Grace Educational Trust

About Us

“When we express the love that is in our hearts, then so thoughtfully, it just comes to be”

Grace Educational Trust is a registered charity in India dedicated to providing educational opportunities for underprivileged children and women.

Our vision is to support sustainable community development through education. Often what people living in poverty may experience is a sense of hopelessness. At Grace, it is our vision that children, women, families and whole communities know their worth and capabilities, participate and lead their own development. By coming together, we share in this responsibility; share in the opportunity to make our world a better place. Each step we take with your support is a step that takes us closer to achieving this vision.

Grace Learning Centre was founded by Francis Dass and Neelima Pratap in December 2006. Bridging continents - Francis from India and Neelima from Canada – they shared a vision for supporting underprivileged children and women, and came together to launch the centre.

No matter who we are, no matter where we are, we all can make a difference!

Co-founders

Francis Dass
Francis is a social worker and counsellor, specialized in working with poor children, women and families. She has worked with street children in Goa for a number of years and has played a critical role in outreach to those living in slums in the area. Through her own experiences, she is also intimate with poverty, illiteracy and the disadvantages that many girls and women experience in India. By her own example, she is an inspiration to her community. Francis is committed to helping children and women learn. She has dedicated her life to helping underprivileged people. Francis leads the daily operations at Grace Learning Centre.

Neelima Pratap
In 2006, Neelima embarked on her second trip to India where she spent nine months travelling on her own. Coming in touch with her roots, seeing intense poverty, and realizing that the way out of poverty is through education, she wanted to help. Rather than closing her eyes to the suffering she was inspired to act. Although food, clothing, shelter, education and health are basic rights, there are still many people for whom these are not a reality, especially those in developing nations. Prior to travelling to India, Neelima held several leadership roles at the Ontario Ministry of Education. With diverse experiences, Neelima is now volunteering her time to help develop Grace Educational Trust.