AASRA NGO

helping people in despair

Über uns

AASRA is a non-religious, non-political and non-sectarian Mumbai based mental health NGO, started working at 13 September1998, which is noted for operating a 24-hour Helpline to cater to suicidal and emotionally distressed individuals. The service is an offshoot of Befrienders Worldwide and Samaritans, whose India chapter was established in 1960. Aasra is a crisis intervention center for the lonely, distressed and suicidal.

AASRA works in the area of mental health, providing emotional support, unbiased caring through a helpline service and walk-in center. AASRA mandates crisis intervention as it´s primary focus through it´s assorted services designed to alleviate emotional pain and in the process prevent suicides.

Mission Statement:
We aim to help prevent and manage mental illness by providing voluntary, professional and essentially confidential care and support to the depressed & the suicidal. We aim to provide voluntary, professional and essentially confidential care and support to the depressed & the suicidal.

Objective
The objective of Aasra is to alleviate human misery by offering active listening. i.e. non-judgmental and non-critical listening to anyone who would like to avail of our services when they feel anxiety, stress and despair. Aasra recognizes that loneliness and distress often leads to the act of self-destruction, the potential suicide can be averted by active listening.

Activities:
• Other activities that AASRA as part of both forums were involved in for the past 10 years included anti-tobacco campaigns, HIV/AIDS awareness programs, comprehensive health meals in colleges, women´s day programs and skill development/awareness/legal literacy workshops/nutrition programs/group savings initiatives, all initiated to benefit women within the economically weaker communities so that they become self-sufficient and independent.
• AASRA volunteers have taken the slogan ´Suicide Prevention is everybody´s Responsibility´ directly to the masses by putting up posters at visible locations, holding poster exhibitions for the public, distributing handbills, bookmarks, stickers and pocket calendars at various junctions, bus depots, stations in and around Navi Mumbai and Mumbai.
• AASRA volunteers have conducted Suicide Awareness (Foundation and Advanced) workshops, held essay and poster competitions/exhibitions in schools and colleges, trained over a 5000 volunteers from various walks of life in the art of befriending/non-directive counseling/listening skills for providing active emotional support for the depressed and suicidal. These volunteers have also been imparted training on HIV/AIDS issues, first aid for effective prevention and many other related topics.
• AASRA volunteers have been consistently running the full marathon (and completing successfully) for the past three years in order to generate publicity, spread awareness and solicit funds for the organization.
• AASRA volunteers conduct training, workshops, support groups, discussion groups on different levels with high-risk target groups. AASRA volunteers have outreach programs to reach out to the multitudes who may choose to end their lives because of chronic suffering or terminal illness. AASRA also networks with various other NGO´s and professionals to provide consolidated care to the many who seek it´s help.

Johnson Thomas is the Director and Co-founder of Aasra.

For other net participants we can offer an expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of our work.