JEEVAN ASHA (HOPE OF LIFE)

Non-religious Charitable Trust, Mumbai

"Come, O blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed Me, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me."

Inspired by the works of mercy mentioned in the Bible in Matthew chapter 25, the Jeevan Asha Ministries began in April 1997. Following Christ's teaching and inspired by His own ministry, Jeevan Asha strives to follow the Lord's footsteps.

I WAS A STRANGER AND YOU WELCOMED ME

Our Pro-life Ministry seeks, not just to educate and make people aware of the terrible crime of abortion, but also helps them in making a decision contrary to abortion. In circumstances where they are unable to look after the baby, we opt to care for the baby. We have been successful in saving babies who would have been aborted. In some instances, the mothers were seriously ill and doctors were advising abortion, but after prayer they had safe deliveries and normal babies. In other instances, the babies were said to be abnormal and therefore mothers were opting for abortion. Through prayers the babies were normal and the mothers happy. We have saved a number of babies and some of them have been given for adoption. The pregnant women in distress handled so far were kept at residential places under the care of volunteers who looked after their needs throughout the term of pregnancy and at childbirth too. This, of course was done confidentially and the mothers legally abandoned their babies and moved on with their lives. The babies were well cared for and then sent in for adoption. All this involved a lot of effort and inconvenience and at times it was very difficult to get the right place at the right time. It is but inevitable that a place exclusively maintained for this purpose be established, to cater to and provide for every need of 'the mother and child' entrusted to our care. This aspect will soon see light as we are working on a Pro-life Project (Crisis pregnancy centre) at village Wadghar 6 Kms from Vrajweshwari (outskirts of Mumbai). This Project includes a ground plus one structure which will house the Shelter Home and Post Natal Care Unit. It will also include medical facilities such as the Labour Room and Operation Theatre. A farm on the premises will provide the grocery requirements (milk, eggs, vegetables and meat). Every effort will be made to provide a suitable home for each child through adoption, but in cases where the child will have no adopting parents, we will look after and tend with care the little ones entrusted to us.
Giving the babies Hope through Jeevan Asha.

We rescue and rehabilitate prostitutes by giving them alternative jobs and accommodation, kindling in them the desire to live a normal and dignified life. We have already reached out to some of them, providing them with jobs along with accommodation.
Giving hope to these unfortunate sisters, by giving them an opportunity through Jeevan Asha.

Our Literacy Programme works with the adult illiterates and is an effort to help them in their daily work. It uses a method devised by Bob Rice, an American, who has successfully applied this method to various languages around the world. Some of the illiterates who came for help were taught to read and write Hindi or Marathi at the Jeevan Asha Office. The Adult Literacy Programme was conducted at the Sunder Nagar Slums (Colaba,Mumbai) at the Jeevan Asha Office there. Every Saturday some women residing in the slums were taught at the centre.
Giving the illiterates hope by dispelling the darkness of illiteracy through Jeevan Asha.

We have a great desire to have an institute for the aged, destitute, and the oppressed for whom no one cares. We wish to care for them and look after them with love. We wish to fill their lives with hope.
Giving hope to the hopeless with Jeevan Asha.

I WAS NAKED AND YOU CLOTHED ME

We receive a lot of good house hold articles and sparingly used clothes from well wishers Distributing these clothes and household articles to the needy at the above mentioned Sunder Nagar Slums and at the Jeevan Jal Prayer Meetings is a way of reaching out to the poor and taking the love of God to them. We also have plans to feed the hungry of the streets by supplying free meals in a mobile van thus reaching as many as possible by filling their emptiness with hope.
Giving the needy hope, by satisfying them with Jeevan Asha.

I WAS SICK AND YOU VISITED ME

We visit the bedridden in homes and hospitals, counseling and comforting them in their hours of despair. In our fast world, the slow and disabled (permanent /temporary) are easily neglected. Prayer, coupled with faith, has very often brought God's long awaited blessings to these people.
Taking God's peace and comfort to these suffering people through Jeevan Asha is our aspiration.

I WAS IN PRISON AND YOU CAME TO ME

Visiting the prisons and reforming the prisoners is undertaken by the Prison Ministry. We had been visiting the Arthur Road Prison (Mumbai) and given moral lectures in the youth barrack there. We also have follow-up services with some prisoners after their release. Some of the foreign prisoners have great difficulty in finding accommodation after their release, during the transit period (while they wait to reach home). In the past, we have accommodated these brothers in our office so that they may be protected from facing further problems. We have future plans of giving them accommodation in a separate place. We have visited the Yervada Central Prison, Yervada Open Prison (Pune), the Nasik Central Prison, Paithan Open Prison (Aurangabad), Sawantwadi District Prison, Sholapur District Prison, Dhule District Prison, Akola District Prison, Kolhapur Prison, Visapur Prison and Ratnagiri District Prison conducting moral lectures for the benefit of the prisoners there. We also correspond with some of the prisoners there, guiding and encouraging them. There are 35 prisons in Maharashtra and we have been granted permission to visit all the 27 district prisons and the 8 Central prisons of Maharashtra. We have also applied for permission to visit the other Central Prisons in the country. We wish to reach out to all the prisons in the country. We have, on some occasions, distributed soaps, toothpastes and literature. In the past we were able to help a few prisoners after their release to avail the facility of sponsored professional courses. We have a proposed project to work with the women prisoners at the Nasik Prison, training them with some trades with which they can be rehabilitated in the future, after their release. Giving hope to the prisoners, replacing the despair in their lives with Jeevan Asha.

Reaching out to every unfortunate person directed to us by God, Jeevan Asha moves on, trusting in His Divine Guidance

In His Service,

TREVOR LEWIS