About Us
Anahat For Change started operations in 2018. Since then we have been able to reach more than 4500 families across India. We are an organization working to build an equal environment for young girls and boys and helping them break the shackles of gender stereotypes and discrimination. We run two major projects- Unnati & Udaan in West Bengal. Unnati aims at promotion of menstrual hygiene management & sexual reproductive health rights with both male and female community members. Under this project we run a successful brand Anahat Unnati (www.anahatunnati.com). Udaan aims to make gender based violence and discrimination unacceptable in several regions of Bengal by creating an agency for women and girls.
Meet The Team
Meet our small team of superhumans who are at the forefront of social activism!
Co-founders & Managing Directors
Purvi recognizes herself as a people’s person. An avid reader and a cynophilist, Purvi found her passion in building capabilities and promoting equality in the grassroots of India. She ditched her 9 to 5 corporate job in Bangalore to find her passion amidst her roots. But her tryst with data has not ended, she believes in the power of data driven decisions and has designed and implemented pan-India impact evaluation projects. She has been a part of several global fellowship programs. Purvi is an alumni of Swedish Institute and holds a dual diploma in gender & advocacy. She has also been awarded as a Young Social Entrepreneur by The Singapore International Foundation in 2022.
Namrata is a mom turned entrepreneur who wanted to create a sustainable world for her kids. Being a mom, she understood the importance of a sustainable environment and hence when she started Anahat, her vision was clear about the goal of the organization. She has 14 yrs of experience in social development sector and is currently involved
full time in turning her passion into reality through Anahat. Besides, she is also a bookworm and is sometimes seen sketching in her sketchbook when she gets time.
full time in turning her passion into reality through Anahat. Besides, she is also a bookworm and is sometimes seen sketching in her sketchbook when she gets time.
Advisors
Pauline comes from Paris and has lived in Kolkata for the past 4 years. She holds a Master’s degree in Sustainability and Social Innovation from HEC Paris, has developed expertise in strategy consulting, social entrepreneurship, impact assessment and community building over the years. Pauline is associated with the Techno India Group as Sustainability Director, and also co-founded Eastern India focused, SDG-focused, network-based venture Y-East just after she moved to India. Overall, she has developed a passion for building communities of organizations towards sustainability, through her work at Y-East, Youth for Sustainability India Alliance and the LearningPlanet Alliance.
Danniel Sinnathamby is a humanitarian and development professional with over 30 years of strategic leadership, organizational development, and program management experience with international humanitarian and development agencies and networks. He has worked in Asia and Africa and has managed work in over 28 countries. He has committed himself to the realization of rights and entitlements, especially for women, girls and young people. Daniel has been a mentor to our co-founders from their foundation years. He has helped build a strong program strategy for Anahat along with the theory of change. Daniel is imbued with great curiosity and has awe and respect for artisans, designers, and creators. He loves the written word and is convinced ’doodling’ is Chicken Soup for the Soul.
Dr. Arundati Muralidharan is a public health professional with two decades of experience in public health programs, research and policy advocacy. She is a passionate advocate of menstrual and women's health, and works globally and in India to build and strengthen the menstrual health eco-system through knowledge sharing, evidence generation, policy advocacy, financing, innovations, and collaborative action. Arundati is the Founder of Menstrual Health Action (MHAi), an ecosystem enabler for menstrual health in India. She has previously worked with WaterAid, the Public Health Foundation of India, and Population Services International.
Arundati has a Doctorate in Public Health from Boston University, and a Masters in Social Work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences.
Core Team members
Arijit Das is working as a Social Media Executive for Anahat to highlight trending social changes through virtual platforms. Besides managing the social media platforms, he also creates engaging creative content. He has the experience of working as a journalist and an academician. Moreover, he has completed an MA degree at the University of Leeds, where the module on ‘feminism’ highly motivated him to work for women in India. During his leisure time, he loves to sketch portraits and architecture. He is very fond of doing photography, reading books, visiting museums and travelling to historic cities.
Rupam is responsible for handling the accounts and back office activities for Anahat. With over eight years of experience in the paints industry, he is an expert in the field. He maintains tally data and is our point of contact for any account-related queries. Engaging in sports is one of his favorite ways to relax when he isn't working.
A social development professional with over 8 years of experience working in the Health Sector. A versatile social activist having a MSW degree from Visva-Bharati University, Deblina had previously worked for CINI & Jabala Action Research Organisation. Currently she is designated as a Training Co-ordinator at Anahat For Change Foundation. With a vivid experience in organising sessions and providing knowledgeable training in the field of Menstruation, Reproductive Health, Sex & Gender and Child Sexual Abuse. Using her communicative and interactive skills, Deblina dreams to follow her passion to be a change maker in the society.
Patit, aka, Patit Da handles accounts, financial reporting and financial information for Anahat. He has over 13 years of experience in the NGO sector and a degree in B.Com with specialization in accounting. He maintains tally data and is our one point “go to person” for any account related queries.
Bishal is in charge of Anahat's accounting, financial reporting, and financial information. His experience in the NGO sector spans over four years, and he holds a degree in B.Com with specialization in accounting. Tally data is maintained by him. Bishal loves to play and watch movies when he is not working.
An optimist, dedicated, and open-minded professional Social Worker, having 2.5 years of experience in the social sector. She completed her master's in Rural Studies from Visva-Bharati University. Previously she worked in Bihar & Jharkhand with adolescent girls in life-skill projects. Currently, she is working as an associate trainer at Anahat for Change Foundation, responsible for delivering training on life skills, child safety, and Menstruation Health & hygiene.
Dipika is a vital member of our accounts team, excelling in maintaining Tally data and managing the books of accounts with precision. She also prepares board minutes meticulously, ensuring organizational transparency and compliance. Dipika's collaborative spirit and dedication make her a valuable asset to our team, driving our financial success with her attention to detail and professionalism.
Nilam Kujur is the President of Lankapara Women Cooperative and is currently working with Anahat as a Project Coordinator in Alipurduar district of West Bengal. She proudly belongs to the tribal community of tea pluckers from Lankapara Tea Garden in Alipurduar. She has a rich background in child protection and rights realization in her area and has previously worked with ActionAid. Currently she is coordinating Project Udaan for Anahat in Alipurduar which empowers women with sustainable livelihood options through goat rearing & breeding along with social and behavioral change around sexual reproductive health rights of men and women of the tea garden.
Sujit Oraon is a young dynamic professional from Dalmore tea garden of Alipurduar. After graduation, he is pursuing Masters in social work. In February2024 he has started working with Anahat for Change foundation as a Community Mobilizer. Being young, he is very well connected with the young adolescent group of the garden and everybody refers to him as “Sujit Dada”. The adolescents enjoy sessions with him and within a few months he has become quite popular among the community . In future he wants to work more for his tribal community and want to address all the problems of the tea garden. When he is not working, he is found exploring new areas which is his another field of interest.
Anil Bomjan is working as the ‘Community Facilitator’ for Anahat in the Alipurduar district of West Bengal. He conducts session on gender and sexuality with adolescent boys of the tea gardens. Being a senior person, he has also been able to popularize the program among the parents of the adolescents. He is also involved in several rescue operations related to unsafe migration of children. He believes he is very skilled ta communication and hence the participants enjoy his sessions. He spends his spare time by watching south Indian movies.
Vocational Training Members & Field Mobilizers
