BOARD OF TRUSTEES

D. Shylet Moni - Managing Trustee & Founder

Mr. Shylet Moni is a development professional and research scholar with a Masters in Sociology. He has 20+ years of experience in development fields such as women & children empowerment, sustainable rural livelihoods development, and education. He has worked with organizations such as Oxfam Canada, Oxfam G.B., and the ALC School Project. He is currently working toward his Doctoral degree through the Women Studies Department at Bharathidasan University in Tiruchirappalli.

Suresh Kanna - Financial Trustee

Mr. Suresh Kanna is the project director at CREATE TRUST, a non governmental organization having its base in Madurai. He has 28 years of experience in development fields such as sustainable agriculture, natural resource management, local food and health systems, communication and documentation. He has worked with organizations like Kudumbam, LEISA Network and Future Earth in promoting sustainable agriculture alternatives, conservation of traditional seeds and agrobiodiversity among resource poor farmers in Tamil Nadu.

S. Illavarasi - Trustee

Ms. Subramaniam Illavarasi works as a Research Scholar at Bharathidasan University in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu.

ADVISORY BOARD

Gregory T. Buie (Chairman) - Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

Greg Buie is the Executive Director & Co-Founder of Visions Global Empowerment (USA). He has worked as an international development consultant, serving organizations that operate in countries all over the world, including Sri Lanka, India, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Indonesia. He holds a BA in Political Science: International Relations from the University of California, San Diego, and an MA in International Studies & Diplomacy from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.

Sonja Astfalck (Development Chair) - London, U.K.

Sonja’s professional experience is in the public and financial sectors, including diplomacy, policy-making and risk management, and with a focus on strategic approaches to promoting sustainability and building resilience within economic and social development. Sonja currently works as Strategy Lead at the International Finance Corporation (IFC). She holds an MA in Public Administration in International Development from the School of Public Policy & Management at Tsinghua University and a BA in International Relations from the University of Geneva. Passionate about people, purpose and meaningful change, she has engaged in numerous pro bono roles, including several representative capacities at the United Nations. Sonja speaks German (Native), English (Fluent), Chinese (Proficient), French (Business Level), and Arabic (Beginner).

Dr. Kumaravel Perumalsamy - Lancaster, California, U.S.A.

Dr. Perumalsamy graduated from Thanjavur Medical College, India. He completed his Internal Medicine residency from Coney Island Hospital, Brooklyn, New York; his Gastroenterology fellowship from Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York; and Hematology fellowship from Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York. Dr. Perumalsamy is board certified in Internal Medicine and in Gastroenterology. He currently works at the High Desert Gastroenterology Clinic in Lancaster, California.

Dr. G. Palanithurai - Dean & Rajiv Gandhi Chair for Panchayat Raj Studies, Gandhigram Rural University, Dindigul

Prof. G. Palanithurai is an academic activist who has worked in the Department of Political Science and Development Administration, Gandhigram Rural Institute – Deemed University, fully funded by the Government of India. Now, he is retired from service. He specializes in Grassroots Democracy, Decentralized Governance and Development Management. He has 34 years of experience in teaching, research and outreach programmes. Currently he is the National president of the Indian Social Science Academy.

Dr. M. C. Rajamony - Barrister, Oxford University (U.K.)

Dr. Rajamony received his doctoral award from Oxford Brooks University, U.K. for his research on ‘Sacred Sites and Disputes: Role of International Law – a case study of the Ayodhya Dispute’. He travels across the globe to enlighten people on the underlying factors of religious conflicts and its effects on human development. He provides legal counsel to couples to lead a happy family life and youth to stay focused on their healthy dreams and be of contribution to their respective societies. He is the author of many best-selling inspirational books, and always on a move conducting training programs for policy makers.

