Chase community giving challenge (for $500K) awarded to the non-profit that gets the most votes on Facebook (in round 1 we came in at rank 33 and won $25K given to the top 100!).

Voting starts on May 19 and ends on May 26. We are targeting getting upwards of 150,000 votes which is a tall order.  Your vote will allow 3000 underprivileged youth in urban India to find skilled jobs and 750 people in rural India start and nurture small businesses.

Here’s where we could really use your help:

1)     Will you please consider giving us your support by voting for Asha at (it take less than a minute!): http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/770459884-asha-for-education

2)     We will be extremely thankful if you can help spread the work amongst your friends / co-workers / networks to help us win

Just in case you need some convincing, here’s is why you should vote for Asha for Education –

In the last 20 years, Asha for Education has raised over $21million to support multitudes of education initiatives in India – as a result, Asha had helped change lives of children and youth born to highly impoverished families in rural and urban India, discriminated castes, slum dwellers, prostitutes, the disabled – the list goes on.  Asha has achieved this through its a strong network of 400 project partners and is 100% volunteer run which ensures that nearly every dollar raised goes to who it was raised for. If you help us win this great prize of $500k, you will take Asha’s efforts to the next level - you will help 3000 underprivileged youth in urban India to find skilled jobs through career guidance and training in computer skills and spoken English and 750 people in rural India start and nurture small businesses through a customized “mini-MBA” program.

I am clearly sold… are you?

You can learn more about this challenge & the organization at http://www.ashanet.org/bigIdea

Men’s sizes

 

Chase Community Giving

Asha Volunteers/Supporters/Donors,

Congratulations on helping Asha win the 25 K grant through Chase Community Giving (CCG) campaign (http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/770459884-asha-for-education). Your vote helped Asha take #33 in the leader board and with your help we have $25,000 more for empowering children through Education.

But this is just the beginning for a bigger opportunity. Starting May 19th, through Round -2, we will have another chance to show the world how passionate Asha is towards our mission. I would like to invite volunteers to form a local CCG Co-ord team with a goal of getting as many people as possible to vote for Asha on CCG Round 2. The voting opens up for a week starting May 19th. You would be driving the online and offline marketing this for one week while closely working with the central team. 

Additionally, one of the requirement for CCG is presenting a "BIG IDEA" on how we would spend the 500 K, should be win the grant. Please send your suggestions by end of Monday for the central team to consolidate the ideas.

Many thanks again for making Round 1 successful and I know together we CAN show the world we are #1 non profit committed to bringing change in India.

Regards,

Vyas (on behalf of the Asha Co-ord team)

Home Energy Savings Tips : A Resource for Home Owners and Renters

Home Energy Savings Tips

Historic Boston Guided GPS Tour

Location	Boston, Massachusetts	# Locations	15
Media	Audio, Text, & Pictures	Tour Type	Walking	Category	Historical Places
Tags	Boston history, Boston attractions
Description	Re-live some of the most important moments in Boston and American history in this guided historic walk through downtown Boston by the travel staff of The Boston Globe's Boston.com.
Created By	features@boston.com on 7/27/2009
URL	http://www.geovative.com/view?t=LMMH

Historic Boston Guided GPS Tour - Boston.com

Car Maintenance Manuals

2006 Mazda 6 : - https://sites.google.com/site/ejvyas/2006Mazda6OM.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1

2010 Prius 3 : - https://sites.google.com/site/ejvyas/MY_10_Prius_WMG.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1

Ek chidiya

To my wife with love...

It's an uncertain world that we live in 

where so much keeps changing so fast 

and that we thought we could count on

too soon become things of the past...

So with all my life I feel grateful 

for the precious part of my life

that is there for me always, no question - 

my wonderful beautiful wife

What better day than today to tell you

how much I appreciate your understanding and support

you always give me. 

The way you put up with my faults and

still love me inspite of them!

You bring so much joy to my life 

just by being the beautiful, 

caring person you are

I am a very lucky man to be your husband.

It pays to know your customer

A disappointed salesman of Coca-Cola returned from his assignment to Saudi Arabia.    

A friend asked,   "Why weren't you successful with the Saudis?"
The salesman explained, "When I got posted, I was very confident that I would make a good sales pitch.  
But I had a problem. I didn't know how to speak Arabic. So I planned to convey the message through three posters.  


