Brother (Thatha)
Bro. James E. Kimpton, FSC. Founder & Patron RTU.
Brother James was born in Conway, Wales on May 23, 1925 with 3 brothers & 1 sister. His parents are Mr. Charles Alfred and Ms. Doris Kimpton, both were devout Catholics. From childhood lived in Chester, England.
The sky echoes and re-echoes day in and day out as the children crying up to the skies, “Send back our Thaatha (grandfather)”. Br. James emerges as a well spoken man even in the ordinary speeches of young peer groups in remote villages. The wind here spreads his spiritual fragrance that only good hearted souls easily recognize and embrace. Love is RTU’s only official language. Brotherly and sisterly tunes are its rhythms. Caste, religious, and regional differences stay far away from this holy soil. Discipline so much overfills its premises that every onlooker stands spell-bound. The innocent laughter of children echoes incessantly everywhere. Like the cool Kodaikanal springs RTU’s climate calms every heavy laden soul. It is the birth place of quiet and serenity.
Human word structures fail to narrate exactly ‘this children’s love paradise’ of Br. James. When he started RTU with just Rs 2000/- in hand, he never even dreamt that RTU would reach many such milestones accommodating millions of abandoned children. It is God’s project, God leads it ahead with human instruments. One good conclusion paved the way for many more introductions; one wonderful deed introduced many more endeavors. Br. James left no stones unturned to fulfill the mandate of God infused into his mind. Therefore, God kept His Treasury always open for him, and the barns of God were never exhausted in supplying food grain for him. A thousand mothers cannot match the immense love overflowing from his heart.
The whole head of Br. James was full of eyes that no tiny event happening in the remotest corner of the RTU campus escaped his magnetic sight. His body was full of hearts that wanted only to give till it pained him. His hand and his eyes were the birthplaces of compassionate feelings. His sight emitted waves of love. His feet rushed to support the needy. His hands were extended to embrace the fatherless. Br. James is an everlasting literature not easily read even by an ardent reader. It is a challenge to imitate him. He sowed the heavenly values on the earthly soil. Therefore, Divinity itself dignified him. History enshrines performers rather than pulpit preachers. His life history illuminates the ways of many future generations.
RTU is a special place that breathes out fresh air to animate hearts. Brother James enthroned the poor and built up a beautiful democratic kingdom around it. It is a kingdom of equals; there is neither a king nor a slave. The workers are its owners. Daily coolies are its administrators. Members are its leaders. The workers equally share the benefit of their work. Everyone finds joy in helping the other. Here no one lives for himself.
Br. James was deeply rooted in God. Where God guides, he provides was his motto. God dictated the terms of his life and accompanied him all through. His choicest blessings never failed him especially in adverse situations of life. Till the end, his heart beat for his children and his lungs breathed in and breathed out their welfare. The children composed such rhythms as songs and sang them as daily litanies.
Every human disaster victimizes mostly women and children for whom mercy is due; they occupied the first place and the best preferences in Br. James’ agenda. He converted the Children’s Villages into a Children’s Parliament that would produce responsible citizens in the future. God ploughed his heart and planted the seeds of his love.
“It (serving children) is my life and it is my value,” said Br. James. This was his motto, it shows that he wanted to be their Thaatha forever in life and death.
| 1939: Began as a junior of the “De La Salle Brotherhood” at Les Vauxbelets on the Island of Guernsey, in the Channel Islands. |
| WWII: Evacuated to St. Joseph’s College, Beulah Hill, London. Continues religious training. |
| Dec. 14th, 1943: Received religious habit of the De La Salle Brothers, as Brother Lionel Mary. |
| In 1946, he went to his first Community: St. John’s College, Southsea for one year. |
| December 1947 was transferred to Southbourne, where he headed the art department. |
| 1952: Moved to Sri Lanka at his earnest request to work with the very poor. H.M. Middle School. Started new printing press and school of Printing for deaf and for blind boys. |
| 1964: Arrived in the temple town Madurai; built Boys’ Town as an ITI (Trade school) for poor boys. |
| 1974: Started Boys’ Village near Batlagundu, Tamil Nadu for small boys too young for Boys’ Town. |
| 1975: Started the Reaching the Unreached Society in the surrounding local villages because of the extreme poverty in remote villages. |
| 1985: Moved to G. Kallupatti, current location, and the Reaching The Unreached programme extended to three districts, Theni, Madurai and Dindigul. Brother James always sought to respond to every human need he encountered, with a special focus on the very poorest. So Reaching the Unreached, which he ran until well into his eighties, has provided medical care to thousands of rural villagers, built more than 8700 family houses, and drilled more than 2400 community wells. And much more! Brother Jame’s skills needed to direct and manage operations as large as RTU, with the compassion to make certain that the organisations were imbued with values that always put the beneficiary first. Brother James set the highest standards of integrity and commitment for himself, and he certainly expected it from others. He never sought to be the centre of things or sought any awards; his only aim was to help people become self-sufficient through education, decent housing, accessible water and good healthcare. Like many leaders he was not always easy to wrok with, but most perhaps all – respected him, and many loved and admired him. Over recent years he has handed over to an entirely Indian team, led by Father Antony Paulsamy OFM Cap, who was himself raised by Brother in Boys’ Village. All at RTU, both past and present, will feel bereft at the loss of thier inspiration and guiding light, and the children will mourn thier “Thatha-ji” (honoured grandfather). He died on 05-10-2017: Brother James’s spiritual resource was deeply Christian: he depended on prayer and regular Mass to maintain his living out of the gospel. And Brother James Kimpton has undoubtedly transformed the lives of many through his dedicated and loving Christian service. He liked to quote the words of Jesus: “Whoever welcomes a little child welcomes me” and in doing this he found his fulfilment. He is buried in the small cementery at Anbu Illam, the first Children’s Village he built, amoung the graves of the children who were too malnourished or later, too ill with AIDS-related illnesses, when they were brought in to survive. Brother James often quoted, “Much of what we do is like planting trees, under whose shade we may never sit but plant we must.” He leaves a thriving organisation, know and admired throughout the world. Those at RTU will continue to plant trees wherever they are needed |
