Sonam Kumari is currently a Youth Peer Leader at Protsahan India Foundation. She was a part of the Employability Enhancement Training Program as well, where she is underwent an intensive seven-month employability and leadership training program focused on life skills and workplace readiness for young women. Prior to this, she completed a digital skills program with Protsahan and interned at the DigiLab GEC-02, gaining hands-on experience in tech-enabled community engagement.

With proficiency in MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Tally, and basic Canva, Sonam brings strong documentation and administrative capabilities to every role she takes on. She is also known for her collaborative spirit and emerging leadership qualities. Sonam is currently pursuing her B.A. from Aryabhatta College, Delhi University.

Tanu is a motivated youth leader currently pursuing a B.A. Programme at Delhi University. She completed the Employability Enhancement Training Programme at Protsahan India Foundation. Through the fellowship, Tanu developed foundational digital skills, including MS Word and Excel, alongside confidence-building and communication training.

With a strong interest in personal growth and community contribution, Tanu brings a grounded and curious presence to any team. She is fluent in Hindi and English, and finds joy in music, reading, and cooking. Her goal is to apply her training in real-world settings while continuing to learn and grow professionally.

Mansi is a Youth Peer Leader at Protsahan India Foundation and is currently pursuing her B.A. Programme from IGNOU (Rajdhani College). As part of the Employability Enhancement Training Programme, she has received extensive training in employability skills, leadership, and life skills designed to empower young women from urban slum communities.

With a strong foundation in digital tools like MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Canva, and Tally Prime, Mansi also holds a CCC certification from NIELIT and boasts a typing speed of 40 WPM. Her participation in Protsahan’s DigiLab program helped her deepen her understanding of workplace technology. Mansi is detail-oriented, efficient, and eager to support teams with precision and a positive attitude.

Himanshi is currently in the final year of her Bachelor’s in Computer Applications (BCA) from IGNOU and serves as a Youth Peer Leader under the Trauma Informed Livelihood Programme at Protsahan India Foundation. She is also a graduate of the Employability Enhancement Training Programme, through which she has developed practical skills in communication, teamwork, and digital literacy, with a strong focus on leading with empathy and purpose.

Her technical foundation includes MS Office tools, Tally, and basic web development using WordPress, gained through hands-on training at Ciphermetic Consulting in collaboration with Protsahan. Himanshi is also a Golden Certificate holder from the Freedom Employability Academy’s one-year English-speaking course. With an active interest in volunteering, social initiatives, and continuous learning, she is committed to contributing to inclusive growth while building her own pathway in the digital and development sectors.

Chhavi is a committed and enthusiastic young professional with a B.A. from Delhi University (2023) and a strong desire to contribute meaningfully to the development sector. Known for her punctuality, positive attitude, and hardworking nature, she brings a mix of discipline and adaptability to her work as a Youth Peer Leader at Protsahan.

With basic computer literacy and a willingness to learn, Chhavi is looking to build her skills further in environments where she can contribute to a larger purpose while continuing to grow professionally and personally. She is especially drawn to roles that value dedication and encourage personal development alongside organisational impact.

Sania is a Youth Peer Leader at Protsahan India Foundation and is currently pursuing a B.Com degree from the School of Open Learning, University of Delhi. With prior experience teaching pre-primary students and working as a home tutor, she brings a strong foundation in communication, problem-solving, and teamwork.

Sania is proficient in basic computer applications and is known for her dedication to personal and professional growth. She aspires to build a challenging career where she can apply her skills meaningfully while continuing to learn and evolve.

Varsha is a Youth Peer Leader at Protsahan India Foundation, currently in her second year of pursuing a B.A. from the School of Open Learning, University of Delhi. A dedicated learner, her objective is to work with organisations that allow her to develop new skills while contributing meaningfully to their goals.

She is a graduate of Protsahan’s Employability Enhancement Training Program, which she completed successfully last year. Her skills include leadership and teamwork, as well as proficiency in MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Paint. Outside of this, Varsha is passionate about photography and serves as Protsahan’s on-site photographer, documenting field moments and capturing stories through her lens.

Kajal is a commerce graduate from Delhi University with hands-on training in financial management and accounting systems. She has experience interning at Karytron Electricals Pvt. Ltd., where she supported financial reporting, bookkeeping, and account reconciliation using ERP software and Microsoft Excel. With a strong foundation in project management, MIS reporting, and tax preparation, Kajal is eager to contribute her skills in a professional accounting environment.

