Vanshika Mirza
Project Manager
Vanshika Mirza is a psychologist, a public speaker, and a content creator who aims at making mental health services and concepts more accessible to the general public by means of psycho-education. She has done her graduation in Applied Psychology from Delhi University and her post-graduation in Psycho-social Clinical Studies from Ambedkar University Delhi. Post that she has had the chance to work with a diverse population of refugees seeking asylum in the country in her engagement with the UNHCR. Although she has worked with a corporate brand CULTFIT as a therapist, she has also had the fortune to work with the community on a psychosocial and mental health helpline – iCALL which is a project incubated within Tata Institute of Social Sciences. She has been associated with Project CACA in various capacities since 2018 and is currently working with us as a Project Manager in Maharashtra.
Annie Namratha
Project Manager
Annie Namratha has a bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Osmania University, Hyderabad and a master’s degree in Social Work (specialising in Clinical & Community Practice) from CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bangalore. She has interned with various organisations like Voice 4 Girls (acted as a counsellor for adolescents girls) Enable India, World Vision India, Youth for Seva, during which She have conducted many community based awareness programs like Menstruation and menstrual hygiene etc., while also conducting sessions on stigma associated topics. She has also interned with NIEPID (National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disability) etc., She is passionate about being a voice for the voiceless while also helping them to help themselves through advocacy and evidence-based approaches.
Neha Tyagi
Legal Consultant
Neha has done her Bachelors in English Literature (honors) from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University; Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism from Times Of India; and LLB from Campus Law Center, Delhi University. Currently practicing before honourable Supreme Court and High Court of Punjab and Haryana. Her core areas include Constitutional Law, Women and Children Rights, Revenue Matters, Education, Consumer Rights, Civil Disputes involving Recovery, Title, Transfer of Property, Rent Control, Land Acquisition, Negotiable Instruments, and Criminal matters. With a keen interest in women and child rights issues, being a journalist with The Times of India and while contributing to law journals in the past, she has written numerous articles highlighting socio-legal issues like Women Empowerment, against honour killing, domestic violence, sexual abuse, dowry prohibition etc. She has also been active as part of NGOs and philanthropic organizations working on implementation of various governmental policies on gender justice and Right to Education.
Ravi Kumar Nigam
Panel Advocate
Ravi pursued his graduation degree Bachelor of Commerce (B.COM) from the School of Open Learning, the University of Delhi with Business Law and Company Law in the Year 2008 and Law Graduation degree (LL.B) from Campus Law Centre, Faculty of Law, the University of Delhi in the Year 2013. He started his career with practice in the courts of law and part-time work in the local NGOs in Delhi and NCR. Later he completed Masters in Law (LLM) from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. His focus is to work for the welfare and protection of vulnerable groups, especially children in India. Along with his Independent practice he started his career with the HAQ: Centre for Child Right as the Legal Consultant and Practiced as an Advocate in the District Courts of Delhi. Project CACA provides litigation and psycho-social support to children in the Delhi region from the EWS who have been sexually harmed so they can pursue justice that meets their needs. The support is provided with the help of various partners, supportive organisations and Pro Bono networks. The support is spearheaded by Ravi.
Muhammad Ghazi Shahnawaz
Honorary Consultant (Assessment)
Professor, Department of Psychology, Jamia Millia Islamia (Central University), New Delhi-110025, since 2010. Major duties include teaching, conducting research and mentoring students as well as supervising the administrative work of the department. He has written over 40 papers, supervised about a dozen PhD students and has 25 years of teaching and research experience. Prof. Shahnawaz has also participated in numerous workshops and conferences across the country. He is an expert in quantitative research and adept in mass data analysis through software such as SPSS, AMOS and R.
