Mission

Sahasra Deepika is a nonprofit dedicated to providing destitute children in India the opportunity to better their lives through education. We conduct a residential program at Sahasra Deepika Institute in Bangalore; run outreach programs to benefit low-income high school students in the community, and pool the talents of volunteers from India and the U.S. to provide encouragement and mentoring.

What We Do

Our primary focus is our residential program at Sahasra Deepika Institute (SDI) in Bangalore. SDI has been a safe haven for children who are orphans or have destitute single parents since 1998. It is currently home to 45 children ages 4-15. Students are given education through high school, counseling,healthcare, and a safe home environment. Students who have graduated high school are placed in college or vocational training, and Sahasra Deepika covers their fees. Nearly all of our students are girls, and we will become an all-girls institution over the next few years.

The students at Sahasra Deepika Institute are taught at Deeksha High, a unique school on our campus. Middle class students pay to attend Deeksha while the Sahasra Deepika students attend tuition-free. This allows the children to receive an excellent education while interacting with their middle-class counterparts.

The Outreach Program provides low-income 9th grade students in government schools the opportunity to improve their English skills. English is a required subject and crucial for their future job prospects. Tutors work with the students and help them learn the spelling and usage of the words, which are taken from their textbooks. The program culminates in a interscholastic spelling bee which is held in January. The program has grown each year since it began in 2009, reaching 2000 students in the 2011-2012 program. Not only are these children improving their understanding of English, they are given a unique opportunity to showcase their talents.