Suman is a Business Administration graduate with a strong foundation in digital marketing, social media management, and customer behavior analysis. A driven and detail-oriented professional, she completed her B.B.A from Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University through its distance education program, after earning strong academic credentials from Kendriya Vidyalaya.

Equipped with proficient computer skills, including MS Office and data handling, Suman is known for her sharp communication abilities, keen observation, and quick adaptability. She is particularly interested in roles across banking, marketing, and the digital ecosystem, and is constantly seeking opportunities that challenge her intellect and expand her learning curve.

Taruna is a Youth Peer Leader at Protsahan India Foundation, currently pursuing her B.A. from Delhi University. Known for her confident and approachable personality, she brings strong communication skills and a solution-oriented mindset to her work with adolescent girls and community stakeholders.

Alongside her academic pursuits, Taruna is also undergoing training in e-Accounting and is proficient in essential computer applications. She is eager to apply her skills meaningfully and strives to grow in roles that allow her to maximise her potential while contributing to the empowerment of others.

With over five years of experience, Rahul is a results-driven professional currently working as Field Support Staff at Protsahan. He brings a sharp focus on operational efficiency to his role. He has experience working with marketing and healthcare firms, where he handled store operations, staff coordination, inventory management and administrative tasks. He also supported digital campaigns through lead generation, PPC tracking, and performance reporting, building a strong foundation in both operational and data-driven roles.

Rahul effectively leverages his technical and admin skills to support daily coordination, documentation and reporting tasks with a practical and collaborative approach and seamless support to field and office teams. Passionate about continuous growth, his interests in reading, writing, and traveling further shape his well-rounded and thoughtful perspective in his work.

Batsala is an experienced library and literacy educator with over a decade of demonstrated expertise in setting up, managing, and expanding library ecosystems across schools, nonprofits, and community-based spaces. Currently serving as a Centre Coordinator at Protsahan, she brings a deep commitment to inclusive education, information access, and community engagement. Her background spans roles as a Senior Librarian at Deepalaya and a facilitator with the Free Library Network, where she has conducted trainings and workshops on storytelling, inclusive education, and library design across states like Assam, Uttarakhand, and Madhya Pradesh.

With a Master’s degree in Zoology and formal training in Library & Information Science, Batsala blends subject expertise with practical implementation. She has facilitated capacity-building workshops for teachers, mentored interns, trained library staff, and designed curriculum-aligned literacy programs. Her signature strengths include storytelling, teacher training, resource mobilization, and curriculum integration.

Anupa is a Centre Coordinator at Protsahan, overseeing daily operations at the Girl Empowerment Centre. She is responsible for ensuring smooth coordination between facilitators and learners, managing schedules, and maintaining a safe, structured learning environment for adolescent girls from urban slum communities. She brings an attentive, grounded presence to her role and is deeply committed to helping girls access education and psychosocial care.

Anupa holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from IGNOU and brings with her strong proficiency in Microsoft Office, database maintenance, and time management. Her work reflects a deep commitment to organized systems, empathetic engagement, and impact-driven operations.

Pooja anchors Protsahan’s finance vertical with transparency, and quiet integrity. A finance professional with 8 years of experience, she holds a B.Com and M.Com from Bundelkhand University, an Bachelor of Legislative Law, and certification in Cost & Management Accounting from Northern India Regional Council of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICMAI), alongside industrial training at Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL). Her background blends academic depth with practical wisdom, allowing her to navigate the financial demands of grassroots nonprofits with clarity and foresight.

At Protsahan, Pooja manages finance operations – from basic accounting and payroll to supporting team during audits, donor compliance, and government statutory regulations. With her sharp command of Tally and internal controls, she ensures every rupee is tracked with intention and purpose and deployed for impact in girls’ education, care, and protection. Her work sits at the core of Protsahan’s trust-based model – building confidence across teams, donors, and communities. She works closely with program and admin teams to demystify financial processes and strengthen financial literacy across the organization.

Outside her ledgers, Pooja is a spiritual seeker, a music lover, and a gifted poet (shayar) whose creative expression is rooted in empathy and reflection. Her rare ability to move between numbers and nuance makes her a grounding presence within Protsahan’s ecosystem of care.

