Our Mission
Freeing children from all forms of exploitation by engaging and sustaining them in education. This empowers them to change their mindsets and make good life choices that promote intergenerational transformation.
Our Vision
Empowering people to find their purpose, enjoy their rights, and live with dignity.
Founder's Story
On a work trip to Mumbai in 1996, Biju Thampy was stalled at a traffic signal by a girl from the nearby slums begging for her next meal. Touched by the sparkle in her eye, he gave her a few folded notes, hoping it would help her survive the day. As the signal switched to green, his rickshaw raced forward but he looked back to see what the girl would do with the money. He saw that an older beggar had accosted the girl, snatched the notes from her hand and walked away. The girl’s shoulders dropped, but as the signal turned red again, she straightened herself out, almost forgetting what had happened a moment ago and she walked to the next bunch of busy drivers stalled by the signal, begging for food, again.
That night, the sight of that beggar girl, weighed down by poverty and injustice, deprived of dignity and basic rights haunted Biju. He turned the thoughts in his head to the Almighty “Why are you allowing such terrible things to happen to these children?” he pleaded. The only reply he heard was this: “Why are you allowing such terrible things to happen to these children?” He was left stumped.
Years later, in 2003, a friend talked with Biju about a newspaper report he’d seen in Mumbai. It featured the story of a 3-year-old orphan suckling a dog by the roadside. Biju couldn’t believe it. He had two sons of his own by then and he couldn’t fight this thought: what if this was my child…wouldn’t I do everything in me to stop something this horrific from happening?
That was his moment of truth. If he could make a difference in the life of even one child—if he could save even one child from being forced to drink milk from a dog—he would do it. In February 2004, Biju, his wife Secunda, their friends Rajesh and Jose served the first Vision Rescue meal—vada pav —to a small group of children begging outside Mahim Junction, a railway station in Mumbai.
Fast forward to 2021. Today, Vision Rescue has served over 4 million meals and educated 10700+ children from the slum communities of Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.
