Aasra, a Suicide Prevention NGO is Saving Lives One Call at a Time

In 1998, a group of people noticed disparities in society, particularly among youths and students. At that time, there were no helplines in India for individuals to share their intrusive thoughts, so this group decided to start a helpline where people could openly discuss their problems. “Here, people can talk about their suicidal thoughts, distress, depression or any other mental health issue,” says Johnson, the Director and one of the co-founders of Aasra. At Aasra, all these problems are heard to alleviate human misery by offering active listening i.e. non-judgmental and non-critical listening. 

“When we had this thought in mind we reached out to Samaritans - a suicide prevention organisation in the UK, as we did not know where and how to start,” says Johnson. With their help, these people set up a helpline in New Bombay which was only functional for 3 to 6 hours as it was difficult for the organisation and people to connect over STDs and PCOs. Over the period of time, this helpline became a 24/7 initiative. People in need can call the helpline number, meet their volunteers or even write to be assured that a warm, caring, empathetic response is available. The organisation ensures that every conversion stays confidential between the sender and the volunteers. “People don’t even need to mention their names while speaking to us, they just have to mention the background of the problem for us to better understand the cause,” says Johnson. 

This background is then understood by the volunteers and they try to provide an emphatic response which might help calm the person’s thoughts. Johnson says, “Suicide is a momentary thought, it doesn't last for long, so we try to calm the caller down after listening to their thoughts, and hopefully by the end of the call their thought is averted." All the volunteers at Aasra have to undergo a minimum training of six months before they are ready to assist. “To date, around 7570 volunteers have taken part in this initiative and at present there are around 20 active members,” mentions the Director. With these volunteers, they have helped more than 8 lakh people over the years who face mental health issues. 

The organisation also carries out various drives, and lectures in public places, malls and educational institutes to raise awareness about suicide prevention. It even provides consulting services on a one-to-one basis to people who are facing mental health issues. They even run a special helpline during the high-stress periods of examinations and results as part of their initiative to prevent suicides. 

We hope not but if you or your loved ones are going through any such issues, you can reach out to Aasra on 98204 66726 or write to them at aasrahelpline@yahoo.com.