Vidya Jyoti

Our story at Vidya Jyoti is deeply personal—and one that I, Sai Kripalu, feel honored to share.

It began with a memory that stayed with our founder, Pratibha Jairath—a haunting image of a domestic worker, unable to afford an education for her children. That quiet pain became a spark. Pratibha dreamed of changing that reality for as many children as possible. From that dream, Vidya Jyoti was born, with a mission to uplift underprivileged children in India through access to education.

In 2022, Pratibha, along with Madhu Uppal and a small group of passionate volunteers, formally launched the organization. With seed funding from generous donors, we laid a strong foundation—guided by clear by-laws, transparency, and a meticulous vetting process to ensure that only the most deserving institutions and students received our support.

As I reflect on that first year, I’m filled with pride. Today, over 1,000 students are walking the path toward a better future, supported by multi-year certificates or degree programs—something that once felt out of reach for them. And yet, this is only the beginning. We continue to seek new grantee partners—people and programs with the same commitment to education as a transformative force.

With time, experience, and growing support from our donors, a new realization emerged: educational need is not confined to one country. Encouraged by this understanding, we expanded our mission in May 2023 to support children not just in India, but in the United States and other parts of the world. This important shift was formalized by amending our by-laws—and today, we proudly carry the name: Vidya Jyoti – A Global Education Opportunity Foundation.

For me, and for all of us involved, this work is more than charity—it’s a calling. And as we grow, we remain grounded in our original purpose: to light the way with education, one child at a time.