The Core Team

The core team has developed all the materials for Sangati, Manthan and Saath Saath. Members of this team work in a variety of professions but with a common and abiding belief that education can bring in equality, fairness and hope. This diversity in the backgrounds of the Core-team members is one of its strengths.

SIMANTINI DHURU, Director

Simantini began working with the AVEHI ABACUS PROJECT in 1991. She is a documentary film-maker with many awards to her credit. She has been a member of several State and National policy making bodies to which she has contributed her Avehi Abacus experiences, helping to modify and improve school and teacher education curriculum. She is actively involved in various human rights and environmental movements as a media activist and documentary film-maker.

RATNA PATHAK SHAH

Ratna is an actress with an interest in education, working with the AVEHI ABACUS PROJECT since its inception.
She is a founder member of Motley, a theatre company in Mumbai, which performs plays in Hindustani and English. She also acts in films and TV shows and has directed plays for children and adults and conducted acting training workshops with schools and community centres.

NANDINI PURANDARE

Nandini has been involved with the AVEHI ABACUS PROJECT for over 20 years, thus developing an abiding interest in writing for education. She is a consulting economist and has worked with industry associations and Chambers of Commerce in this capacity. An avid trekker, she is Hon. Secretary of the Himalayan Club and editor of the annual Himalayan Journal. She is currently co-writing a book on a Himalayan community with Deepa Balsavar.

NOELLA DE SOUZA

Noella has been a member of the core team of the AVEHI ABACUS PROJECT since 1997. She has been working in the field of education since 1976, teaching in different states within India, working with children from different social and economic backgrounds, which has required local, social and cultural adjustments. She has also trained in Psychotherapy and Counselling and works mainly with women’s empowerment, their rights and gender equality.

DEEPA BALSAVAR

Deepa was a core team member of the AVEHI ABACUS PROJECT for over 20 years. She was involved in research and writing and is responsible for all the visual material and training manuals, including designing and much of the illustrating. She now writes and illustrates children's books, conducts story-telling workshops and trains animators in script writing. She is currently co-writing a book on a Himalayan community with Nandini Purandare.