First poster : A man lying in the hot desert sand totally exhausted and fainting.  
Second poster : The man is drinking Coca-Cola.  
Third poster : Our man is now totally refreshed.  
And then these posters were pasted all over the place.

"Terrific! That should have worked!" said the friend.

"The hell it should have!" said the salesman.  "No one told me they read from right to left!"  

Greetings from Asha for Education

As the 2010 comes to an end, we at the Asha-Boston/MIT chapter wanted to reach out to you and provide some quick insight into our work & the impact it has made in several people's lives – none of which would be possible without your support! Here are a few examples of the amazing work that has been done through your support and the relentless efforts of our volunteers.

Deenabandhu Girls Home:  An environmentally friendly home, with a generous grant from Alstom foundation was inaugurated in April.  It houses 30 girls, and plans to grow to 50 girls.  These girls have no parents to care for them, and many were found destitute on the streets with a bleak future ahead of them. At the Deenabandhu home they are able put their harsh years behind them and embrace a life of affection and caring in a home filled with laughter and light, and have the opportunity to lead a successful and fulfilling life.

Defining Success: Success can be scoring 98%.  It can also be something very different. This year, Seed Narpanigal, who has several students who come to the center without even knowing the alphabet fully (even when they are enrolled in primary or middle school), shared with us their success this year: all class X students are continuing on to class XI, all class XII students are continuing on to college, dropouts happen in class IX and retaining every one of them is a success.  Students who come to the center ashamed to show their class books and marks get the confidence to speak, to learn, and to stay on in school.

Growing strong: Asha-Boston supported three residential schools run by Navsarjan, a grassroots organization dedicated to upliftment of the Dalit people. With help of Asha-Boston, Navsarjan is expected to triple enrollment of girl students from 2007-2008 to 2010-2011. At these residential schools, teachers and staff do "more with less": multi-functional rooms are used classrooms during the day and as lodging during the night. A student's typical day includes activities such as prayer, sports, exercise, in addition to education. In 2010-2011, Navsarjan enrolled girl students earlier than other students to ensure a higher percentage of female students.

Your support: As you know, Asha is truly a grass-roots organization; from fund-raising to project management through thousands of well-wishers, donors and volunteers. A lot has been done in the last few years with this support but a lot still needs to be done. This is only possible through a continued support and commitment from your end. If you wish to make a charitable contribution and know more about Asha please visit:

http://www.ashanet.org/mit/

Please note: Your donation is fully tax-deductible.

Volunteers: Last but certainly not the least, kudos to all the volunteers who have done an amazing job running this institution ensuring minimal overhead so that every dollar you donate can create the maximum possible impact. Special thanks to the Marathon runners this year who have raised a record amount - highest in the last 7 years.  Thank you all for your support and best wishes for the new year!

Asha For Education

http://www.ashanet.org/mit/

PS: Please pass this along to your friends/families who are interested in participating or donating for a great 

Indian Domestic cricket season

Ever wondered why people do not care for domestic season in India - cause they do not necessarily go for the win : http://www.espncricinfo.com/indiandomestic2010/engine/current/match/465452.html
http://www.espncricinfo.com/indiandomestic2010/engine/current/match/465457.html
http://www.espncricinfo.com/indiandomestic2010/engine/current/match/465496.html

I have no clue why the team batting third did not declare early. Granted they are the group leaders but I would go for victory as opposed to match practice and personal records.

Here is the points table : http://www.espncricinfo.com/ranjisuperleague2010/engine/current/series/465376.html?view=pointstable

Rendezvous with cricket

About 18 yrs back I had watched my first Test match : http://bit.ly/fg3Yxj. It was Ind v SA. Ind lost the series disastrously

SAVE AS WWF, SAVE A TREE

2010 in photos - The Big Picture - Boston.com

2010 in photos (part 1 of 3) - The Big Picture - Boston.com

I-495 construction

The horrible I-495 construction which has been creating traffic jams since one and half year has finally cleared lanes in the North Direction. This is great news! I was wondering what would be the situation in the snow. Just the thought is scary.

The lane shift which was on the north side has shifted to the south side now.


I can't wait for the construction to end this Summer next year when the construction would be completed : http://495bridgebundle.mhd.state.ma.us/index.html

Mass Fall Colors

This time we could not make it to the northern states of New Hampshire, Vermont or Maine for fall colors. So we decided to take a ride in Mass itself. The roads were a little difficult to find and there were no space to stop but we saw beautiful colors on the back roads as we wound our way through Central Massachusetts. Going through 200 miles of back roads in our Prius was quite an experience.
You also find some carrots in there which we bought from a local farmers market. The pictures at the end are actually fall colors in our own backyard!

