The inspiration that marked the founding of CASP came from Dr. Sharatchandra Gokhale’s work among leprosy patients in 1975.

A patient had requested Dr. Gokhale to take away his son and give him the opportunity for a reasonable start in life just like the children of normal parents. But Dr. Gokhale, a visionary, advised the distraught father that the best place for a child to grow healthily in both physique and mind, is his own home, his own family. The pioneer assured the patient that he would meet the child’s educational, health and welfare needs without uprooting the child from the safe environs of his home. Thus developed the sponsorship concept which is the foundation on which CASP was built. With the help of some of his colleagues and friends, he formed “Community Aid & Sponsorship Programme (CASP)” on 2nd October 1975.

CASP was established as an independent national non-governmental organization on 2nd October 1976 to enable all children to grow in a society which respects people’s rights and dignity and helps children realize their full potential. But, CASP, as the years went by, realized that its child welfare programme needed to be supplemented by strengthening the family and community development programme.

Over the years CASP’s family has grown by leaps and bounds to include a large number of committed professionals and volunteers from a range of disciplines who have applied their skills, expertise and experience to all CASP’s programme and ensured their success.

Today CASP sponsors 16,000 children directly from 4 Indian States. In addition, the various community development programmes are undertaken viz. AIDS and Sexual Health, Housing, Adult Education, Mobile Dispensary, Family Planning, Reproductive Health, Child Survival, Street Children, Restaurant Boys, Assistance to Meritorious Children, Foster Care Scheme (Bal Sangopan), children and families of soldiers affected by Kargil war and children of persons sentenced to life imprisonment.

The development activities undertaken by CASP has grown in capability, organization, infrastructure to include in its projects, aspects of health, nutrition, education, training, income generation, rural banking and reconstruction, community mobilization, women empowerment and age care. The focus of CASP is the total social development of the people.

Today, as CASP stands on the threshold of a new era that will usher in the golden years, its horizon has an expanding vision of hope to look upto.

The national NGO with its dedicated team of social workers, has given a new connotation to social welfare and community development, by imbibing eternal values of care, concern, hope and humanitarianism in their true sense, in its lexicon. The Alumni Association of CASP, “Deepastambha”, is the singular greatest testimony to support this! The past students retain their “umbilical cord” with CASP as they work for the worthy causes espoused by CASP!

CASP is committed not only to the welfare of children alone but also believes in the well-being of its employees. For CASP, its employees are the precious assets of the organization to spread its wings far and wide. If it were not for the staff’s dedication, and devotion, CASP would not have achieved national and international recognition as a reputed NGO, committed to child and community development. Equally important is the spirit of volunteerism and leadership provided by eminent persons like its Chief Patron His Excellency Mr. R. Venkataraman, former President of India and President Mr. B. G. Deshmukh, IAS (Retd.), former Cabinet secretary to the Government of India.

1975-2007! These 32 years have been witness to the birth and growth of CASP from its initial fledgling structure to its grand metamorphosis into a well-organized NGO of international repute.

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