Bhawna is a development sector professional deeply committed to working at the intersection of network-building, advocacy, and community-led program design. Trained in Sociology and Gender Studies from Ambedkar University, her work centers on amplifying the voices and agency of young people and marginalized communities through access to dignified livelihoods and healing-centered interventions.

She currently works as a Program Officer at Protsahan India Foundation, where she co-leads the Trauma-Informed Livelihood vertical. Her strength lies in her ability to build networks that last. She has facilitated partnerships across sectors, connecting grassroots, and ensuring that employment programs are grounded in care and long-term resilience.

Bhawna has been selected as a 2025 WILD Network Global Leader. As part of this global community of women changemakers, she continues to deepen her work on trust-based leadership, especially in the Global South. She draws deep inspiration from the everyday resilience of communities, whether expressed through arts, poetry, or resistance. Beyond her professional work, she finds joy in writing poetry, reviving lost Pahadi recipes, and pottery.

Manisha brings together understanding of accounting systems in programs, creative feminist storytelling, and frontline care to power Protsahan’s trauma-informed learning spaces in India’s rural and migrant communities for social workers. With an MBA in Finance & Marketing (NIILM), a BBA from Pune University, and a degree in Library Science from Delhi University, she blends existing operational systems with deep knowledge on culturally rooted program content.

At Protsahan, she supports program team with social audits, strengthens program compliance, and co-develops outreach and mobilisation strategy for CareVerse, our AI-based mental health platform for caregivers. She’s led the creation of trauma informed learning spaces in parks, anganwadis, and panchayats – infusing them with voices of Indian feminist icons like Savitribai Phule and Ismat Chughtai to help girls reclaim education and agency.

A trusted relationship-builder, in her previous avatars, Manisha has worked closely with school leaders and local officials to reintegrate girls into formal education. Her work is grounded in the belief that education is healing, and that systems must be designed with and for the most excluded children, girls and women at the margins.

Nidhi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Entrepreneurship from Delhi University and an MBA in Human Resources from Bharati Vidyapeeth. At Protsahan, she anchors the human resources function with a trauma-informed, people-first approach by executing systems that honor both emotional labor and operational excellence. Her leadership is grounded in care, trust, and a deep commitment to gender equity.

In her role, Nidhi supports the program and leadership teams in hiring diverse talent and ensures that every team member, especially peer leaders and frontline staff, feels seen, supported, and celebrated. She leads induction and orientation for all new team members, facilitates internal trainings for youth peer leaders, and helps strengthen Protsahan’s learning and growth culture. She plays a consistent and thoughtful role in co-creating and implementing competency frameworks, nourishing feedback loops, and shaping performance systems rooted in unapologetic fairness to the mission. Nidhi works closely with the Executive Director to integrate digital HRMS tools into the organization’s people and culture functions, automating payroll, attendance, and leave systems to bring ease, transparency, and accountability across the organization.

Her presence ensures that as Protsahan grows, its culture remains rooted in equity, dignity, and healing. Nidhi is not only a manager of systems, but a young builder of culture and care at the organziation.

Payal is currently pursuing her B.A. from Aryabhatta College, University of Delhi, and brings with her a foundation of technical skills and community-focused intent. She is proficient in Microsoft Office, Tally Prime, and government portal navigation, and holds a certification from NIELIT in basic computer education.

A quick learner and dedicated team player, Payal is deeply interested in expanding her knowledge through hands-on roles that blend administrative work with creativity. Outside the professional realm, she enjoys art, craft, and sketching, which reflect her patience and attention to detail, all qualities that inform her work ethic as well.

Avantika is passionate about creating meaningful change across people, communities, and systems. With a background in Economics, Psychology, and Literature, and a Master’s in Applied Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare from the University of Edinburgh, she brings a unique interdisciplinary lens to her work. Over the past eight years, Avantika has worked across sectors like education, animal welfare, gender, and climate – most recently at Ashoka, where she helped build systems to identify and support leading social entrepreneurs across India.

A lifelong animal lover, she has been actively involved in stray animal rescue and welfare for over a decade—work that continues to ground and inspire her.