Click here to view these pictures larger

Central Massachusetts Region

Route 128 to Quabbin Reservoir through Apple Country
-- Enjoy superb color at a relaxed pace when you drive along the less frequently traveled routes to the Quabbin Reservoir. This route begins near the town of Waltham on Route 128, the right road that surrounds Boston and its western suburbs. The route travels westward through farm and orchard country to the Quabbin Reservoir in the heart of Central Massachusetts via Waltham, Stow, Hudson, Berlin, Clinton, Sterling, Princeton, North Rutland, Barre, Barre Plains, Hardwick, Templeton, Gardner, Ashburnham, Ashby, Townsend, Littleton.

■ Starting on Route 128 near the town of Waltham, follow Route 117 to Stow.
■ Take Route 62 in a southwesterly direction through the towns of Hudson,Berlin, Clinton, and Sterling, arriving in Princeton
■ Turn north on Mountain Road to Wachusett Mountain Reservation. There you can drive, hike or take a skyride (check on scheduling) to the summit for a sweeping view of the countryside
■ Return to Route 62 and head west through North Rutland to Barre
■ From Barre, take South Street through the town of Barre Plains, to Barre Road to the town of Hardwick
■ Turn north on Route 32A, which runs along the Quabbin Reservoir toPetersham.
■ At Petersham follow Route 101 East through Templeton, Gardner andAshburnham to the junction with Route 119
■. Head east on Route 119 through the Willard Brook State Forest in Ashby andTownsend
■ Follow route 119 back to I 495 near Littleton
Nearby Points of Interest:
♦ Princeton -- Wachusett Mountain State Reservation, Mountain Road, 978-464-2987
♦ Belchertown – Quabbin Reservoir and Visitor Center, 485 Ware Road (Route 9), 413-323-7221

Completed Milestone 2 for Rajdhani (Asha for Education)

We officially completed Milestone 2 of Rajdhani project at “Asha for Education”. The alpha site is up and running here. We started off with the following team charter :-

 

1. Database access to Chapters
2. updating the main pages http://ashanet.org
3. Building In house application for programs such as SAC (Support A Child)
4. Helping Chapters setup donation channels for Events
5. Installing commonly used application such as this wiki
6. Protecting the site from hackers and rogue scripts
7. Access to youtube channel http://youtube.com/ashaforeducation

And the following email says where we stand. Long way to go… as they say : Don’t concentrate on your goal so much that you don’t enjoy the journey !!

---

As we all go about looking at the enormity of the task ahead, sometimes, it helps to look back and see how far we have come. Here is one such moment. Congratulations to us on the fantastic job we have done closing Milestone #2. It has laid the foundation for the work we are about to do.

Here are some things we did that I remember do let us applaud ourselves for all the effort.
1. We set up an SVN. For all these years, Asha has been operating without any source code control. It is virtually impossible to do collaborative work without this infrastructure. We finally have it in place and have actually been able to do distributed work. Without this, source code can and has gotten lost in the past.
2. Learned to work without meeting each other. This might seem like a small deal now. But in the early days, it was impossible to relate to people in a completely different part of the country (even world ). We had no idea how we would ever go through with the complicated technical discussions that seem impossible without face time. But with the conf call, the web-dev group, TeamViewer and the wiki, we have built a foundation for the future. We will really be able to harness talent from anywhere in the world because of the foundation we have been able to build.
3. We added JIRA task tracking system that we actually use - that is not vulnerable to attacks.  http://support.ashanet.org
4. We have created a wiki system that will scale across all chapters in the world.   http://wiki.ashanet.org
6. We brought down our setup time down from 6 months to a couple of weeks.

7. We stayed together as a team - through a heck of a lot of differences rough patches in all our lives.
8. We built a foundation for the website with a lot of the core controllers in place.
   - User Management
   - Donations
   - Meeting Minutes
   - Articles
9. We reduced the maintenance time on the webmaster's alias considerably so we can all have more time for development.

10. We have also serviced existing php code, social networks including - facebook & youtube.

It has been a tough year and a half. This is an acknowledgement and a small tribute to our journey so far.