Nilesh Mantri

Nilesh Mantri leads two of the organisation's flagship initiatives: Sewa Fellowship and Sponsor a Child.

An engineer by training with 18 years of experience across manufacturing and IT, he chose to transition from the corporate world to the social sector to contribute to education and leadership development.

Over the past decade, Nilesh has worked extensively with educators, school children, youth, institutional leaders, and corporate teams, designing experiential learning programs that use activities, games, and adventure to build leadership, life skills, and social-emotional competencies.

Having engaged with more than 3,000 learners and professionals, he brings a unique blend of systems thinking, leadership development, and grassroots experience.

At Sewa International, he continues to nurture the next generation of social leaders and oversees the Sponsor A Child program's effective implementation and expansion in India.

Harshit Kumar

Harshit Kumar is Senior Manager – Programs & Public Relations (PR) at Sewa International, where he leads strategic communication, media relations, stakeholder engagement, and community development initiatives.

Alongside his professional role, he is a researcher, writer, and communication professional working at the intersection of academia, media, and social development.

He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Hindi at the University of Delhi, with research focused on the Indian diaspora and its socio-cultural contributions.

He holds an M.Phil. from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and a Master's in Hindi Literature from Jamia Millia Islamia. He takes care of additional activities like Anubhuti, student gathering, managing school partnerships in SaC.

His experience spans journalism, research, literature, communication, CSR, and the social development sector. Through his work, he strives to bridge academic research with meaningful social impact.

Sunil Shukla

Sunil Shukla, Manager-Marketing & Outreach, is a development sector professional with over 18 years of experience in outreach, marketing, community engagement, programme management, stakeholder engagement, and volunteer mobilization.

Throughout his career, he has worked with leading nonprofit organizations, including Sewa International, Greenpeace India, and Adharshila Trust, contributing to initiatives in grassroots development, volunteer engagement, fundraising, campaign management, and capacity building. He is currently supporting in documentation of children profile and back office support for donor relations in SaC.

He began his professional journey with Adharshila Trust, a Delhi-based nonprofit organization, where he spent five years implementing programmes focused on non-formal education for children, vocational training, and community health for underserved communities.

He subsequently served with Greenpeace India for eight years, leading fundraising initiatives that supported environmental advocacy, strengthened citizen engagement, and mobilized public participation in sustainability campaigns.

Priya D K

Priya D K holds a Master's degree in Mathematics and brings over 15 years of experience from the banking sector, prior to her work in the social sector.

Her path into this field began with a long-standing interest in education and a desire to contribute to children's learning and development — an interest she pursued by volunteering with organisations supporting visually impaired students and those focused on English communication skills.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Priya began volunteering with Youth for Sewa and the Sponsor a Child programme, an experience that soon grew into a full-time commitment.

She has since been an integral part of the programme, first as a Child Enablement Officer and now as its Project Manager. In this role, she oversees the programme's implementation, working closely with her team as they engage with children, families, and schools, while also visiting beneficiaries, coordinating with volunteers, donors, and internal teams to ensure the programme runs smoothly.

With a natural inclination towards teaching and children's education, Priya believes that timely support and the right opportunities can give children the confidence to build a better future for themselves and their families.

Hari Prasad Thoram

“Seva Hi Paramo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty)

Hari Prasad Thoram has been an integral part of SEWA International since April 2017. His journey with SEWA has been a transformative experience of self-discovery and dedicated community service.

While he originally viewed service as individual acts of kindness during his college days, his work at SEWA expanded that perspective—showing him that seva is a commitment to uplifting the entire society.

Hari currently serves as the Assistant Manager for the Sponsor A Child (SAC) program. He initially joined the organization as a Field Coordinator for SAC, where he directly witnessed the impact of providing educational sponsorship to underprivileged children from vulnerable families across India.

Deeply passionate about education, Hari is dedicated to equipping children with the tools they need to break the cycle of poverty and build a brighter future for themselves and their community.

Ritik Shukla

Ritik Shukla is a governance and public policy professional whose work centers on education, child development, and community empowerment.

He holds an MBA in Public Administration & Public Policy and brings hands-on experience in program coordination, documentation, and stakeholder engagement, with a focus on translating policy intent into effective, people-centered implementation. He is currently handling nearly 1000 students in Hindi speaking states.

He is guided by the conviction that every child deserves an equal opportunity to learn, grow, and realize their potential.

Grounded in empathy and accountability, his approach to social impact begins with understanding people and strengthening communities — building systems that create change that lasts.

A. Karthika

A dedicated education professional with over 20 years of experience in academic leadership, English language instruction, and school administration.

Recognized for fostering student growth through effective teaching, mentoring, and strong behavioural management while maintaining high academic standards across ICSE, CBSE, and State Board curricula.

Experienced in leading school operations, managing multidisciplinary teams, curriculum planning, policy implementation, and building strong partnerships with parents and educators. Successfully steered schools through the COVID-19 pandemic by ensuring uninterrupted learning and student engagement.

For the past two years, has been associated with SEWA, initially joining as a volunteer before transitioning into a full-time role.

Currently responsible for coordinating nearly 1,200 student applications across Kerala and Tamil Nadu, working closely with parents and schools, conducting regular school visits, and providing continuous guidance and support to ensure a smooth application and student engagement process.

Jaya G

Jaya G. is a dedicated professional with a background in Human Resources, training, community development, and child welfare. She holds a B.Com degree and has over 4 years of professional experience.

She began her career with Tech Mahindra Smart Vocational Training, working as an HR Recruiter, CRS professional, and ITES Trainer, supporting underprivileged students through skill development and career-oriented training.

She is currently working with the Sponsor a Child programme as a Child Enablement Officer, supporting children across Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Her work involves child engagement, family support, programme coordination, and contributing to the overall well-being and development of sponsored children.

Jayashree S

A brave, confident, and purpose-driven professional, Jayashree has dedicated the past five years to child enablement and educational upliftment.

Driven by a deep spirit of Seva Bhava (selfless service), she balances an impactful career in social development with her role as a mother to two daughters.

Her work focuses on removing financial barriers for underprivileged students, ensuring that young minds—particularly in regional areas like Telangana—have the resources and opportunities to achieve academic success.

Holding a full-time Bachelor of Business Management (BBM) in Finance from Bangalore University, she remains steadfast in her mission to build a future where every child’s potential is nurtured, regardless of their financial background.

Ravi Chandra Chakinala

Ravi, a long time Sewa volunteer and co-founder of the Sponsor a Child program, graduated with an MBA from New York’s Columbia Business School and received a Gold Medal as the University topper. Before that, he completed his B. Tech. in Computer Science from IIT Madras. Based in New York City, he is currently in a leadership role in the Algorithmic Trading industry. He has over 19 years of experience in designing Artificial Intelligence systems that successfully predict and invest in Financial markets.

He has been actively volunteering in Social work for the past 2 decades and his association with Sewa International started with him sponsoring education for a few children in 2010. Ravi strongly believes in empowering underprivileged people with the gift of education. Additionally, as an Angel investor, he invested in multiple technology startup firms across the world.

Pramod Sajja

Pramod is a visionary leader and first-generation entrepreneur who founded Paramount in 1998, growing it into an award-winning IT solutions firm. He is also the driving force behind Farm to Plate, a blockchain-powered initiative that supports sustainable food systems and empowers marginalized farmers worldwide.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Pramod is deeply committed to social impact. Through the company’s Paramount Gives initiative, he has led efforts to build technology resources for refugee children, and supported many nonprofits. He has had a 9 year long association with Sewa International.