Smriti has around 10 years of experience in working towards quality education in rural areas, training teachers, developing modules, monitoring and more. At NEG-FIRE, her main responsibilities are programme management, capacity building and providing technical assistance to the partners in the central region. She has previously worked with various organisations such as Bodh Shiksha Samiti, Rajasthan, Azim Premji Foundation, Uttarakhand and different National Dailies (Amar Ujala, Rajasthan Patrika, Dainik Bhaskar and Lokmat Samachaar) covering educational issues.
She has a Masters degree in Broadcast and Journalism and is currently pursuing a degree in Education. Smriti enjoys listening to sufi music and old era songs and loves to read fiction, history, and travel blogs.
A development professional having 20 years of experience in executing and managing development programmes, in various capacities for NGOs in urban and rural areas, Baliram joined NEG-FIRE in May 2016. Prior to joining NEG-FIRE, Baliram worked in Oxfam India, Sampark, CORO in Maharshtra. He also held the position of Program Coordinator at NEG-FIRE from April 2011 till July 2015, and re-joins the NEG-FIRE family.
Baliram holds an (Master of Social Work) degree from University of Mumbai. He likes to travel to new places, trekking, reading, playing badminton and watching movies.
An administration and accounts person by profession, Dinesh joined NEG-FIRE in April 2014. He is responsible for all admin and accounts related activities here at NEG-FIRE central region, Bhopal(M.P.). He has previously worked with Madhyanchal Forum supported by CASA wherein he worked closely with government and network organisations.
Dinesh has a Master's degree in Commerce (Management group) from Vikramuniversity Ujjain (M.P.) and a Bachelor's degree in Journalism & Mass Communication from MakhanlalChaturvedi National University of Journalism Bhopal (M.P.). He loves singing gazals and going for long bike rides.
A development professional with 12 years of experience, Jyoti joined NEG-FIRE in November 2017 and is responsible for managing the Teacher Training programmes and Content Development processes for the central region. She has previously worked with Rajya Shiksha Kendra, Government of Madya Pradesh wherein she was looking after teacher training implementation, training and indication of teachers, preparation of modules, etc. She has also worked for Edumedia India Pvt. Ltd, Rajasthan and as a high school and primary teacher in Gujarat.
Jyoti has a Master’s degree in Education and loves listening to music and reading during her free time.
With over 5 years of work experience in the education sector in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, Moumita joined the NEG-FIRE family in May 2018 and will be responsible for program management, capacity building and providing technical assistance to the partners. Before joining NEG-FIRE, she was working with Educate Girls and previously was a ‘Fellow’ at Piramal Foundation of Education Leadership wherein she worked on school leadership, researched on child pedagogy and classroom practices and more.
Moumita has a Masters degree in Literature from University of Burdwan, West Bengal and also in Fine Arts from Bangiya Sahitya Parishad. She comes with a lot of passion for children’s learning and she believes in education as a tool to bring societal change. Moumita is also a trained Kathak dancer.
Raj joined NEG-FIRE in January 2016 and is responsible for daily routine accounting work such as verifying the bills/cash, payments processing, monthly Bank Reconciliation/MIS, Payroll processing, TDS, FCRA, budget working, field accounting/visit etc. Prior to joining NEG-FIRE, Raj has worked with University Research Company India Pvt. Ltd. – Centre for Human Services and Project Concern International.
He has a Master's degree in Finance and a bachelor's degree in Commerce. Raj also loves to read books, play cricket and listen to good music.
A senior development professional, Rakesh joined NEG-FIRE in 2014. He contributes to knowledge management and leads the research initiatives of NEG-FIRE on issues of education of marginalised children and has over two decades of experience in research, advocacy, networking and communication in fields such as education, women empowerment, and governance. He has valuable work/ consultancy experience with several national and international organizations and specializes in early grade reading improvement and mother tongue-based multilingual education in low resource contexts.
An alumna of Patna College, Patna and Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, Rakesh is a Ph.D. in Economics. He was Editor of 'Women's Link' (ISSN 2229-6409) for over five years. His hobbies are watching movies, sports, reading newspapers, surfing the internet and having fun with friends.