Pratibha Malhotra
Consultant Psychologist
She has a bachelor’s degree in Applied Psychology and a master’s degree in Applied (Clinical) Psychology from Delhi University. She has seven years of experience working in a hospital, school, and corporate setup. She has worked as a Counselling Psychologist with the Department of Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences, Fortis Healthcare. She was a part of the Fortis School Mental Health Program, conducting workshops on psychological awareness and well-being for students and young adults. She was also a part of the Fortis National Mental Health Program, responsible for conducting psycho-educative sessions in various organisations. She has also conducted six months training course with EDMC and NDMC teachers on Basic Counselling Skills. Additionally, she was a part of their 24×7 Stress Helpline.
She has also worked with eminent schools and corporates across India as a counsellor and a resource person to facilitate flagship programs and conduct mental health workshops.
Simran Kalsi
Content Coordinator
She has a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Delhi University and a master’s degree in Public Administration from IGNOU. Reading, writing and drawing have been her hobbies since her school days. She has worked as an illustrator, story writer, content creator and editor for monthly journals, children’s storybooks and life skills school books for a publishing house for six years. She is well-versed in various software related to publishing and printing. She is also actively involved in digital content development and its promotion. She is now a team member of Project CACA as a Content Coordinator. She firmly believes that nothing is more vicious and outrageous than the abuse, exploitation and harm of one of the most vulnerable members of society, i.e., our children.
Kashish Jain
Sr. Advocacy Ambassador
Kashish Jain has completed her graduation from Ramanujan College, University of Delhi in the field of Applied Psychology, wherein she was the college topper. She then pursued Masters in Criminology with specialization in Security Management from LNJN, National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Science (Ministry of Home Affairs – Govt. of India). Besides, she is pursuing Masters in Psychology from IGNOU. Being part of Delhi University’s research project, she has intense experience and knowledge about research work. Her aptitude skills include field knowledge of investigation of crime using scientific aids. Her high order thinking and deep learning make her cautious of her decisions and support the accuracy of the results. Her communication skills are strong and she is self-motivated, hardworking and displays leadership qualities. She also did internships in schools and children homes like Samarpan NGO along with it she has done internships in CISF, CBI FSL, Urivi Vikram Charitable trust, Mental Health Foundation. Besides this she has done various field visits like Central Jail Complex, Mandoli, Rohini District Court, Bureau of Public Research and Development, National Crime Records Bureau, SPYM Juvenile Deaddiction Centre, Police station, rohini. She seeks to bring change and awareness for juvenile delinquents and offenders to bring betterment in the society.
Saumya Pushkarna
Sr. Advocacy Ambassador
She is passionate about protecting child rights and the mental health of children. She graduated in Sociology from Delhi University and did Master’s in Social Work from IGNOU. Earlier she worked with the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights – NCPCR, Delhi and was actively involved in rescuing children forced to beg in streets of Delhi. Besides, she compiled reports for various cases related to the Juvenile Justice Act violations from across India. These cases involved children who were isolated, needed protection, were in danger, and were victims of child marriage. She is trained in Indian classical music and has received various felicitations for her art. She loves to read, has a particular liking for dogs and is quick-witted around her friends and family.
Chandana Bose
Advocacy Ambassador
She has a bachelor’s degree in food science and nutrition from the University of Calcutta, and a master’s degree in social work from Christ University, Bengaluru. She has worked as a dietetic intern at ILS Hospital and Columbia Asia Hospital, Kolkata. Besides, she is a certified Diabetic Educator. She has interned with various organisations committed to creating a holistically healthy life for children and adults. During her PG, she was a part of the German Exchange Program with Katho University. She volunteered to provide psychosocial support to the Covid affected patients and their families as a part of the Beat Covid Campaign. Working with children has always been her calling which further intensified while researching the area of child trafficking. Engaging in the social sector has enabled her to experience the tangible impact of her efforts toward building a safer, brighter life for these budding generations.
Vidushi Jain
Advocacy Ambassador
She is highly motivated to work in the development sector industry as she believes it to be a tool for the inclusion of social communities. She has a strong command over creative content writing and communication skills. She has pursued her graduation from Symbiosis Centre for Media and Communication in public relations and post-graduation from National Institute for Criminology and Forensic Sciences, in criminology, specialising in human rights. Her work experience includes NGOs like SAATH and Gunjan, corporates like MSL Agency and Decathlon Sports, and government departments like NCPCR. She has worked for over 8 months on a UNICEF-funded project catering to child education. She is confident in building connections with people from different socio-cultural backgrounds. She can improvise project objectives to the need of several underprivileged and marginalised beneficiaries. Out-of-box solutions are her way of working.
