Our History

Every child deserves a chance to learn, a safe place to grow, and a reason to hope.

The story of Grace Educational Trust began not with a building or an organisation, but with a woman who could not simply walk past a child in need.

In 2003, Sister Francis Dass, Founder and Managing Director of Grace Educational Trust, began reaching out to children she saw on the streets and at construction sites in Panjim. She saw young children rag-picking, begging, and selling plastic bags instead of going to school. These were children who should have been holding books and dreaming about their future. Instead, poverty was already deciding their lives.

When Sister Francis spoke to their parents and asked why their children were not in school, the answer was painful: “Who will pay for their education? And if the elder child goes to school, who will look after the younger ones?” She realised that education alone was not enough—the families also needed understanding, support, and counselling.

In 2004, she began providing basic education and hygiene awareness to children at a small daycare centre and helped enrol them in government schools. Her commitment grew stronger with every child she encountered.

In 2006, Sister Francis and a group of women conducted a survey in Ramnagar, Betim. What they saw deeply touched them—very young children, some barely two years old, were left wandering on rough, muddy roads for hours without proper care. Many were poorly clothed and had little understanding of basic hygiene. Behind this were families struggling with poverty, illness, unemployment, and difficult home circumstances.

The children were innocent, but they were living with circumstances they had never chosen.

Sister Francis knew she could not simply walk away. On 10 December 2006, Grace Educational Trust was established in Ramnagar, Betim, to provide these children with a safe place, basic education, care, and a nutritious midday meal. Weekly parenting meetings were also held to guide and empower mothers on hygiene, nutrition, anaemia, cleanliness, health, and the importance of education.

The journey was not easy. Some children were still taken for begging, rag-picking, or other work, and some were frequently absent from school. But Sister Francis and her team continued to counsel the families and stand firmly for the children’s future. Slowly, change began to take place. Children remained in school, and families began to understand the value of education and the importance of protecting their children’s childhood.

What began with a few children has become a lifelong mission.

Today, the greatest achievement of Grace Educational Trust is not simply the number of children educated, but the change in the way families see their children’s future. Parents who once struggled to send their children to school now understand that education can open doors that poverty had kept closed.

The vision of Sister Francis continues to live through every child who enters our classrooms—with a book in their hands, confidence in their hearts, and hope in their eyes.

Our mission is simple: to ensure that poverty does not decide a child’s future. We work to educate, nurture, and empower children and their families so that they can rise above their circumstances, live with dignity, and create a better future for themselves and the generations to come.

Because sometimes, changing a child’s life begins with something as simple as believing that the child deserves a better tomorrow.