Passion Struck with John R. Miles
Creating a Legacy of Hope: Dr. Abraham George on Educating India’s Underrepresented | EP 550
Tue, 24 Dec 2024
In this inspiring episode of the Passion Struck Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Abraham George, a visionary philanthropist and founder of the Shanti Bhavan Residential School. For over two decades, Shanti Bhavan has been a beacon of hope, providing free, world-class education to children from India’s most marginalized communities. By breaking cycles of poverty and empowering students to attend top universities like Stanford and Dartmouth, Dr. George is transforming lives and creating generational change.Featured in the acclaimed Netflix documentary Daughters of Destiny, Dr. George’s impact extends far beyond education. From eliminating leaded gasoline in India to advancing healthcare and social justice initiatives, his work exemplifies what it means to align purpose with action. In this conversation, we explore how his journey—from the Indian Army to global finance and back to grassroots change in India—serves as a blueprint for making a lasting difference.Link to the full show notes: https://passionstruck.com/dr-abraham-george-how-to-create-a-legacy-of-hope/Call to Action: From providing world-class education to India’s most marginalized children through Shanti Bhavan to driving impactful public health and social justice reforms, Dr. George exemplifies how aligning your actions with your values can create generational change.This episode will resonate deeply with anyone passionate about breaking barriers, empowering others, and leaving a legacy of hope. It’s a call to action to harness your passions, take bold steps, and make a meaningful impact in your own life and the lives of others.Sponsors: Rosetta Stone: Unlock 25 languages for life at “ROSETTASTONE.com/passionstruck.” Prolon: Reset your health with 15% off at “ProlonLife.com/passionstruck.” Mint Mobile: Cut your wireless bill to 15 bucks a month at “MINT MOBILE dot com slash PASSION.” Hims: Start your journey to regrowing hair with Hims. Visit hims.com/PASSIONSTRUCK for your free online visit. Quince: Discover luxury at affordable prices with Quince. Enjoy free shipping and 365-day returns at quince.com/PASSION. In this episode, you will learn: The Power of Education to Break Cycles of Poverty: Dr. Abraham George shares how Shanti Bhavan provides free, world-class education to children from marginalized communities, creating generational change. Why Educating Girls is Central to Societal Transformation: Dr. George explains the multiplier effect of empowering young women through education and its impact on entire communities. Overcoming Systemic Challenges with Purpose and Resilience: Learn how Dr. George navigates entrenched issues like caste discrimination and poverty to create lasting social impact. Fostering a Family-Like Environment for Success: Discover how Shanti Bhavan goes beyond academics, offering students emotional support and healing from trauma, which contributes to their success. The Ripple Effect of Empowered Graduates: Hear inspiring stories of Shanti Bhavan graduates who are driving social change and uplifting their communities. Building a Legacy of Hope: Dr. George reflects on the character traits and values that have guided his journey and how his work will continue to impact future generations. Connect with Dr. Abraham George: https://www.shantibhavanchildren.org/For more information on advertisers and promo codes, visit Passion Struck Deals.Join the Passion Struck Community! Sign up for the Live Intentionally newsletter, where I share exclusive content, actionable advice, and insights to help you ignite your purpose and live your most intentional life. Get access to practical exercises, inspiring stories, and tools designed to help you grow. Learn more and sign up here.Speaking Engagements & Workshops Are you looking to inspire your team, organization, or audience to take intentional action in their lives and careers? I’m available for keynote speaking, workshops, and leadership training on topics such as intentional living, resilience, leadership, and personal growth. Let’s work together to create transformational change. Learn more at johnrmiles.com/speaking.Episode Starter Packs With over 500 episodes, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. We’ve curated Episode Starter Packs based on key themes like leadership, mental health, and personal growth, making it easier for you to dive into the topics you care about. Check them out at passionstruck.com/starterpacks.Catch More of Passion Struck: My solo episode on 4 Inspiring Ways to Bridge the Gap Between Theory and Action My episode with Heather Moyse on How to Create a Gold Medal Mindset Listen to my interview with Dr. Lynn Matrisian on the Frontlines of Pancreatic Cancer – Education, Awareness, and Progress Watch my episode with Glen Phillips on the Soundtrack of a Purposeful Life Catch my interview with Julie Fleshman on How PanCAN Is Raising the Pancreatic Cancer Survival Rate Listen to my conversation with Michael Marquardt on Breakthroughs in Early Cancer Detection Can’t miss my episode with Michelle Curran on How to Conquer Your Upside Down Dreams If you liked the show, please leave us a review—it only takes a moment and helps us reach more people! 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How does education break the cycle of poverty?
Well, I am on your show. That itself is a privilege.
So a lot of people don't have the wealth that you had built up to secure funding for something that they want to pursue, like you did with Shanti Bhavan. What advice would you give to others on how do you create a sustainable nonprofit? Meaning if you could go back in time and do this over again, would you approach it differently?
If you have the money, You must be willing to spend a good portion of it and create the infrastructure, create the base for it that others can appreciate. But if you don't have the money, you need to, right from the start, you need to partner with someone who has some money. Without money, it's a little hard. I'm not saying it's impossible. If you are a very highly motivating person, you can
maybe start fundraising even before you have anything to show. But that's a big challenge. You will have to work for some other NGO and be part of their organization. Starting something of your own with no money in your pocket or very little money in your pocket, it's a big challenge. I wouldn't advise anyone to do that.
Find a partnership organization or join a group of people who have deep pockets and say to them, listen, you have the money. I have the commitment. I will deliver what we both agree on. Help me and show from the start that you will do what you promised.
Okay. And another thing I wanted to talk about is, and we're going to get to your results here in a second, but when you started, having been to India many times, phenomenal infrastructure and Silicon Valley-like things and cars and wealth. And then on the other hand, complete and utter lack of infrastructure, poverty. I've never seen anything like India in all my travels. Wow.
maybe a few other countries, but there's such a huge difference between some of the big cities and the rural areas that you run this in. So as you were starting this out, you had to navigate huge systematic issues. We've talked about the caste discrimination issue. poverty, but also you were dealing with a lack of infrastructure.
How did you go about creating this when you were facing so many challenges?
I am amazed that you should know so much about India. that I don't have to tell you. But anyway, what you observed is correct. Once you come out of the major cities like Bangalore and hardly 20 kilometers, everything, there is no infrastructure at all. People are living in huts. The roads are full of potholes. and no real shops and so on.
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