Our Story

The Dalubhai Gopalbhai Patel Fund was founded in 2012 by Mr. Arun Patel. The foundation is named after his father, Dalubhai Patel (Deceased). Dalubhai was a physics professor from Kuched, a village located near the cities of Navsari and Surat in Gujarat, India. He believed strongly that both education and humility are essential for success. Arun Patel was born in Kuched and as a small child he attended the small government primary school located there. At the age of 16, along with his family, he moved to United States and for the past 30 years he has established a hotel business in New York.

 

In 2011 while visiting in India, Arun Patel stopped by to tour his old school. The condition of the school was deteriorating and was saddening to see. It was common consensus among residents in Kuched that there was little hope for improving the school and any efforts would prove to be a waste of time and money. Despite this, he was uplifted by the resolve and passion of the teachers at the school and their conviction that positive change could be made there.

 

After returning to the USA, the conditions of the school were always in the back of his mind. Through his interactions with hard-working individuals like Hemanshu Patel and encouragement from interested individuals like Mr. Richard Alexander, he gained confidence that many more people can be brought in to support the mission of the foundation. The following year he made another trip to India with the mission to start the improvements on a larger scale.  

After four years of renovating, improving, and operating the Kuched village school, Arun Patel sought to extend his efforts and resources towards helping many more children. Dalubhai Gopalbhai Patel Fund, Inc. became a designated 501(c) non-profit organization and the Tiny Smiling Faces foundation was founded