Anupam is a graduate from Delhi University with a strong inclination toward community development and digital literacy. As a Girl Champion Fellow at Protsahan India Foundation (2021–2022), she facilitated sessions for adolescent girls on gender, leadership, and digital skills, using creative methods to make learning engaging and accessible. She also led a social impact project in collaboration with Balajanaagraha aimed at reducing child begging by linking children to education.

With a foundational command of computer applications, Google Workspace, and Canva, Anupam brings creativity, punctuality, and a deep sense of responsibility to her work. Fluent in Hindi, English, and Bhojpuri, she is an effective communicator and a quick learner, driven by the desire to contribute meaningfully in any organization she joins.

Jyoti joined Protsahan full-time as a Youth Peer Leader in 2023. She facilitated digital literacy, gender, and leadership sessions with adolescent girls from underserved communities. A former Girl Champion fellow, she led a social impact project focused on sanitation and civic responsibility in collaboration with Bala Janaagraha during her fellowship. She is now a Centre Executive and continues to bridge the gendered digital divide by training hundreds of girls who have fallen off the margins.

With a working knowledge of Microsoft Office, Canva, G-Suite, and Tally Prime, Jyoti brings both technical fluency and a people-first approach to her work. Whether she’s teaching primary school children or mobilizing young women, she combines empathy, creativity, and communication to make learning safe and accessible. Currently pursuing her B.A. from Delhi University, Jyoti is committed to strengthening her skills while building pathways of empowerment for other girls like her. Jyoti is also a poet.

Moushumi is an experienced educationist and gender practitioner with over 15 years in the development sector, deeply committed to building equitable learning pathways for marginalized children. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from North Eastern Hill University, and dual Master’s degrees – one in Biochemistry from Periyar University, Bangalore, and the other in Social Work from IGNOU. She also holds a B.Ed. from the Department of Education (formerly CIE), University of Delhi. Over the years, she has collaborated with NGOs across India, shaping curriculum and pedagogy to meet the complex learning needs of children from urban slums, streets, and migrant backgrounds.

She has contributed to national education frameworks through her work with the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), designing curriculum for Open Basic Education (OBE) and adult learning programs for out-of-school girls and women. Her efforts with the Directorate of Education, Delhi led to the development of bridge courses and mobile school models to enable re-entry into formal education. Moushumi brings her expertise in gender-transformative pedagogy, having been trained by organizations like Nirantar and HAQ. At Protsahan, she anchors our education work with a strong gender lens, ensuring girls not only learn but lead. Outside work, she is an avid reader and an experimental cook who finds joy in blending stories and spices.

Mallika builds bridges between ideas and action. With a degree in International Relations and over 4 years hands-on experience with organizations like Young Leaders for Active Citizenship (YLAC) and the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, Mallika plays a critical role in expanding Protsahan’s ecosystem of support through partnership building, grant stewardship & tracking, donor communications, and regulatory compliance.

Her journey with Protsahan began as a college volunteer, and she has since grown into a full-time team member deeply committed to challenging harmful gender norms, driving equity in philanthropy as a young leader, and embedding feminist practices in grassroots implementation. She brings a feminist lens to resource mobilization, seeing beyond funding cycles to co-create lasting, values-aligned relationships with funders and collaborators.

Mallika is the force behind our Girl Champions Scholarships vertical at Protsahan, which enables the organization’s most promising young girl champions to pursue education and skilling opportunities no matter what adversities or barriers may clog their path. Her work ensures that Protsahan’s girl-centered vision is not just seen, but supported with intention, and solidarity. A Vital Voices Fellow, Mallika is passionate about bridging the resources gap – reshaping how the world engages with frontline organizations – by listening to girls, trusting grassroots wisdom, and resourcing change that’s both just and joyful.

Anjali is an extremely hard working youth peer leader from Protsahan’s alumni association of girl champions. She works with the centre coordinator at the Dwarka child protection center and supports the young girls with academics and child protection services in the community. She has avid interest in Humanities and has been very influential in advancing conversations of citizenship and democracy in the communities where we work. Highly empathetic, she doubles up as a ‘badi didi’ for the younger girl champions and makes sure they excel academically. She always keeps her centre creatively alive with artwork, craft, sewing, creative life skills and so much more, making sure there is never a dull moment for the children who attend the sessions.