Parnika Rastogi
Advocacy Ambassador
She is a budding social worker who strives to be a catalyst for society’s progress and development by assisting individuals and communities in achieving their highest levels of personal and societal well-being. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology, sociology and economics and a master’s degree in social work specialising in clinical and community practice from Christ University, Bengaluru. She has interned with various organisations like The Fourth Wave Foundation, SCARF, Muskurahat Foundation, Spastics Society of Karnataka and Justice and Hope. Working as a volunteer with the NGO, namely, How to Tell Your Child, enabled her to work at the grass-root level and sensitise the community about preventing child sexual abuse and the POCSO Act, 2012. She believes our true victory as a society lies in empowering our children about their rights and responsibilities.
Shruthi J
Advocacy Ambassador
She is creative and highly inquisitive. She strongly believes in contributing to society’s progress and development in a positive way to achieve the desired goals. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from M.O.P. Vaishnav College for Women, Chennai and a master’s degree in social work from Christ University, Bengaluru. She has interned with organizations like SCARF and Fourth Wave Foundation. During her internship, she mobilized the community through advocacy by representing their rights and needs to the local panchayat and empowering women in the community. Besides, she has actively participated in street plays for the cause of substance abuse among youth in collaboration with Nasha Mukth Bharat Abhiyan. Her interest is spread widely in community development, women and child rights protection, advocacy and policy-making. She strives to become positive support for children who are abused or neglected.
Famia
Advocacy Ambassador
An educator, public speaker, and social worker, Famia straddles several worlds of experience. She has a Master’s degree in social work from the University of Lucknow and completed her Bachelor’s from Isabella Thoburn College, Lucknow. Furthermore, she was one of the most decorated students in her college and a recipient of various merit awards. She excelled in exhibiting strong leadership abilities during her tenure as Youth Facilitator. She organized surpassingly informative “My Life Mere Faisle” online sessions. With a keen interest in Women and Child Rights issues, she has organized and actively participated in numerous webinars highlighting socio-legal issues like women empowerment, domestic violence, sexual abuse, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), and child marriage, etc. She has also been a resolute part of NGOs and philanthropic organizations working on implementing various governmental policies on Gender Justice and the Right to Education.
Advocacy Ambassador
She has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Ravenshaw University, Cuttack and a master’s degree in Criminology (specialising in Forensic Psychology) from National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar. She has interned with various organisations like Forensic Cybertech, Directorate of Forensic Sciences, Gujarat, Omysha Foundation, Fortis Healthcare, and Sukoon Psychiatry Hospitals. During her internships, she gained clinical knowledge and forensic cum legal experience and has conducted BEOS, Polygraph, SDS, and LVA on real-time cases. She has also volunteered with Adore India, where she taught Spoken English and Grammar to underprivileged children of Bhubaneshwar during the pandemic. Her interest is widely spread in lawmaking, enforcement, administration, welfare, development, education and policy-making. Having worked with children previously, she strives to diminish any harm or neglect done to them.
Advocacy Ambassador
She has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Journalism & Mass Communication and English Literature from St. Joseph’s College for Women (Affiliated to Andhra University) and a master’s degree in Criminology with a specialisation in Forensic Psychology from the National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar (Ministry of Home Affairs – Govt. of India). She has worked for organisations such as Make a Difference (MAD; as a fundraiser), PinkyMind (as a listener counsellor), Kid Aptivity Technologies (as an online English language instructor), Project Sales Corp, and Namaste Vizag (as a reporter, digital marketer, and content writer), among others. Besides this, she has also volunteered for the Special Education & Advisory Centre for Children (SANKALP) school. She has done a certified NLP Practitioner course and training in psychometric assessment tests (Council of India with PosiTips). Her approach is diverse, and her leadership skills are intact (she was the college’s president of the psychology club). She seeks to help the vulnerable and the needy, to lessen the gap between the powerful and the powerless, and to make society a better place for children.
