The goal is a simple one. That no child of a seafarer would ever be deprived of the most valuable resource of all - KNOWLEDGE, especially for want of money. And therefore, the Dr. Leo Barnes Foundation (LBF) provides monetary backing for any dream that involves higher education. The main principle behind its activities is to foster ambition, determination and above all, the spirit of success. Among the professions, the seafaring community bears the unfortunate image of not having high educational standards. Literate, yes. Educated, no. And the Dr. Leo Barnes Foundation (LBF) plans to change that image, so that society may look upon the seafaring community with respect and dignity. This was the dream of Dr. Leo Barnes and to make it possible, the Dr. Leo Barnes Foundation (LBF) awards scholarships for higher education and research grants for maritime studies. This includes a very wide spectrum of degrees and diplomas, both in our country and abroad. In the same spirit of betterment of the seafaring community, the Dr. Leo Barnes Foundation (LBF) also conducts welfare activities for members of this community and their families. The commitment does not stop here. It extends to the society as a whole, and thus Dr. Leo Barnes Foundation (LBF) also sponsors community projects. Indeed, it's a matter of pride that since its inception in 1993, overs. 15 million has been given in scholarships and welfare schemes for seafarers. The dream does not stop here, it increases every year in terms on commitment and resources.

There was a singular vision that powered this organization and it was that of the founding Chairman, Dr. Leo Barnes himself. He was born without opportunity or comfort. And in his struggle to the top of the NUSI ladder he acquired what he considered his most important asset of all: EDUCATION. Without any support in terms of money or contacts, he fuelled his own ambition, created his own opportunities and conquered his own dreams. After leaving school due to financial problems, he began working on the ship. This could have been the end of his educational history if he had succumbed to the lure of an ordinary seafarer's life. But he chose not to and returned to those books, juggling his career on the side, to finally complete his B.A., LLM, Ph.D in maritime law, and finally to top it all, a diploma in Trade Union Studies from Harvard University itself. Those who knew him well, will always remember the Harvard ring on his finger which he wore every day. It gave him strength and reminded him how long his journey had been... and how hard. He was a man who knew what it was to study under the street lamps. And, it was this very reason why the Dr. Leo Barnes Foundation was born from a purse of Rs. 22,222,222 given to him on his sixtieth birthday by his followers, so that no child of a seafarer would ever have to endure any hardship to earn their right to sit in the temple of knowledge or ever have to go through what he went through. That was his dream. And today, it is that of the Dr. Leo Barnes Foundation (LBF).