James Kimpton's spirituality was deeply felt but very pragmatic. In his lifelong dedication to those he helped - especially the children cared for in the Children's Villages he established - his love for them, and theirs for him, was the bedrock of his vocation. He was proud that he never made a convert and insisted that all the children were raised in their own faith. Hence there are multi-faith prayer services in the Children's Villages and all religious festivals are celebrated in the schools.

Our programmes, such as our Children's Villages, are designed to tackle the long term causes of hardship and poverty as well as to provide immediate help. 

We help to ensure that families are safe and secure day to day, with access to decent housing, clean water and healthcare while many children we have cared for in our Childrens' Villages and educated in our schools over the years are now living fulfilled, independent lives thanks to James's vision. Future generations will be given the same practical support, belief and hope, underpinned by James's faith in action.

Respect for the people he helped and loved was a central tenet of James's approach to RTU's work. Our projects are centred on people first and infrastructure second and our work is always carried out with humility and an understanding of the culture and customs of the region. Indeed, many of those who work with RTU grew up in our care or in the surrounding areas in Tamil Nadu, giving back to James and RTU in their turn.

James was much loved by all those he helped and by everyone who knew him, for his grace, humility and dedication to his faith.

This excerpt from his longer Prayer for Children helps to express James's belief that in all his actions he was guided by God and sums up how RTU's dedicated staff strive every day to keep his memory alive in their work.

“Dear Lord,  I thank You for the friendship of so many children everywhere: for their beautiful welcoming smiles; their shouts of joy when we meet; for their lovely, sparkling, brimful-happy eyes; for their innocence and openness and gaiety. I thank You for their love.

I thank You for the smiles that flash at me, for the sudden joy on a child's face that transforms it into a ray of sunshine. I thank You for all the Sunshines. 

Lord, I thank you too, though sometimes with a heavy heart: For the ones who have nowhere, but nowhere, Lord, to sleep, except doorways, pavements, the railway station (or anywhere) and yet - who still smile, who still want, need, to be friends.  

I thank You for letting me do something to make some of these very poor ones happy, secure well fed and clothed, and well loved.

...Dear Lord, You loved children when You were on this earth. They are the most precious part of Your whole creation. Now so many need Your love so much, and our love. Send us those who will love them like You do and who will devote their lives for them. 

Amen.”