Our Story
" Working Towards a Better Tomorrow"
Asha von der Fink (previously Asha Gopal) is the cofounder of Nitya Seva. She is the first woman to enter the Indian Police Service in the state of Madhya Pradesh in India back in the mid-seventies. She earned a name for herself at that time as an honest and daring policewoman. She was a role model to many a young woman in India at the time. She is married to Claus. Asha and Claus met because of their mutual concern and passion for poor children. Friends at first, their relationship blossomed and they tied the knot in 1999.
In 1998 Claus formed Nitya Seva Germany to exclusively focus his effort to help destitute and poor children in India. After Asha and Claus were married they embarked on their first direct venture which led to the children’s homes in Bhopal as they exist today. What led to their focus in Bhopal was the plight of the “platform children” at the railway station. Grubby, malnourished, often hawking small stuff on trains to make a living or just begging, sleeping and eating discarded food at platforms. Orphans, runaways from home, or children of parents who are themselves too poor to take care of them, they are a sight which is hard to miss all across India
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1998 Nitya Seva Germany established.
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1999 Nitya Seva Society established in Bhopal India.
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2000 First Children's home opened in Chandbarh, Bhopal.
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2004 Second Children's home opened in Pipalner, Bhopal.
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2010 Nitya Seva USA established.
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2014 Third children's home opened in RussiaNagar, Bhopal. Subsequently moved to House number 33, Hi Tech city, GandhiNagar, Bhopal. Home is exclusively for boys 18 years of age or older who are going to college.
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2021 Fourth childrens home opened at G3 Airport Rd, Parnkuti Colony, Gandhi Nagar, Bhopal. Houses girls 18 and older who are going to college.
Claus von der Fink, the founder of Nitya Seva, is a retired ranking member of the police department in Hessen, Germany. Claus had been engaged in social work in India for a long time. He raised money to help street and tribal children in Mumbai and in district Thane in Maharashtra. For his dedication and commitment to helping homeless children and his social work in India, the German Government awarded Claus one of its highest awards, the Federal Cross of Merit in the year 2004.
Asha and Claus’s first effort was a shelter opened for these children on property donated by the government. It was an open house at first, the children came and went as they pleased. The shelter provided hot meals, and a bed at night for those who wished for the security of a roof over their heads. Asha and Claus offered counselling to the children and some children started to stay permanently. The number grew and kept on growing. Asha and Claus began to focus on education and made arrangements for them with local schools providing the school fees, the supplies and the uniforms for all the children. And out of this effort grew the first Children’s home in Chandbarh. It was inaugurated formally in July 2000 with 30
children. It is currently housing 44 children. To accommodate the increasing number of children, the second children's home was built. Inaugurated in 2004, it is a beautiful, large, modern facility housing 141 children at this time. In 2014 a third small home opened in Russia Nagar to house boys over the age of 18 years to comply with local regulations. It houses 14 boys.
Over time Asha and Claus have mobilized family and friends in their effort. After seeing their commitment and dedication to underprivileged children, Shri Bali and Dr. Chhaya Bali joined in their effort by forming Nitya Seva USA in 2010, a tax exempt charity under section 501(c) (3) of the IRS code.
The circle of friends is continuing to grow as more people have joined in the cause. Our hope is to grow the program to touch as many children as possible, children who would otherwise grow in deprivation, poverty and ignorance.
The world should be a better place for all children. Nitya Seva is levelling the playing field for our children, children who come from the most disadvantaged segment of society. We are working towards a better tomorrow!