After the premature death of their three-year-old son, Ashiq, Salma and Afzal Husain Choudhury began this non-profit organization in 1994 to combat their grief and to help families from low socio-economic backgrounds who go through the same ordeal. ASHIC stands for A Shelter for Helpless Ill Children and is an acronym for their young son who lives on in the people they help.

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Centered in Bangladesh, ASHIC focuses on addressing the deficient medical services for childhood cancer. Since it started more than 25 years ago, ASHIC is now known as a center of excellence for pediatric cancer in South Asia and has touched the lives of thousands of children. There has been a significant increase in the survival rate for terminally ill children in Bangladesh, as well as an overall improvement in their quality of life.

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The Foundation is still run by the Choudhury family, with corporate administrative costs borne by the family such that all donations support program costs.

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You can find more information on the organization's website at: www.ashic.org or on our ASHIC Programs page.  You can also find ASHIC on facebook.