Mala Kumari is a Girl Champion and youth leader at Protsahan who has transformed her lived experience into powerful, peer-led advocacy for child rights, gender justice, and safe girlhoods. Mala began her journey as a learner at Protsahan when she was 15, who was a part of co-creating Protsahan’s award-winning film on child marriage which was showcased at the 7th BRICS International Film Festival. Today, she has returned as a fierce alumna, leading peer-to-peer sexual reproductive health and rights and gender equity sessions in our Girl Empowerment Centre (GEC03).

With lived proximity to the very challenges Protsahan works to address, Mala uses play-based facilitation and trauma-informed storytelling to hold safe, age-appropriate conversations with younger girls around safe and unsafe touch, menstruation, body boundaries, patriarchy and consent. She supports frontline efforts by observing child behaviors during expressive arts sessions and helping social workers identify early red flags related to abuse or neglect.

Mala’s work sits at the heart of Protsahan’s vision: a young woman from the margins, leading transformational change from within her community hyperlocally. Whether she’s guiding girls through menstrual hygiene sessions, translating legal language in paralegal workshops, or coordinating relief during a crisis, Mala is proof that when girls lead, tangible systems shift for the better.

Tarun is a trauma-informed child psychologist at Protsahan, working at the intersection of mental health, education, and creative healing. Armed with a Master’s in Applied Psychology and a Postgraduate Diploma in Child Guidance and Counseling, he brings a holistic, rights-based approach to supporting girl children who have faced adversity, neglect, and abuse.

At Protsahan, Tarun supports psychosocial support services for adolescent girls across our girl empowerment centres, often integrating art therapy, narrative expression, research with external empanelled psychologists and visual journaling into his sessions. He supports Protsahan in creating safe, non-judgmental spaces where girls can process trauma, explore identity, and build emotional regulation through expressive art and play modalities.

Tarun also plays a vital role in training frontline youth peer leaders to recognize early signs of trauma, ensuring responsive and compassionate care at every touchpoint. His belief in the innate capacity of children to heal – with the right tools, space, and support – guides his work at Protsahan. Outside of counseling, Tarun is moved by the power of words and colors to unlock what often remains unsaid. His work at Protsahan ensures that mental health is not a luxury but a lifeline integrated into systems of education and care, especially for girls at the margins.

Rehana is a fierce frontline leader whose life journey fuels her mission to ensure no girl is left behind. A survivor of child marriage herself, Rehana now anchors Protsahan’s child protection and community mobilisation work across West Delhi’s slums reaching some of the most vulnerable migrant families and girls living at the edges of dignity and access. Discovered during Protsahan’s COVID-19 relief efforts in Delhi’s hardest-hit areas, Rehana’s empathy, leadership, and determination stood out instantly. Since joining the team, she has played a pivotal role in bringing girls out of begging points and into classrooms, helping them and their families access healthcare, education, and legal protection.

Rehana works with families, school leaders, local police, and government child protection officers to prevent trafficking, child labor, and early marriage for adolescent girls. Her lived experience as a child bride drives her deep commitment to ensuring that no girl is married unless she is physically and mentally ready, and only after 21 years of age with informed consent. When she received her first salary at Protsahan, Rehana moved to a safer neighborhood and secured tuition support for her children – a small act with generational impact. Whether she’s enrolling girls in school, coordinating access to healthcare, or conducting awareness sessions with parents, her work echoes Protsahan’s core belief: healing and justice begin with local leadership led by women and girls themselves.

Govind brings passion, patience, and lived experience to his role at Protsahan where he introduces adolescent girls from marginalized communities to the empowering world of digital literacy, technology, and financial awareness. With formal education in Financial Accounting, Cost Accounting, Income Tax, and Advertising, Govind’s teaching blends real-world skills with a commitment to dignity and social inclusion for migrants.

At Protsahan’s girl empowerment centers, he facilitates initiatives on social protection through government linkages, basic computing, digital safety, and financial literacy, ensuring that technology becomes a tool for self-reliance, not exclusion for migrant girls, their families and communities. He often says that his greatest joy is watching a child – just like his younger self – achieve her dreams and walk the path toward a life of dignity and respect. His gentle leadership helps cultivate confidence in girls who’ve never touched a computer before, guiding them toward careers in education, inventory management, retail, business, design, and digital media.

