Actively Support Orphanage in India

How It Began (2021)

The journey that eventually led to the creation of Savants Foundation began with a simple phone call in 2021 to a small orphanage in India.

The orphanage was started in 2011 by Vikas Patole and his wife. It was never meant to be a traditional institution. Instead, they chose to adopt children as their own and raise them as a family.

Over the years, they have cared for 17 children. Today, the oldest has completed a diploma in electrical studies and is doing his apprenticeship, while the youngest child was born in 2025.

Their mission has always been simple:
To give children from broken families the kind of childhood they themselves never had — with education, shelter, stability, and nutritious meals at the center of it all.

Meeting Vikas

When I first spoke with Vikas in 2021, he was working as a security guard at an IT company to support the orphanage.

I saw something in him — resilience, humility, and a strong sense of purpose. Though he had not completed formal education, he was thoughtful, practical, and deeply focused on the well-being of the children.

From the beginning, my goal was not just to donate, but to empower potential — combining financial support with business thinking.

We discussed many ideas. Some were ambitious. But since I wasn’t in a position to provide large-scale funding at the time, we chose to start slowly and build step by step.

Conversations with Vikas

Note: Most of the below videos are in the local language (Marathi). We are currently working on adding English subtitles and voice-over for broader accessibility.

From Redemption to Responsibility

In this video, Vikas shares how he left behind a life of crime and chose a different path — one centered on care, responsibility, and purpose.

Since 2011, he and his wife have raised vulnerable children as their own, building a family grounded in stability and love.

Building Sustainability Through Livestock

In this video, Vikas walks through the growing livestock operation that supports the orphanage’s long-term vision.

He explains the milk-producing cows, the calves, and the additional livestock including goats and hens that contribute to food security and income generation.

All the animals are raised in a free-grazing, open environment.

Independent Perspective — Sandesh’s Visit

In this video, my uncle Sandesh shares his observations after visiting the orphanage and reviewing the dairy setup firsthand. Sandesh has worked with NGOs across India, contributing to initiatives in education, public health, and rural development. His experience gives him a practical understanding of what works in grassroots efforts.

During his visit, he reviewed the cattle shelter, infrastructure, and operations. He was impressed by the discipline, cleanliness, and structured approach Vikas has taken in building the dairy model step by step.

Building for the Future

In this video, Vikas walks through the new facility under construction that will house the dairy processing equipment.

The space is designed for pasteurization, packaging, and storage — with additional plans for crab farming to diversify income.

This marks an important step toward long-term sustainability. The construction is completed in Oct 2025.

Dairy Processing Equipment — Ready for Operations

In this video, Vikas explains the key machinery that will power the dairy processing unit.

The setup includes equipment for pasteurization, homogenization, flow control panels, and milk packaging. Each component plays an important role in ensuring the milk is safely processed, standardized, and prepared for distribution.

This system will allow the orphanage to move beyond selling raw milk and instead produce packaged milk ready for direct delivery to consumers.

While the facility is awaiting full operational capacity due to electrical upgrades, the infrastructure and machinery are in place — ready to begin.

Early Support (2021–2022)

In 2021, I began providing monthly support to help stabilize their cash flow.

During COVID, when schools shut down and children were unable to attend classes, we provided tablets so they could continue learning from home. For the oldest child, we funded his college education and provided a mobile phone and tablet to support his studies.

We also addressed basic household needs — purchasing a television and refrigerator to improve living standards and daily functionality.

These were small but important steps.

Building Toward Sustainability

From early on, the larger vision was to build a dairy-related business, leveraging Vikas’s prior experience in that field.

In 2022, we purchased a pickup truck. The purpose was twofold:

To generate income immediately
To support future dairy logistics

In 2023, we purchased the first cow. Since then, through reinvestment and community support, the herd has grown to more than 20 animals.

The local community has also played an important role in supporting the orphanage’s growth.

For a detailed breakdown of these livelihood initiatives, please visit our Sustainable Livelihood Projects page.

Our Approach

We continue to work closely with the orphanage to improve the living standards of the children in a structured and disciplined way.

Our funding philosophy is granular and intentional. We fund specific needs and projects rather than large, undefined pools of money. This ensures accountability and prevents overextension — we do not take on more than we can responsibly manage.

There have been setbacks. The dairy processing program has faced delays due to external challenges, but the persistence and grit shown by Vikas throughout this journey have been inspiring.

We remain optimistic and look forward to launching the full dairy operation in 2026.

Looking Ahead

This is still a work in progress.

We will continue to share updates transparently as milestones are achieved. If you are interested in learning more or directly supporting Vikas and his mission, we welcome you to connect with us.

The goal has always been simple:
Create stability. Build dignity. Change futures — one step at a time.