Advocacy Ambassador
She did her Master’s in English Literature. With a passion for working for people, she enrolled at St. Joseph’s University Bengaluru and gained mindful knowledge about social work. Clubbed with five friends, she started an NGO (Erode Parenting Hub), which focuses on empowering womanhood and parenting techniques for both men and women. She has also worked in research conducted by the All India Trade Union Congress on ” Impacts of Swiggy and Zomato in delivery partner’s life” and worked with various communities such as special kids, sex workers and the LGBTQ community to understand the society at the grassroots level. As a community development worker, she also worked in the RBAI Bosch CSR department and crafted various sustainable projects for the community’s welfare. She also prepared a “Resource Teacher” project to help students know computer usage. As a community developer, she firmly believes that she could bring changes to society.
Manleen Bawa
Content Facilitator (Academic) – Volunteer
Manleen Bawa is a human service professional with a Masters in Social Work from Delhi School of Social Work, University of Delhi and a Bachelors in English (H) from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi. She has undertaken several research projects as the Research and Content Head at Baala, a youth-led, impact-oriented Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) organisation working to make sustainable menstruation a reality. During her association with Baala, she also conducted 30+ workshops on MHM awareness and trained over 20 young women to become community change-makers. As a student of Social Work, she has interned at Safdarjung Hospital, National Association for the Blind, Delhi and ANHAD (Act Now for Harmony and Democracy). She has worked with human rights and justice concerns through her Master’s dissertation titled “Delhi 1984: Identity, Conflict and Violence.” She is extremely passionate about employing a rights-based approach in all her work. She is also a trained contemporary dancer and an avid reader.
Anshu Sharma
Content Facilitator (Legal) – Volunteer
She is pursuing her LLB at IFIM Law School, Bengaluru. She is a Political Science (Hons) graduate from Loreto College, Kolkata. Since her school days, she has been a part of organizations working towards social good. Her participation in social service activities has made her sensitive to the crucial issues that need immediate attention. Presently, she is a Research Assistant at the Centre of Excellence for Women, Child and the Law and Public International Law Research Centre at IFIM Law School, Bengaluru. She is balancing her studies, duties outside the college, and contribution toward Project CACA. She believes in the axiom Project CACA is built on “Prevention is better than cure.”
Bela Sethi
Content Facilitator – Volunteer
She has done her B.Com (Hons) from Hindu College, Delhi University and B.Ed from Annamalai University. A Primary school teacher with vast experience of nearly thirty years teaching children in various parts of the country. She is committed to helping children develop head, hand and heart qualities, thereby helping in their holistic development. She has been associated with Springdales School for more than twenty years. She has participated in International Teachers and Students exchange programmes. Apart from attending numerous workshops and seminars by eminent personalities, she was also selected to participate in workshops conducted by NCERT and CBSE on Content and Curriculum Development. She is a highly motivated and enthusiastic educator dedicated to inculcating values amongst children to make them better human beings.
Bharti Singh
Content Facilitator – ECCE
Bharti Singh is a curriculum writer for the Foundational Level (ECCE-Early childhood care and education). She works on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN). She is a post graduate with Masters of Arts, Bachelor of Education and Certification in Nursery teachers training. She started her career as a high school teacher (2007 to 2009) for social science. While working as a Vice Principal in a K-12 CBSE School (2009), she gained exposure to the K2. She realised that a lot of innovations could be done at the ECCE Level. It was at this junction in 2010 that she got into the Nursery Teachers Training Course. From 2013 – 2019, she headed the pre-primary wing of reputed schools. Since 2019, she is into the curriculum designing work for ECCE. Her valuable inputs are reflected in the activity sheets and posters of the CACA Safety Workbooks.