Working in the social and Development Sector from the past 6 years, Ravala Vijay joined NEG-FIRE in November 2015. He holds valuable experience in participative action research, monitoring and evaluation besides having in-depth understanding of project management especially in the domain of education, livelihoods, migration and tribal issues. Prior to joining NEG-FIRE, Vijay has worked with Child Fund India, Aide et Action International, Global Compact Network India and more.
He has an M.Phil degree in Population Studies from the Centre for the Study of Regional Development (CSRD), Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and loves watching movies and cooking.
With specialisation in Program Planning, Management and Development and M&E, Sandeep joined NEG-FIRE in December 2012. At NEG-FIRE, he leads the management, development and supervision of all prograand assures quality of the same. Prior to working here, Sandeep has worked with organizations such as CASA, CARE, Chhattisgarh Research Team (CGRT), Indo-Global Social Service Society (IGSSS), Christian Aid and World Vision India.
Sandeep loves music and is an avid cook and traveller.
Sangeeta joined NEG-FIRE in July 2018. She comes with about 13 years of work experience in the grants and finance domain. Before joining NEG-FIRE, she was working with SEWA Bharat as 'Senior Accountant' since Nov 2008; and held responsibilities of - grants and contracts administration of FCRA, CSR and Govt. funds, handling finances of multi-funded projects, auditing and due diligence, ensuring statutory compliances, preparing budgets for proposals with program team, etc.
Sangeeta is a Post Graduate in Finance from Symbiosis, Pune; and has completed her Bachelors in Commerce from Delhi University. She comes with passion to work in development sector and wishes to contribute her skills for a social cause.
An HR-OD and Administrative professional having 25 years of experience in NGOs, Sincy has joined NEG-FIRE in May 2016. Prior to joining NEG-FIRE, she has worked with organizations such as TERI, IDE, and ActionAid. She was also a freelance consultant to various NGOs in the areas of HR-OD.
Sincy holds a Master's Degree in Sociology; PG Diploma in Personnel Management and Industrial Relations from Annamalai University, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu. She is also a certified 'OD and Change Facilitator for NGOs' by HID Forum, Bangalore. She has keen interest in human processes and behavioral science subjects. She isa member of Indian Society for Applied Behavioural Science (ISABS), New Delhi, and facilitates Human Process Labs for personal growth.
Sincy loves to travel and explore new places and cultures; read books and gardening. Her favorite authors are Paulo Coelho, Khalid Husseini.
After completing his Masters in Social Work (), Uma started working in the development sector with a strong passion to serve with special attention on children, women, adolescent girls and other vulnerable section of the society. Throughout his work experience, Uma has worked with people at various levels including grassroot workers, line functionaries, senior officials and functionaries of organizations, departments and NGO's such as John Hopkins University, Pratham Education Foundation, ASER Centre Lucknow, etc.
Umed is one of the most resourceful and trust worthy persons at NEG-FIRE, who ensures safety of staff and guests travelling in the office vehicle. He is the Logistic Assistant & Driver here at NEG-FIRE and has previously worked with Chartered Accountant M. Thomas and Co. A great cook; he makes the best tea when staff is busy in meetings and trainings in order to revitalize them.
Vengatesh joined NEG-FIRE in January, 2014. Reporting to the Governing Board, Vengatesh is leading multi-disciplinary team that develop, pilot and scale-up appropriate pedagogical practices that promotes primary education for children from marginalized communities. His core strength is to translate organizational vision into practises and creating an environment of shared responsibility within the organization.
Vengatesh has more than 15 years senior leadership experiences in India and in foreign nation. Prior to joining NEG-FIRE, he worked as Senior Operations Director for Asia Region of International center for research on women. He was the Country Director for Malawi (Southern African region) with Project concern international and his last two positions with Catholic relief services in India were Director - partnerships and State Representative – Gujarat, Maharashtra & Chhattisgarh.
Vengatesh has Master's degree in Social work from Loyola College (University of Madras) and enjoys reading fiction, travelling and cricket.
A finance professional with over 20 years of experience in the finance sector, Vinnet joined NEG-FIRE in April 2014. He has a rich experience and understanding in Grants managements, finance, accounting, and statutory compliances as per income Tax, FCRA etc. Prior to joining NEG-FIRE, he has worked with several organisations like 'BachpanBachaoAndolan', 'Global Fund Round- 6 project with Catholic Bishops' Conference of India,Rural Education and Development (READ) India and Young women Christian Association of Delhi (YWCA of Delhi).
