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The Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram is an Indian social welfare organization based in Jashpur in the Chhattisgarh district of India. It focuses on indigenous tribes in remote areas of India, and has branches all across India. The branches focus on agriculture, healthcare, child education, sports and culture in their respective regions.

History
The Ashram was founded in 1952 by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) swayamsevak (volunteer) Ramakant Keshav Deshpande with the help of the Madhya Pradesh state government and the RSS. Based in Jashpur (214 km from Raigarh), it established schools in Raigarh and Surguja districts that which areas with large tribal populations. R K Deshpande worked from 1948 to 1957 with the state's Department of Tribal Welfare.

The Ashram grew rapidly after the emergency was lifted, so much so that in 1977, it acquired National status (expressed in its new name Bhāratiya Vanavāsi Kalyān Āshram). From 1978 to 1983, the number of its full-time volunteers rose from 44 to 264 (56 of whom were tribals). It helped establish a hospital in Jashpur and schools, hotels and centers for apprenticeship in manual trades in 40 other villages. The programs are located in 312 districts throughout the country and are supervised by more than a thousand full-time workers. While most districts have primary schools, many other places have residential schools, hostels, libraries and health centers. Important annual events include medical camps, traditional sports, and the celebration of tribal festivals.

Economic development
The tribal communities in India suffer from lack of education and proper health care facilities. As a result, many carry out disruptive activities. The Ashram helps the communities to protect their interests and assists them to solve their own problems.

The Ashram helps with the formation of people's self-help groups. It also encourages small gatherings in post offices, provides training for scientific cultivation of cash crops, distributes seeds and seedlings and helps arrange local resources for irrigation. It also helps widows and the elderly get their pensions. The Ashram increases people's awareness by organizing occasional symposiums on current issues like 'Impact of Globalization and Liberalization on Tribal Life' and publishing books and periodicals dealing with socio-cultural aspects of day-to-day tribal life.

The Ashram, by providing the basic amenities like health care, employment, and education, helps to prevent the tribes from joining hands with disruptive forces that hamper their development. Their efforts are also directed at conflict resolution between the different tribes which can, at times, indulge in clashes among themselves over petty issues. The Ashram has been promoting the concept that all the tribal groups belong to India and hence are one.

Education
The Ashram has a network of single teacher schools across the tribal areas where there are no government schools, based on Swami Vivekananda's saying, "If the mountain does not come to Mohammed, Mohammed must go to the mountain. If the poor cannot come to education, education must reach them at the plough, in the factory, everywhere." Many tribal people are now serving in higher government posts at the central and state level. Almost 90% of Hindi teachers in Nagaland and also a medical officer serving in the central government in Delhi are products of Kalyan Ashram hostels. Many of our former students have been selected for state police services and are serving the country well.

Tribal sports
The Ashram has hundreds of sports facilities and centres across the tribal areas of the countries that promote tribal sports, especially archery. The students from various schools and hostels run by the organization have won laurels in archery at national and international levels.

Limba Ram, who belongs to the tribal community of Rajasthan and is also a product of the Ashram, has won many medals and has represented India in the Olympic games. Many other students from different schools of the Ashram across India have won medals at state and the national levels in games conducted by the Sports Authority of India. The Ashram has various centers across the country where basic infrastructure is provided to train its students in archery and help them preserve the tribal games. Kavita Raut, winner of commonwealth and Asian games athlete, also a product of Vishva Hindu Parishad Nasik is taking training from SAI Bangalore for better performance for the coming Olympic games.

Protecting culture
The Vanavāsis (Tribals) were called Aboriginals and made victims of divide and rule policy of the British. They were declared to be animists with no religion worth the name. The tribal regions were scaled off as "Protected Areas" to all except Christian missionaries. Now, the Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram has begun working in those areas in a spirit of service, equal brotherhood and love. Sanskar Kendras (Devanagari: संस्कार केंद्र) for women and children, schools, hostels, reading rooms, free dispensaries, and village and cottage industries have been started in increasing numbers in all the provinces.

The Ashram helps the tribals protect their rich culture. It organizes performances of traditional folk lore and dances like `Kolatam', `Chakka Bhajana' and `Dhimsa' dance. Among the several events, the important ones include medical camps, traditional sports, and celebration of tribal and major Hindu festivals (like Raksha Bandhan, Hanuman Jayanti, Ram Navami, Govardhan Puja, Indal Pooja and Krishna Janmashtami).