Help Ashok save kids orphaned by farmer suicides. Donate Now

Time stood still for 12-year-old Shrikant when he got the news that his father, a debt-ridden farmer from Beed, had taken his own life. Shrikant’s village was one of the worst hit areas during devastating drought in 2015 and his mother, a daily wage labourer, was finding it hard to feed the family of three. 

The family was penniless and could not feed itself, and debtors were knocking on the doors. Had it not been for Ashok Deshmane and Snehwan, Shrikant would have slipped into the bottomless pit of child labour.

Deshmane needs your help to rescue the children of drought-hit farmers taking their own lives. Donate now.

Deshmane, who has faced the perils of farmer distress firsthand, has made it his life’s mission to come to the aid of children affected by farmer suicides. He left a successful career in IT and founded Snehwan to provide food, shelter, and education to orphans of farmer suicides. 

There has been a steep rise in farmer suicides following Covid-19 and fresh droughts in Maharashtra. The number of kids that are in dire need of support is growing almost every day.

Snehwan is building its second shelter home to take in 200 more children and needs your urgent help to complete it. Help orphans of farmer suicides find their feet and fresh hope in life. 

Ashok’s mission

Ashok, son of a farmer himself, braved his way through abject poverty to educate himself and build a career in IT. During a visit to his village in 2015, he was overwhelmed seeing the orphans of farmer suicides starving, and decided to take 18 children into his care.

“I just could not remain a mute spectator while children starved in drought-struck villages. I had to do something” says Ashok, and Snehwan was conceived in 2015. 

Swami Vivekanand Dnyanalay, a ray of hope

Ashok says that his responsibility is not merely to provide food and shelter to children but to provide them with holistic development. He aspires to raise them as socially aware, skilled, and responsible citizens of the country who can then carry his work forward.

The shelter home which started with 18 kids is now a ray of hope for more than 50 children who call it home. Situated in a village near Pune, the Swami Vivekanand Dnyanalay not only provides food, shelter, and quality education to these kids but gives them a family. 

Ashok and Archana’s plea

“Drought and climate change is worsening and we are in urgent need of funds to extend our efforts and expand the shelter home to bring in 200 more children under our protective wings. We cannot let these kids have a fate similar to their parents”, pray Ashok and Archana. Only you can help Ashok and Archana save the future of these children. Donate generously.