Vineet loves listening to music, watching TV and playing with children.
Sandeep joined NEG-FIRE in August 2016. He is responsible for all Administrative functions such as – office administration and maintenance, travel and accommodation, leave and attendance, event organizing, etc. He has previously worked with WomenPower Connect, Golden Graffiti Pvt. Ltd. and LSK Financial Services in Delhi.
Sandeep has a Bachelor’s degree in Multi-Media and Animation, Arena Animation from M S University, Tamil Nadu and is currently pursuing an MBA degree in HR and Administration from Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning, Pune. He is a great cricketer and loves watching movies and listening to music.
Been associated with the social development sector since the past 18 years, Sharmistha joined NEG-FIRE in June 2016 and is responsible for leading the northern regional team at our Lucknow office. She, through technical support to the team and the partners, manages all the projects of the region. She has previously worked on issues of women and children’s rights, social inclusion and school and teacher education. Prior to joining NEG-FIRE, she had been working with the Integrated Development Foundation, Central Project Support Unit (CPSU) of Swa-Shakti Project under the aegis of Ministry of Human Resource Development, Terre des Hommes (Germany) India Programme and TESS India/British Council.
Sharmistha has a Post Graduate Diploma in rural diploma from Xavier Institute of Social Services, Ranchi and is an artist at heart who loves music.
A development professional with more than 14 years of experience, Vinesh joined NEG-FIRE in December 2017 and is responsible for managing the Teacher Training programmes and Content Development processes for the central region. He was previously working with Pratham Education Foundation wherein he was responsible for content designing (Language and Math) for primary schools; organising and facilitating teachers training with RSK and DIETs in 8 districts in Madhya Pradesh; training Master Trainers’ team of Pratham, and government liaisoning, etc.
Vinesh is currently pursuing his Masters in Social Work and has a diploma in Community Leadership for Education from IGNOU and Certification in Adult Learning and Training Management from TATA Institute and Pratham.
With over 20+ years of diverse experience, Amitabh joined NEG-FIRE in January 2018 and will be leading and facilitating the development of Teacher Training modules as well as teacher training prograin Bihar state. He comes with a rich experience in the areas of management and execution of various development projects, capacity building programmes and has worked closely with govt. departments of Bihar etc. during his tenure in organisations such as – PRIA-Bihar, Bihar Voluntary Health Association, TarunSanskar, Jabalpur, MPetc.
Amitabh has completed his Bachelor of Science, from BHU Varanasi, UP and has a Postgraduate Diploma in Rural Development from XISS Ranchi.
Birjhu is a part of our TRIF (Transform Rural India Foundation) team, which is based in Dindori district of Madhya Pradesh.
He holds 14 years of substantial work experience as a community facilitator and an academic coordinator, with various NGOs in Mandla, Madhya Pradesh. He is very passionate about education.
Birjhu has earned a Master’s degree in Social Work from RDVV, Jabalpur.
Chandan is a part of our TRIF (Transform Rural India Foundation) team, which is based in Dindori district of Madhya Pradesh.
He comes with a prolific experience of more than six years in community mobilization. He has worked as an Animator in Jabalpur Diocesan Social Service Society (JDSSS), which is a grass root level society. Chandan’s last job before joining NEG-FIRE was at Amarjyoti Vidyalaya, Amarpur, Dindori, as a warden.
He’s currently pursuing his Bachelors in Arts from DAVV, Indore.
Dinesh is a finance professional with 25 years of work experience. He has worked with NGOs and corporate sectors. Before joining NEG-FIRE, Dinesh was working with Oxfam India as a Finance Coordinator at its Delhi office (for 12+ years) and was responsible for - finalisation of accounts, auditing, donor management, budgeting, among other things. Prior to Oxfam, he worked in corporate organizations such as Som Dutt Group of Companies in Jordan, and Eros Group in Delhi.
Dinesh is a Commerce Graduate from Rohelkhand University, Uttar Pradesh; and has completed a one-year course on NPO Governance Programme from Financial Management Service Foundation (FMSF), New Delhi.