Monica Solanki
Resource Person
She has worked with Project CACA starting as a Project Coordinator and then as the Regional Project Head. She is an expert member of POCSO and POSH Committees in various schools across India and is associated as a Resource Person for Project CACA. She has done B. A (Hons) in Psychology from the University of Delhi, M.A. in Criminology from LNJN National Institute of Criminology & Forensic Sciences (under MHA) and concurrently completed P.G. Diploma in Guidance and Counseling from Jamia Millia Islamia. She has worked with the Manas Foundation as a Psychologist at a Delhi Government-run Children Home for Boys (MWCD). She has hands-on experience assisting the Child Welfare Committee in POCSO and in-home individual cases. During her U.G. and P.G., she has undertaken internships in several Mental Health set-ups. She continues her drive to raise awareness of the nuances of abuse that may result in criminality in deviant ways.
Hema V. – Clinical Psychologist
Resource Person
She is a RCI approved Consultant Clinical Psychologist who has been working in the area of mental health for the past 2 years. She completed her B.Sc in Psychology, M.Sc in Applied Psychology (Clinical Specialization) and did her M.Phil. in Clinical Psychology. Besides, she has done a course on Education of Children with Learning Disabilities, Sign Language and Hypnosis (level 1). She has attended and presented papers in various National and International Conferences. Beside this academic endeavour she has delivered lectures on psychological awareness and disturbances and conducted mental health programs for school and college students. Her areas of interest are Clinical and Educational settings, Counseling & Guidance, Therapeutic Interventions and Research. She is also specialized in the areas of Psychological assessments, Addictions, CBT, Child and Adolescent crisis, Dealing with all psychological disorders, etc. She is trained in Clinical Psychology, De-addiction clinic, Neuropsychology, Adult and child Psychiatry and Special education. She has her own private clinic and she also works as an independent consultant for various psychiatric, De-addiction and early interventions clinics.
Krupa Nishar – Psychologist
Resource Person
She is a Forensic Psychologist. She earned her B.A. Psychology from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. She received a Gold medal at Gujarat Forensic Sciences University and was ranked first in M.Sc. Forensic Psychology. She has teaching experience of two and half years at the National Forensic Sciences University. She has practised her expertise on more than 50 criminal cases at Juvenile Home Dongri, Forensic Science Labs and Crime Branch, Ahmedabad. In addition to being widely published in her domain, she has been invited as a resource person at various platforms like IIM Ahmedabad, St. Xaviers’ College, Mumbai and the University of Madras to conduct workshops about the application of Forensic Psychology.
Dr Surbhi – Advocate
Resource Person
She has an extensive experience in the field of education. She did her PhD from Delhi University. After completing her LLM from the Law School, she authored a book on legal language, legal vocabulary & legal drafting published by an international & renowned publisher, Lexis Nexis. Besides, to her credit, she has other publications in the form of three literary books and several legal articles in reputed magazines. Currently, she is writing a book on Child Protection laws at the request of the Ministry of Law and Justice. She has worked in a child rights NGO’s training department for the last six years. She has twelve years of teaching experience in law schools. She is always excited about the opportunity to be part of a training team that increases awareness of child-related issues. She regularly takes sessions on Child Protection laws in CBI, Police Academy, schools and child protection functionaries.
Madhumitaa
Resource Person
Madhumitaa is from the city of chennai who has explored over various domains of social work. She has a Bachelor’s degree in commerce from Women’s Christian College Chennai and later went on to pursue her Master’s in social work from Madras School of Social Work. While she believes in empowerment and independence for everyone, she had started working part time from the second year of her bachelor’s to support her educational needs. During her master’s program she was associated with various organisations via internships such as Project Puthri, MASARD and SIRD. Apart from these organizations, during the begining of the pandemic she was also associated with the Greater Chennai Corporation as outreach coordinator in creating awareness. She is also a streetplay, and puppet show artist and has been in the college team for various events. As her interest and inquisitiveness for human behaviour grows she is now pursuing her Masters in Applied Psychology. While she steps into the workforce she comes with a great exposure and zest to learn.
