Impact

Shanti Bhavan Changes Children's Lives

Since our inception in 1997, Shanti Bhavan has helped thousands of children break the cycle of poverty. Our students live and study with us from age 4 to 21, receiving a world-class education and learning the skills needed to become agents of change for their families and their homes. Our graduates are authors, computer scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, teachers, and more. They make more in the first five years of their careers than their parents will in a lifetime.

Four boys smiling at the camera

The Mission

Our mission is to help our graduates transform their own lives, the lives of their family members, and a minimum of 100 other individuals. To date, we have positively impacted over 15,000 lives!

You can make a transformative donation and help a child become a leader for change.

Make An Impact Today

Shanti Bhavan’s Impact Reaches Beyond Our Students

Shanti Bhavan graduates bring themselves out of poverty and carry hundreds of others with them. From day one, Shanti Bhavan instills in them the importance of fighting against social discrimination and poverty. Shanti Bhavan children uplift their communities by paying off generational debt, funding education opportunities for younger brothers and sisters, and serving as leaders of positive change in their communities.

The Life of a Child…

  • Disrupted Education. The needs of the family mean children must move often and find work at an early age, limiting their ability to attend school.
  • Constant struggle. Children often assist their families by finding jobs early and working to pay off inherited debt. They face limited access to basic needs, let alone sports, artistic pursuits, travel, or other life-enhancing experiences.
  • Insecure food and housing. Many students come from families considered part of the Dalit, or “untouchable” caste. They face challenges in earning enough to pay for healthy food and a safe place to live.
  • Limited options. Without a basic education and job opportunities, children remain trapped in a cycle of poverty. They take jobs no one else wants, with wages that amount to less than $2 a day. Girls are often forced into early marriages to relieve their parents from the burden of care.
  • Trapped in a cycle. Inherited debt, disrupted education, and limited job opportunities conspire to trap children in a cycle of poverty.

…with Shanti Bhavan

  • World-class education. Students study an accredited curriculum program from Pre-K to grade 12. The English-medium school prepares them for college and beyond.
  • Expanded horizons. Shanti Bhavan students participate in sports, music and art classes, and other extracurricular activities that bring pleasure as well as education. Younger students receive play-based schooling that lets kids be kids.
  • Guaranteed room and board. Shanti Bhavan houses students in its 30-acre campus with comfortable dorms, modern plumbing and electricity, and a dining hall that serves nutritious meals.
  • Unlimited potential. After leaving Shanti Bhavan, 98% of our students go on to graduate from college. 97% of students are employed in full-time jobs. They pursue careers and futures undreamed of by their parents.
  • Breaking the cycle. Shanti Bhavan graduates return home with the education, skills, and opportunities to change the lives of their families.
Daughters of Destiny receives television academy honors

Daughters of Destiny

See the Shanti Bhavan journey through the eyes of five women. The award-winning Netflix documentary Daughters of Destiny shows the impact our school makes.

Learn More
97%

of our students graduate with a high school education

98%

of our students have gone on to obtain a college degree

97%

of graduates earn more in the first five years of their careers than their parents will in their lifetime

90%

of graduates engage in volunteer work in their community

99%

of graduates give 20-60% of their salaries to their families, communities, and other children in need

Changing the World One Child at a Time

Each year, 28 new Preschoolers, ages 3 to 4, are accepted for admission from South India’s poorest families. Shanti Bhavan currently serves and cares for some 280 children. 

Education and Empowerment

After graduating from Shanti Bhavan, students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees at universities in India and the United States. Alumni have secured positions with global companies and use their income to support their families and give back to their school and their broader community. Over the last four years, Shanti Bhavan graduates have attended prominent local and international universities, begun work at prestigious companies, and received incredible mentorships.

Dartmouth College – Duke University – Grinnell College – Hofstra University – Luther College – Middlebury College – Stanford University – St. Olaf College – The College of Idaho – University of Chicago – University of Rochester

Christ University (Bangalore) – Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering (Bangalore) – Jyoti Nivas College (Bangalore) – Mount Carmel College (Bangalore) – SONA College of Technology (Tamil Nadu) – St. Joseph College (Bangalore)

Asia School of Business (Malaysia) – Rennes School of Business (France) – Simon Fraser University (Canada) – St. Paul University (Tokyo)

ABinBev – Amazon – Arc Teryx – Bluefish Pharma – Deloitte – ExxonMobil – EY – FIS – Goldman Sachs – Google – KPMG – LinkedIn – Mercedes Benz – Morgan Stanley – State Street – Verizon – Walmart – Transoft Solutions

Broadway for Arts Education – CGI – EY – LinkedIn – Lufthansa Technik – Shail Mentorship – Step Out And Grow (Life and Business Coaching) – Aneesh Raman (Board Member) – Karan Ahooja (Board Member) – Harini Chari & Amit Gosh (professional coaches providing their services gratis)

Make An Impact

Shanti Bhavan relies on the support of compassionate, caring individuals who understand the importance of education and empowerment. You can help change the life of a child and impact their family, their home, and their future. Join our mission to help lift India’s most vulnerable children out of poverty and support them as they explore their unlimited potential. As the photos below show, our young students at Shanti Bhavan grow up to be graduates with a bright future ahead of them!

 

Get Involved Today
Lily as a child Lily as a graduate
Subash as a child Subash as a graduate
Janani as a child Janani as a graduate