ASSET India Foundation. Achieving Sustainable Social Equality through Technology (ASSET) is a project started by Dr.Nita Umashankar, when she spent a year in India.  The objective of ASSET is to educate girls rescued from trafficking and children of sex workers and place them in suitable jobs. This alternate livelihood scheme is effective in AIDS prevention. Our goal is to provide an opportunity for these children so that they can free themselves from being chained to the same profession. Nita was awarded the Leo B. Hart Humanitarian award by the UA Alumni Association for her work.

Here are 2 stories among the hundreds of girls being helped by ASSET: 18 year old Puja, who was sold at age 9 is HIV positive, has mastered Microsoft Office with ASSET's help and is helping other girls. The ASSET program has given her so much confidence that she spoke at a conference of NGOs before 150 people.  And Somu Nepali  who successfully completed the ASSET program and now has a job  will be showcased by Dell at the GlobalWomen's leadership conference in Beijing this month.

More than 200 girls who have completed the ASSET training now work in banks, insurance and software companies. Some have chosen to go to college. Major support for ASSET has come from TCS, Dell, Intel, IBM, Sooch Foundation, Global Giving Foundation, Civic Ventures and J.P. Morgan/Chase.