Born into poverty in Kenya, Bhikhu and Vijay combined hard work with innovation and determination to build a substantial portfolio of pharma, property and private equity businesses. They attribute their drive and passion to their mother – a young widow who in difficult circumstances instilled in her children a sense of purpose and compassion – and after whom The Shanta Foundation is named.
The aim of the Foundation is to help others who are in a similar position now, as the Family was then; providing health, shelter and education through both self-funded and jointly-funded projects with partners such as the Lions Club, Devdaya and Anoopam Mission.
Their Approach
The aim of The Shanta Foundation is to continue charitable work by the Family, which has been on going for over thirty years, while searching for new projects to actively engage in. The Shanta Foundation supports projects in both the UK and around the world – especially in Africa and India.
Individual projects are carefully chosen to match the Foundation’s aim of providing health, shelter and education and the Family plays an active role in each project, from raising funds to on-site visits throughout its duration. This participation is a key point for the Family, which wants to demonstrate its complete support while also ensuring that the funds raised reach the beneficiaries directly and at minimal cost.
