About Us
Who we are
Friends of Shelter Associates (FSA) is a Non-Profit organization comprising of student groups, faculty, and community members from Connecticut and Rhode Island that raises funds for Shelter Associates, an Non-Governmental Organization based in Western India. Since it’s inception in 2005, FSA has funded toilets and sanitation projects benefiting over 475 families living in Western India slums.
FSA fulfils its twin goals of education and fundraising by forming partnerships with different segments of the community that are sensitive to issues of global and urban poverty. Our core volunteers come from the local and educational communities who want to make a difference in the community they come from..
Our Mission
Raise awareness about global poverty
FSA strives to educate and create awareness that the lack of access to proper sanitation for children and families is a fundamental human rights violation. Through its work, FSA focuses on addressing three core components of human rights:
- Disease prevention: Construction of sanitation systems prevents the spread of infectious diseases
- Sexual Assault: Women and children are at risk of sexual assault while using open fields, open sewage systems and garbage dumps
- Human Dignity : Privacy during toileting is essential to human dignity
Raise funds for Shelter Associates
FSA assists in raising funds for Shelter Associates for the construction of toilets in the slums of Pune, Miraj, and Sangli in Western India. Shelter Associates is an internationally recognized Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) comprising of architects, planners and social workers. It’s aim is to link the poor and agencies that fund or provide the resources for housing and basic infrastructure.
Shelter Associates works closely with Baandhani (Building Together), a federation of slum dwellers to further its mission to:
- Promote community participation in housing and infrastructure projects for the urban poor
- Support community-led housing and improvement projects
- Form savings and credit groups for poor women
- Socio-economic research and documentation
Shelter Associates was founded by Pratima Joshi , an architect based in Pune. Pratima Joshi was elected as an Ashoka Fellowship in 2006.
The FSA Story: How We Started
“Going to school from Pudumjee Compound in Pune on my bicycle I would pass by two slums. The images of families defecating in the open have remained embedded in my mind.
In 2005, on a visit to Pune, I decided to take action as I felt lack of access to proper toilets is a human rights issue. There are many women who only defecate before sunrise or after sunset to avoid harassment from men.After reading about Shelter Associates’ exemplary work in bring sanitation to the urban poor, I got in touch with Pratima Joshi and started a chapter of Friends of Shelter Associates (FSA) at Connecticut College, New London. Several key members of the local Indian diaspora, faculty at Connecticut College and students were members of the early Steering Commitee. Subsequently FSA found a partner in Holleran Center at Connecticut College."
-Dr. Sunil Bhatia, Founder, FSA
Email Dr. Sunil Bhatia
Contact FSA