CORE TEAM

P. Veerabhadranaika has a post-graduate degree in gender studies and a doctorate in sociology from Mysore University. He has worked on elementary education, rights-based development, and in organising youth. He has conducted indepth studies on ashramshalas in Chamarajanagar district and has engaged in advocacy work related to improving education among tribals/adivasis. His areas of interest are critical development, rural sociology, and educational studies.

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P. Srinivas alias Vasu or ‘Soil Vasu’ is the founder of SOIL,  a trust for caring for, protecting and rebuilding soil health. He has worked in various parts of Karnataka with a focus on promoting sustainable agriculture. He is especially concerned about the state of soils in India and has developed several teaching and demonstration modules related to issues around soil. An expert teacher with pedagogies that draw on humour, songs, poetry and in-depth knowledge of local and scientific practices, Vasu is a well-known resource person for issues related to soil/land, crops, organic manure, and seed conservation.

At PUNARCHITH he teaches the module on sustainable agriculture and has helped set up demonstration plots for youth learners.

H. Suma has training in finance and has worked with Reuters and then at Ernst and Young (Bengaluru) for twelve years. Her deep interest in ecological issues and social concerns led her to quit her job and she currently divides her time between VANASTREE and PUNARCHITH.

At PUNARCHITH, she is in charge of accounts and also takes the sessions on accounts for the ‘Integrated Learning Programme’. Her pedagogies for accounts include enabling youth to choose options, make decisions, and critically assess their expenditure patterns. A keen naturalist, she also enjoys working on the land and home garden.

Sundramma has recently joined the Punarchith team and will be in-charge of the outreach and community activities. She has a B.A degree and around twelve years of experience working in Mahila Samakya. A keen observer and gentle persuader, she enjoys motivating women and children and conducting workshops.

Vasantha is a resident of Nagavalli and a mother of two children who are studying to be professionals. A hard-worker, she supports PUNARCHITH by running the kitchen and is also an active member of Honneru: The Rural Collective.

Shaila takes care of Punarchith’s learning centre and its maintenance. She also doubles up as a stand-by cook and is now learning to make snacks and food items as part of Honneru production team.

Chandrakantha B.R is a multi-faceted person who combines an interest in agriculture, music, and computers. He will be coordinating the marketing aspects of HONNERU: the rural producers’ collective and also providing music and performance arts support to the team.

Sajan PK is a communications professional based in Bengaluru. A former journalist and a television producer, he has over 25 years of experience across media, academia and the IT sector, the longest of which was in corporate communications, working with Infosys, HP and Verizon. In 2020, he left Verizon, a global telecom MNC where he was the head of Communications & CSR for India, and transitioned to the social sector with a commitment to the causes of climate action, gender justice and rural empowerment. At Punarchit, he supports communications and outreach. He is also a visiting faculty member at St. Joseph’s University.