A strong advocate of collaborative learning, Govind works closely with Protsahan’s youth peer leaders and educators to adapt tech content into accessible modules that resonate with girls across literacy levels. His work is central to Protsahan’s goal of future-proofing girls from low-income communities through trauma-informed, gender-responsive education.

Ruchika Dua is currently working as an Admin Executive at Protsahan India Foundation, where she provides essential support for internal office operations, logistics, and documentation systems. With a strong focus on discipline, punctuality, and teamwork, she plays a key role in ensuring the daily administrative workflow is organized and responsive to the needs of program staff.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Delhi University and brings with her foundational experience in office support, having previously worked as a Telecaller and Counsellor in educational consultancies. Ruchika is proficient in MS Office tools and values sincerity and effective communication in her professional approach. Her stated objective is to contribute meaningfully to her organization’s goals while continuing to develop her skills in a growth-oriented environment. Outside of work, Ruchika enjoys listening to music and watching movies—small joys that add balance to her diligent work ethic.

Payal Rani has been at the frontline of Protsahan’s child protection efforts since 2014. What began as a teaching role for our youngest girls learners in Uttam Nagar soon grew into a powerful commitment to safeguarding children from abuse across Delhi’s migrant slums.

As a trusted caseworker, Payal handles some of the most sensitive cases of child sexual abuse and family violence. Often the first responder, she provides trauma-informed psychosocial first aid, initiates rescues, and works closely with Childline, local police, and CWCs to ensure timely protection and justice.

From securing legal support to enrolling children in safe schools or shelters, she ensures every child has a pathway to healing. Payal also links vulnerable families to social protection schemes—reducing the risk of re-exploitation. Trained in psychosocial counseling, restorative justice, and case management, she mentors new staff in Protsahan’s trauma-informed care protocols. Respected deeply in the community, Payal brings both compassion and courage—walking hand-in-hand with survivors toward safety and dignity.

Preeti’s journey with Protsahan began in 2013 as a subject coach, but it was never just a job for her. Born and raised in the very migrant communities she now serves, Preeti brings a depth of understanding that no textbook can teach. Armed with a Master’s degree in History and a heart deeply aligned with Protsahan’s mission, she formally joined us as a grassroots social worker in 2013. By 2017, she was independently leading the organization’s first girl empowerment centre in the slums of Uttam Nagar, Delhi. Today, Preeti leads ground operations across five girl empowerment empowerment centres, reaching over 100,000 adolescent girls in 107 urban slum clusters. From art-based healing to digital literacy, she ensures that every program at Protsahan is rooted in care, consistency, and community trust.

What sets Preeti apart is her quiet resilience and intuitive leadership. Her lived experiences inform how trauma-informed care gets translated into organization’s SOPs – whether it’s welcoming a girl survivor of abuse to an education program or training a new youth peer leader. Her gentleness is her strength: in spaces where children are used to being silenced by violence, Preeti’s calm, feminist presence tells them they are safe, heard, and powerful.

Never afraid to explore new tools in management or tech, Preeti is building a future where with every step she climbs, she brings thousands of girls with her – redefining leadership, one slum cluster at a time.

Charul is a seasoned nonprofit professional with over a decade of experience in trust-based philanthropy and the strategic design and implementation of community-based gender equity programs. She specializes in crafting interventions for young girls and vulnerable children, focusing on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), scaling skilling and livelihood programs for girls. She is trained in The GESI framework (Gender Equality and Social Inclusion) is a tool used to ensure that all projects and programs are designed and implemented in a way that promotes gender equality and includes diverse groups of people, particularly those who may be marginalized or excluded. It emphasizes the importance of considering gender and social identities in all aspects of development and policy-making.

Charul’s journey in the development sector began as a facilitator, transitioning from the for-profit sector to nonprofit sector. Her experience with a grant-making organisation along with her experience in the strategic design and implementation of programs have provided her with a holistic lens with which to approach her work at Protsahan.

In her role as CHRO, India Mortgage Guarantee Corporation (IMGC), Harpreet Sandhu is responsible for developing and defining Human Resource and communication strategies. She is responsible for shaping the strategic direction of the HR function and enhancing the core HR processes to meet the company’s business requirements. She is on the board of Protsahan India Foundation which empowers girls living in situations of vulnerability where she supports the team in building robust HR systems.

