Canadian Jesuits International (CJI) supports Gandhi Ashram, a Jesuit school in Kalimpong, India, whose vision is to give the poorest children a future through education with a focus on music.

Music education is integrated into the Gandhi Ashram curriculum, which is open to all underprivileged children, whether they have musical talent or not. Unlike India's public schools, Gandhi Ashram is completely free of charge. Students are not required to wear uniforms, which eases the burden on their parents who usually cannot afford such costs. The school employs highly qualified teachers and provides each student with a violin, school supplies and meals.

Gandhi Ashram was founded in 1992 by Fr. Edward McGuire SJ, a Canadian Jesuit who went to India in 1954. The unique school is known for its academic excellence and for its orchestra. Fr. McGuire started the string orchestra with 11 children the year the school was founded. Today, the orchestra is still going strong, specializing in music from the Western classical tradition as well as national and local folk music.

Over the past three decades, the Gandhi Ashram has trained hundreds of students, many of whom have gone on to higher education. One of the most promising students, Kushmita Biswakarma, the child of sharecroppers, won a scholarship to study at the University of Nuremberg in Germany. After earning bachelor's and master's degrees in music performance from the university, she played concerts throughout Europe and Latin America and became a violinist in the Symphony Orchestra of India.

Watch Gandhi Ashram School Orchestra's  Strings of Hope 2024 concert tour.

Watch CJI's 2023 visit to Gandhi Ashram

The News Hour on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in the USA has featured the Gandhi Ashram in a segment. Watch it here.

Director
Fr. Santy Mathew, SJ

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