Raj Arole was born in Jamkhed, India, and in spite of the difficult circumstances of his upbringing, he studied at one of the most prestigious medical colleges in India, the Christian Medical College at Vellore. There he met his wife-to-be Mabelle and, on their wedding day, they vowed to work together and devote their lives to the marginalized and disenfranchised people living in Indian villages. Today, their daughter Shobha, a medical doctor and holistic family practice specialist, is the Director of the CRHP, and her brother Ravi is Director of Operations.