Shanti Bhavan Children's Project

More than 27 Years Building Bright Futures

We are breaking the cycle of poverty in India

Supporting children from pre-kindergarten to their first job, we lift the country's poorest kids out of poverty and ensure they will lift hundreds more with them.

India remains a highly unequal country

Closing these inequalities starts with educating and empowering children from the most disadvantaged families

We opened our first school in 1997, at the heart of India's southern tip, near Bengaluru.

Our boarding school is reaching students from the surrounding districts who are in the country's lowest socio-economic class.

Illiteracy in districts surrounding Shanti Bhavan

More than 30% of residents do not know how to read & write.

(NSC) Survey, 2017

Malnourishment in districts surrounding Shanti Bhavan

More than 23% of children are malnourished.

National Family Health Survey, 2020

The Shanti Bhavan Solution

We empower students through long-term intervention.

Shanti Bhavan provides each child with complete educational, residential and medical care from age 4 to 21, for a total of 18 years.

Our sustained support creates transformational changes that will last for generations.

Small class sizes, skilled teachers, and global volunteers prepare students to enter top universities worldwide.

Our students engage in public speaking and debate to develop their poise and confidence.

Students learn life skills and become responsible citizens through extracurriculars, mentorship programs, and community service.

A State of the Art Campus

We have invested in a world-class campus, equipped with:

  • Two science labs
  • Two computer labs
  • An art room
  • A music room
  • Two libraries
  • On-campus dormitories
  • A basketball court
  • A soccer field
  • A children's playground
  • A kitchen and cafeteria
  • Individual classrooms for each grade

Welcome to Shanti Bhavan's Second School!

🚧 Currently under construction.

This new site will allow us to graduate twice as many kids every year!

Continuous Support & Lifelong Success

After they graduate from Shanti Bhavan, we continue to support our students throughout their college and graduate studies, providing guidance, mentorship, and resources every step of the way. Many of our graduates have attended esteemed institutions such as Duke, MIT, Princeton, and Stanford. This commitment remains steadfast until they secure well-paid positions at leading global companies like Amazon, Goldman Sachs, Google, and Deloitte, enabling them to achieve financial security, support their families, and uplift their communities. Follow the journey of Ranjini Pushpa, who entered Shanti Bhavan at 5 years old and is now a Vice President at Goldman Sachs! Ranjini's success has helped to lift her entire family out of poverty.

🔎 Click below to follow Ranjini on her incredible life journey

1. Born into a working class family

1. Born into a working class family. Click to expand.

📍Silvepura, Karnataka

2. Thriving in and outside the classroom

2. Thriving in and outside the classroom. Click to expand.

📍Shanti Bhavan Campus

3. Graduation with flying colors from Shanti Bhavan

3. Graduation with flying colors from Shanti Bhavan. Click to expand.

📍Shanti Bhavan Campus

4. College at Mount Carmel

4. College at Mount Carmel . Click to expand.

📍Bangalore

5. The sky is the limit!

5. The sky is the limit! . Click to expand.

📍Kuala Lumpur

6. Vice President of Compliance, Goldman Sachs

6. Vice President of Compliance, Goldman Sachs. Click to expand.

📍Salt Lake City, Utah

7. MBA at MIT

7. MBA at MIT. Click to expand.

📍Boston, Massachusetts

8. Ripple effects all the way back home

8. Ripple effects all the way back home. Click to expand.

📍Silvepura, Karnataka

1. Born into a working class family

📍Silvepura, Karnataka

Ranjini was born into a family of four in Hassan and moved to Silvepura, a village in north Bangalore, roughly 70 km from Shanti Bhavan. She enrolled in Shanti Bhavan at the age of 5.

2. Thriving in and outside the classroom

📍Shanti Bhavan Campus

On top of being a model student, Ranjini also excelled in many of the extra-curricular activities offered by our school.

3. Graduation with flying colors from Shanti Bhavan

📍Shanti Bhavan Campus

After 12 years of studying hard and building herself into a strong, resilient woman, Ranjini graduated as Valedictorian.

4. College at Mount Carmel

📍Bangalore

From 2010 to 2013, Ranjini completed her Bachelor of Business Management, studying Accounting & Finance.

During these years, we assisted with tuition, school supplies and a small expense stipend. When they need it, we also provide our students with emotional and logistical support.

5. The sky is the limit!

📍Kuala Lumpur

In 2021, Ranjini obtained her Masters in Business Administration from the prestigious Asia School of Business.

6. Vice President of Compliance, Goldman Sachs

📍Salt Lake City, Utah

In 2021, Ranjini joined Goldman Sachs as a Vice President of Compliance.

She also became a Shanti Bhavan Graduate Advisor, providing mentorship to students in college.

7. MBA at MIT

📍Boston, Massachusetts

Ranjini crowns it all in 2023 with an MBA at one of the world's most prestigious universities.

8. Ripple effects all the way back home

📍Silvepura, Karnataka

Thanks to decades of hard labor and to her daughter's support, Ranjini's mother has been able to finally retire. Ranjini has also supported her sister's higher education, breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty for her entire family.

In pursuing our mission to alleviate extreme poverty in India, we've developed Quality of Life Programs that extend our support to surrounding villages.

We are here for our communities, especially in times of hardship.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we provided over 78,000 kg of essential supplies.

🔎 Click the arrows to browse our gallery

We regularly distribute essential food & hygiene items, like rice, oil, sugar, soap and spices

We gave 1,200 families new, custom-made, stainless steel cooking vessels.

Our Future Impact

Shanti Bhavan's impact on breaking the cycle of poverty can be seen in the earnings of our graduates and their families.

Constructing the new school will allow us to graduate 55 students a year.

In 50 years from now, the cumulative earnings of graduates are projected to reach more than $105,000,000, representing a 16,000% return on investment!!

🔎 Explore the dashboard to see our cumulative impact on earnings

Your Support Can Help Us Alleviate Extreme Poverty

After 27 years of success, we can undoubtedly say that there is no other model of intervention that holds more promise for India's poorest children and families.

As our graduates rise out of poverty, they lift hundreds more with them, creating a ripple effect of lasting structural change.

Donate to be part of a movement for social & economic equality!

Interested in becoming a partner?

For individuals and companies based in India, contact Joseph Jeyanth at  joseph@shantibhavanchildren.org .

For those based elsewhere in the world, including the US, Europe, and Canada, contact Amanda Turner at  amanda@shantibhavanchildren.org .

(NSC) Survey, 2017

National Family Health Survey, 2020