A key facet of her role includes shaping the unique culture of IMGC in line with the company’s values and vision. In terms of communications, her efforts would be in building awareness as well as the reach of the brand across all stakeholders. Harpreet has over 20 years of experience, primarily in the financial services industry. She has experience working in diverse roles, which include HR business partnering, mergers and acquisition, talent acquisition, organisation design, and effectiveness and change management. She has worked with organisations such as American Express, GE Consumer Finance, and EXL.

Harpreet is a postgraduate in Economics and Business Administration.

Mukul is an independent Consultant and Advisor in Human Resources and the Social sector.  She brings with her strong background and expertise in both CSR and HR, with three decades of strategic and diverse experience.

Mukul has a Masters in Personnel Management & Industrial Relations from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai and prior to venturing out on her own, held leadership positions across Business verticals of ITC Limited. She has managed Industrial Relations to Performance and Talent Management in HR and in CSR-led interventions pertaining to Women Empowerment, Health, Sanitation, Solid Waste Management, Education and Skilling, pan India. Her focus has been on enabling sustainability of interventions, driving strategic multi-stakeholder partnerships for large scale amplification and leading Impact Assessments, Research & Communication. Mukul believes in the power of an enabling culture, DEI and system driven transparency in creating a strong institution.

During the course of her career, Mukul has been a member of the HR Committee of Retailers Association of India, CII National Committee on Education and CII National Committee on Women Empowerment.  She has been a speaker/faculty at various forums including CII, FICCI, AIMA, NHRDN and at educational Institutions.

Mukul is also a qualified and practising Regression Therapist and in her spare time, an avid traveller.

Shefali is a firm believer in the power of stories.

Her body of work has a definite tilt towards women and gender issues. Born and brought up in Korba, Chhattisgarh, a graduate of Guru Ghasidas University Bilaspur, Shefali loves to experiment with audiovisual content formats.  Meanwhile, she has also kept her pen inked by writing columns and feature articles and columns for eminent newspapers and websites in India. 

Shefali has worked extensively in Social Behaviour Change Communications and C4D across Asia, working with communities, audiences and creatives to make the world better: supporting adolescent girls and boys in the Hindi heartland of India and the reproductive health of women of Bihar, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh to explore the information needs and strategizing and collaborating with Media and NGO partners to sharing life-saving information for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh; expanding the horizons of women involved in farming in Jharkhand to creating a content plan and training resources for young people facing conflict and Climate change issues in Indonesia to generate conversations through positive deviance stories in Afghanistan, Congo and Myanmar. Shefali believes in creating space for communities to tell their own stories and harnessing technology, research and a healthy dose of humility to make it work.

Shefali is one of the few broadcast professionals who proved their mettle with the National Broadcaster, All India Radio (FM, News & commentary), Private FM Stations (Red FM, Dhamaal 24 and Mirchi), Community Radios (trained programming teams of around 65 community radio stations) and Web Radio (Radio Hello Voters) and has created path-breaking work for communities with BBC media action for over a decade.

Winner of two eminent awards for outstanding radio production (both with and for Children); Namely the Laadli Media Awards 2012 & Rangkriti Award 2014, she has completed two decades of working on audio outputs for various platforms and now is doing more work tilted towards Humanitarian Emergency response, Communication strategies and community engagement planning on issues such as gender, children, health, Climate change, adolescent issues, media capacity building.

Brian established the South Australia chapter of the Australian India Business council in 2004, and was the first President and later the National Chairman of the AIBC. He has led eight business delegations to India with the Premier of South Australia and three Federal Government trade delegations, and has been involved over the last twelve years in building bilateral trade between Australia and India.

As National Chairman, he has chaired two Joint Business Council Meetings in Australia and India. In 2008 he was appointed the Premier of South Australia’s Special Envoy to India to develop bilateral trade and business ties between South Australian and Indian companies.

Brian has provided direct opportunities for networking for Protsahan and continues to build capacities through legal and international platforms that would become critical areas of fundraising in future for the organization.

Osama Manzar is a global leader on the mission of eradicating information poverty from India and the global South using digital tools through Digital Empowerment Foundation, an organisation he founded in 2002. A British Chevening Scholar and an International Visitors Leadership Program Fellow of the US State Department, Osama is a social entrepreneur, author, columnist, angel investor, mentor, and sits on several government and policy committees in India and outside working in the areas of Internet, access, and digital inclusion. Osama has instituted 10 awards for recognising digital innovations for development.