Dr. N. Manimekalai - Director and Professor, Department of Women Studies, Bharathidasan University, Trichy

Prof. Manimekalai is Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Director & Head of the Department of Women’s Studies at Bharathidasan University, Trichy, Tamil Nadu. An academic and social activist, she also serves as a Sentate Member of Bharathidasan University and Joint Secretary of the Indian Association for Women’s Studies. She is a tireless champion of women’s emancipation and an active writer / contributor to many journals and publications. In addition, she has found a number of organizations, including the Women Entrepreneurs Association of Tamil Nadu (WEAT), Menstrual Hygiene Management Consortium (MHMC), Regional Association for Women’s Studies (RAWS), Family and Adolescent Counseling Centre (FACC), and Gender Champion Clubs (GCC) in colleges.

Mr. D. Thangapandian - Director, Farm India

A Ceramic Engineer by profession, Mr. Thangapandian works in the field of magnetic material research & development both in India and abroad. He has developed strong working knowledge in Organic and Bio Dynamic Agriculture and imparts the same to students in schools & universities. He travels frequently to the Asia Pacific region as a consultant to various Chinese, Malaysian and Taiwanese industries. In India, he is involved with several Gandhian and academic institutions working for the upliftment of the under-privileged, particularly in career development for marginalized youth. Currently, he is working toward creating a model called "Collective Farming Through A Water Commune" to address the current problems of Indian agrarian communities.

Mr. M. P. K. Durai Raj - Director, ROSED

Mr Durai Raj has been in the development field for the past 30 years. He is the Director of Rural Organization for Social Education Development (ROSED), a non-profit organization based in Tamil Nadu's Thuraiyuryurr block. He heads an NGO network called 'SAM - Social Action Movement'. His work with tribal women has been appreciated by the district government. He is known for his creative efforts to bring about positive changes in the lives of tribal and Dalit communities.

Dr. Miriam Samuel

Dr. Miriam Samuel is Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Social Work, Madras Christian College, Tambaram, Chennai. She joined the department in 1989 and took office as Head from 1993. Her specialization is in the field of Medical and Psychiatric Social Work and Gender. She worked as an Intake Counsellor at TTK Hospital – Addiction Treatment Centre in Chennai from 1987 to 1989 before joining MCC in 1989. She completed her Ph.D from the University of Madras in 2017, her Masters in Social Work in 1987, and her Bachelors (B.A.) in Sociology from Stella Maris College in 1985.

Mr. Reveendra Nathan - Retired HSS Head Master & Philanthropist, Viruthachalam

Dr. C. J. Paul - Consultant, Chennai

Dr. C.J. Paul received his PG, M.Phil and Doctoral award in Social Work from Loyola College, Chennai. He served on the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board for a period of 20 years and opted for voluntary retirement to become a consultant. Since 2003 he has been working as an independent development consultant for public & private ltd. companies, state governments (Tamil Nadu, Andhra, UP, Bihar, NCR Delhi, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Chandigarh, Rajasthan, Nagaland, Sikkim), World Bank, ILO, ADB, UN Agencies, INGOs, NGOs, and other grassroot organizations. He believes in facilitating the spirit of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and supports NGOs in understanding & accessing CSR programs.

STAFF

Shylet Moni - Executive Director (Trichy)

A.S. Beena - Deputy Director (Trichy)

Beena is a post graduate in English with specialization in education. She has 23 years of teaching experience. Besides coaching, she loves gardening and cooking. She too loves development work. She has managed innovative projects of UNDP, and All India Disaster Mitigation Institute. She loves to help rural children excel in education and leadership. She also enjoys organizing events and counseling Visions Youth.

Ambily Mohan - Programs Manager (Tiruvannamalai)

Mrs. Ambily Alex is an experienced social worker and program coordinator with a strong commitment to serving the needs of disadvantaged women & children. With a Bachelors in Economics and a Masters in Social Work, Ambily most recently served as a Zonal Officer for the ALC School Project in helping to empower women & children, especially those from Dalit communities.

K. Anbarasi - Finance Manager (Trichy)

Alex Paul - Project Officer (Kalvarayan Hills)

Alex holds Masters degrees in both English and Social Work. He also holds a Bachelor degree in Education and is experienced and knowledgeable about community and school education programs. Alex is primarily in charge of instructing young people in communities and schools on technology, leadership, and communication skills. He is also responsible for WaSH and Clean & Green initiatives of Visions India in Kalvarayan Hills.