Mehjabeen ensures smooth functioning of the Executive Director’s office, coordinate and document governance processes; and ensure statutory compliances and documentation related to the Society.
Mehjabeen comes with over 20 years of administrative and secretarial work experience assisting senior-level executives in both corporate and NGO sectors. Before joining NEG-FIRE, she was working with Operation ASHA since 2012 in a similar role. Other organizations that she worked previously are – ABHAS, Gen1Can, Lords Distillery, and The Hope Project Charitable Trust.
She is a Graduate (BA) from Delhi University and has completed her Post Graduate Diploma in Office Management & Secretarial Practice from YWCA-Delhi.
Poonam is responsible for tracking our projects’ progress through our Web based Management Information Systems (CMIS). She also supports programme team through timely data analysis and report sharing on the emerging trends, enabling in management decisions at various levels.
Poonam comes with over 15 years of work experience in different sectors. Just before joining NEG-FIRE, she was working with CARE India as an Assistant to their Program Operations, Quality Learning (PQOL) department and was responsible for all administrative tasks, and data management support to CARE’s PQOL function. Prior to that, she was with Government of Delhi handling HMIS (Health Management Information System), ASHA, MCTS, CPSMS web portals. She started her career as a Computer Teacher in schools in Jalandhar, Punjab.
Poonam has a Masters degree in Computer Application (MCA); Master of Science & Information Technology (MSC-IT) and PG Diploma in Computer Applications (PGDCA) from Punjab Technical University.
Puhup is a part of our TRIF (Transform Rural India Foundation) team, which is based in Dindori district of Madhya Pradesh. He has a valuable teaching experience of three years and has also worked with Self Help Groups with the National Rural Livelihood Mission in Samnapur, Madhya Pradesh.
He has a degree in Master of Arts, a Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Applications and B.Ed to his credit.
Raj is a part of our TRIF (Transform Rural India Foundation) team, which is based in Dindori district of Madhya Pradesh.
He has a vast experience of over 10 years in teaching and administrative functions with schools and NGOs. Right before joining NEG-FIRE, he was working as a teacher at Amarjyoti Vidyalaya, Amarpur, Dindori.
Raj Kumar has a Bachelor’s Degree in Arts from DAVV, Indore.
Sameer is a part of our TRIF (Transform Rural India Foundation) team, which works in Amarpur block in Madhya Pradesh.
He comes with a rich experience of around eight years in the education sector. He has been a part of NAANDI Foundation , Agastya International Foundation, Room to Read and before joining NEG-FIRE, he was working with Learning Links Foundation as a Resource person. He was involved in teacher trainings and monitoring classroom transactions. Sameer holds a degree of Masters in Social Work and has a Diploma in Education.
A development professional with over 14 years of experience in the education sector, Shailendra is a specialist in content development and training. He has worked with pre-primary and primary education programs implemented by Lokmitra (Raebareli, UP), and Care india (Hardoi, UP) and NEG-FIRE, earlier in his career. He comes with a wide experience in Mother-Tongue Based Multilingual Education content development, training facilitation, program management, and community mobilization.
This is his second stint with NEG-FIRE, he rejoined in October 2018. In his previous stint of 6 and a half years, he had worked as a field officer in Uttar Pradesh.
He holds a Masters degree in Sociology and in his free time, he loves writing poems, reading and traveling to new places.
Vimla is the showrunner of the organization. She’s the one behind the well-maintained, hygienic and well-organized workplace at the office in Delhi. She has a very smart, caring and warm personality. She also has an impeccable memory when it comes to remembering everyone’s preferred beverages, how they like it and always provides it on time.
She makes sure that everyone has warm food and adequate drinking water at their desks every morning!
Baldev is a part of our TRIF (Transform Rural India Foundation) team, which is based in Dindori district of Madhya Pradesh. He has worked with National Institute of Women Child and Youth Development Organization and National Rural Livelihood Mission in Samnapur, Madhya Pradesh for four years.
Baldev is achievement oriented and has excellent comprehensive problem solving abilities. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Vedic University, Madhya Pradesh and his hobbies include reading, writing and painting.