He is the strongest pillar of Protsahan’s advisory council and is always available with his networks for Protsahan’s founding team. He mentors Sonal and Jaswinder by strengthening systems of governance, finance with his vision to scale. Osama is a very active participant in Protsahan’s journey to scale and reach one million most vulnerable children in India.

Jaswinder Singh is a systems thinker, data storyteller, and development leader who transitioned from a 14-year career in journalism and public affairs to co-lead Protsahan India Foundation. He joined Protsahan in 2017 to structure internal organization systems so that the mission could be smoothly led. Today, as our Executive Director, he anchors the organization’s Finance, HR, Compliance, and Data ERP systems while building scalable, evidence-driven models for child protection and girls’ education.

Jaswinder blends narrative and numbers with rare finesse. He has authored India’s first arts-based legal advocacy toolkit on child sexual abuse and led the development of illustrated storytelling books on child rights laws – reaching over 2,00,000 children across the Global South. Jaswinder’s leadership philosophy is rooted in the belief that data should not just inform, it should transform. He champions the shift from traditional monitoring to data-led program design that’s owned by communities, where real-time evidence guides action and dignity is never compromised. His insights have shaped Protsahan’s unique ability to design interventions at the intersection of care, education, and social protection – with strong internal systems.

A quiet yet compelling voice in the sector, Jas drives internal learning culture with people at Protsahan. He believes the future of child protection lies in community resilience that is owned & powered by local wisdom, ethics, and humility, and is committed to building systems that listen before they act.

Born in 1958, juggles three passions and one career. His passions are writing, rock climbing and spiritual evolution. After an organic chemistry degree, Kiran started his working life as a school teacher & house master in an experimental residential J Krishnamurti school in Varanasi. He started his career in advertising in 1983, as a copywriter in Lintas. He ended up being the CEO and Chief Creative Officer of Clarion advertising. In 1999, he co-founded Chlorophyll, a brand consultancy. Chlorophyll has differentiated over 400 brands and created over 50 brands from scratch. It has four IPs and its own innovation lab. Kiran was Chairman of the committee that consulted with UIDAI, the Government of India’s arm that developed Aadhaar, the world’s largest biometrics-based identity project. He is an online teacher: he designed and delivered the brand module for the Liverpool Business School + upGrad MBA in 2020. Kiran was the very first speaker at TED University at TED’s first Indian meet in 2009 and at TEDx Bandra in 2017.

He won the Indo-UK Short Story Writing award in 1995, has published three books of fiction, Halfway Up the Mountain, Two Pronouns and a Verb and Black River Run and read from them in London, Singapore, New York and Beijing. He facilitated the IFSC World Cup in Bouldering, a form of rock climbing, in NaviMumbai in 2016 and 2017: events that were voted the best in class in those two years by the global participants. This facilitated the inclusion of rock climbing in the Olympics in 2020/21. He is part of The Basalt Foundation, whose aim is to put an Indian climber on the Olympic podium by 2032.

Kiran has a species of spider named after him, Thelcticopis Kirankhalapi!

Sonal Kapoor is a leading Indian social entrepreneur and the Founder-CEO of Protsahan India Foundation, a Delhi-based nonprofit working at the intersection of gender justice, education, and trauma-informed care for migrant girls and young women facing extreme violence and adversity. A social worker turned CEO, Sonal works at the frontlines of trauma and inequality – where gender, poverty, and violence intersect. An Ashoka Fellow, World Bank Fellow, and member of the UN Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI), Sonal brings an interdisciplinary
understanding, combining public health, law, and systems entrepreneurship to design solutions that are evidence-led, rights-based, and community-powered.

Since 2010, she has led Protsahan to impact 3.5 million+ children, anchoring INR 1 billion+ in state entitlements for ultra-poor families of migrant girls, while building trauma-informed ecosystems that center girls’ education and agency. At the heart of this work is the H.E.A.R.T.™ model – an award-winning approach that weaves Health, Education, Art, Rights, and Technology to create dignified pathways for girls to thrive.

Sonal is shaping a national care reform movement grounded in girls’ lived experience, making complex ideas like trauma neuroscience and social protection accessible in Indian languages – from courtrooms to classrooms. Her work is redefining what it means to lead from the margins with courage, care, and systems thinking.