Ashutosh Srivastava
Resource Person and Content Development
A law graduate form LL.M. – National Law University, Jodhpur with 17+ years of experience on Child Rights, Women’s Rights, Access to Justice, Legal Aid and Legal Empowerment. He has worked with NGO’s like Global Rights, Child Rights and You (CRY) and has actively worked on various aspects of Child Protection – child sexual abuse, child trafficking, child labour and child marriage. He has worked with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India for implementation of a Project on “Access to Justice” for Marginalized People in eight Indian states – Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Since March 2017, he is associated with UNICEF as a Consultant on Child Protection. He recently facilitated Swami Vivekananda State Police Academy, Barrack pore, West Bengal, in strengthening Child Protection training of police officials. Presently, he is aiding UNICEF in Uttar Pradesh in Strengthening Child Protection Systems.
Shreya Joshi
Resource Person
Shreya Joshi is the Head of Socio-Legal Operations at Plane Jar Welfare Foundation, Mumbai. She works for awareness, prevention, and justice for child abuse, gender based violence, and mental health through advocacy, trainings, capacity building projects, and outreach. Her approach is survivor centric, trauma- informed and sensitised. She is a One Future Fellow 2021- 22. Furthermore she has majored in Sociology and have a PGD in Therapeutic Counseling.
Gautam Nagraj
Resource Person
Mr. Gautam Nagraj is an Anthropologist with an experience of more than 20 years in teaching anthropology in schools, colleges, universities, and corporates at various national and international platforms. He has done his specialization in Cultural Anthropology from Brazil. He has imparted the knowledge of Anthropology to thousands of students by organizing anthropology studies as yearlong co-curricular academic club activity in schools and delivering hundreds of online and In-person workshops for student, teachers, and professionals. He has been an active participant and a resource person as an speaker and administrator for various congresses organized in different countries on anthropological and cultural studies.
Saar Dhingra
Resource Person
She holds a P.G. diploma in Dance Movement Therapy (Savitribai Phule Pune University), a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology (Panjab University) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Psychology (University of Delhi). She has previously worked as a school counsellor conducting counselling sessions and workshops on mental health awareness and the psychological well-being of children and adolescents. She is presently working as a Research Assistant in a study funded by The Ministry of Home Affairs aimed at making policy-level recommendations. During her internship, she has worked with clients ranging from individuals at de-addiction centres to providing emotional support to caretakers, using dance/movement therapy techniques. Additionally, she is a professional member of the Indian Association of Dance/ Movement. Therapy and works as an integral part of the Licensure and Policy Committee of the same. She hopes to make a difference in the lives of children by building the capacity of teachers on psychological aspects of issues related child abuse.
Sarabjeet Kaur
HR – Training and Recruitment Coordinator
She earned a Business system information management (BSIM) course from GNIIT along with a graduation in B.com from Delhi University. She has over 10 years of diverse back-end experience with specialization in facilitation and coordination on matters related to research & development , assessment, customer training and capacity building. Interpersonal skills honed through various extracurricular activities and coordination with people.
Minal Sawhney
HR – Training and Recruitment Coordinator
She has done B.A. Programme from Williams Carrey University (Meghalaya) in 2011, is an avid reader of children’s literature and has a flare for travel. Her previous experience of 8 years in administration and supervision in various schools of Delhi has groomed her into being and organised and disciplined professional. She is recognised for dynamic work ethics and team player attitude. She believes that a planned approach in things is what drives her towards success. As a mother of a kid, she is equally sensitive to the right kind of environment children require to blossom. Her optimism and dedication help her to take up the responsibilities of the workshop coordinator with utmost enthusiasm.
Chanchal
Admin Assistant
She is pursuing a master’s degree in Political Science from IGNOU. She has a fieldwork experience with the Delhi Traffic Police (Punjabi Bagh Training Center). She did a personality development and life skills course from NGO – Magic Bus India Foundation. She also has done an accounting course from Expert Academy. She is a multitasker and a team player. She believes our children should be educated about what type of physical touch is safe and what’s not.