ASHA

a place that as soon as the name is heard, you are instantly filled with indubitable curiosity, encouraging you towards exploring and finding out what treasure this venue beholds, and the personalities that await us.

ASHA Centre is a place that provides three elements that constantly aims to achieve for whoever makes a visit; sustainable living, interfaith -promoting the inclusiveness of all religions and cultures, and the arts. These elements come to join with every course that they hold, putting it in an educative atmosphere, each course beholding a new topic, each one more intriguing than the the former, resulting in a chaos of indeciveness, because let's admit we want to visit and know about every course they have.

                                                                                                                                                                                Aarni Lehto

Therefore, I have decided to follow my curious instinct and going towards finding out what this place has to offer. And let me tell you; I was absolutely without no doubt, as happy as one can possibly be with what I came across. I have attended their training course around the topic of Migration and the Refugee Crisis. Participants came from 5 different countries, including ourselves from Finland, each country having 3-4 participants.

It is a place where you can experience the undeniable beauty of nature and be captivated into the sounds of birds, sheep, and the wind gently passing by the leaves that embellish the trees, the streams of water coming in from the depths of the springs of Forest of Dean.

                                                                                                                                                                                 Aarni Lehto

My personal experience of this place I must say, was a week I will never forget! A place of natural beauty so captivating, that everything I see after coming back feels plain and dull. I do not mean to sound depressed or sad, however it was not only the place that makes me say this; It is the beautiful people that made me feel so at home and loved, the delicious food that makes you feel so wrong for not filling up your plate for the second time, and all the experiences and knowledge that you gain that you return motivated more than ever to share all that you've come to know.

If anyone asks me about a place they should visit at least once in their life, one word: ASHA. I have evidence of photos, and experiences from friends I have been blessed to come to know.

On a serious note, however, as one good friend from ASHA says: 'If home is where the heart is, then my home is here'

Noora, work try-out intern

                                                                                                                                                                                  Aarni Lehto

"It's so easy to quickly fall back into everyday life and stress, and therefore it's important we remember all the small moments that combined gave us a big experience. Today it has been a week since we left ASHA and said goodbye to each other. I actually feel it's been longer than that, because life is moving so fast here." -Lea, Denmark

"Asha experience has filled my heart with positive emotions. I felt like if I knew everyone for ages, sharing deep conversations and feeling heard and understood. Such a feeling of harmony and joy.Thanks for being there and being you." -Sandra Rod, UK

"It showed me not only how to lead by example and help be part of the solution to the refugee crisis, but it also has shown me how to live our life in valence and colour. Sharing personal stories and reflections in the beautiful venue of ASHA and trying to tackle collectively a huge crisis of our times such as the refugee one, was a unique experience and it has helped broaden my perspective and mind about life." -Antonis, Greece 

                                                                                                                                                                                 Aarni Lehto

"I find that ASHA is a place that truly connects you to the beauty of the world, and gives you the drive and ability to help preserve that, and share it with others', "If home is where the heart is, then my home is here" -Adam Holloway, UK

"The experience at Asha was something I couldn't have ever imagined. The topic of the training course, trainers, people, food and atmosphere made it such wonderful as a whole, that I will remember it for the rest of my life. I am very thankful for StepEurope for giving me this opportunity." -Aarni, Finland

Ps. There is upcoming international trainings, feel free to contact StepEurope if you´re interested!