How ONE School in India Is Dismantling 1,500 Years of Oppression
- ETW Writer
- 3 hours ago
- 1 min read
Summary:
Dr. Abraham George shares how Shanti Bhavan is breaking generational poverty, and the 1,500-year caste story, by starting early (age four), delivering elite, values-based education, and launching graduates into high-opportunity roles. The strategy: create a few undeniable successes per village to reset what communities believe is possible. It’s “compassion in action,” measured by real life outcomes, not yearly vanity metrics.
Guest
Dr. Abraham George: Founder, Shanti Bhavan Children’s Project; former founder/CEO of MCM; author of Mountains to Cross (forthcoming).
Key ideas
Justice follows opportunity: Durable social change comes from economic mobility.
Start early, go deep: Residential, values-first education from age four changes identity and trajectory.
Quality over volume: Fewer students, world-class outcomes (alumni at Microsoft, ExxonMobil, EY, etc.).
Role-model flywheel: 3–4 standout alumni per village inspire the next cohort.
Measure what matters: Homes built, siblings in school, careers launched—over 1-year outputs.
Unit economics & scale: ~$2,500 per child/year; ~$1.2M operating budget per school; second campus underway.
Resilience playbook: Survived 2008 loss; diversified donors (75% US) and social proof sustained growth.
Purpose in practice: “Compassion in action” as a teachable habit.
Memorable quotes
“Justice arrives after opportunity.”
“Compassion without action changes nothing.”
“From invisible to unstoppable is a process you can design.”
“A few undeniable successes can reset what a whole village believes.”
Resources mentioned
Shanti Bhavan Children’s Project
Daughters of Destiny (Netflix docuseries)
Dr. Abraham George (search “Abraham George”)
Take action
Share this episode with someone shaping education or philanthropy.
Consider supporting a student for a year (~$2,500) or funding a cohort.
At home: pick one “compassion in action” habit your family will practice weekly.
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