OUR CONSULTANTS
Dr. Vanidevi PT
Dr. Vanidevi PT is a psychologist by profession and has an experience in dealing with children for more than 15 years. She is currently spearheading ‘Enlight Centre for Holistic Development” at Thiruvananthapuram which is a multidisciplinary rehabilitation centre to provide the services to the needy focusing on holistic development.
Joe John George (Honorary Consultant)
He is a development professional who has been working in the field of disaster risk reduction and climate action for over 15 years. He has worked with the Government of Kerala as well as UN organizations and NGOs including UNICEF, UNDP and World Vision in different parts of the country. He has also taken up short term international assignments in the US, Malaysia & Nepal. He is an alumnus of the International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP) of the US government and a climate champion in Climate Action Champions Network (CACN).
While working with Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA), he championed the concept of Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction (DiDRR) and became an expert in preparing persons with disabilities and their caregivers to face disasters or climate extreme events like floods & landslides. He has authored the handbook on disability & disaster risk reduction (https://sdma.kerala.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Handbook-Different-Ability-2016.pdf) and developed a toolkit for the training. This helped in conducting training for persons with disabilities in the state of Kerala on disaster survival skills and first aid during emergencies. He coordinated the training for KSDMA, where more than 3000 PWDs and their caregivers attended the trainings held in all the districts of Kerala. He also facilitated preparation of training materials in Braille, Sign Language and DAISY player formats. He is an awardee of the 2022 NCPEDP – Mphasis Universal Design awards. He also has experience in implementing community based DRR, School Safety, Hospital Safety, Incident Response System for disasters etc.
Ms. Vrindanath M C
Vrindhanath M C is an experienced result-oriented humanitarian and development professional with an impressive 11-year track record in this sector. She has worked with renowned organizations such as UNDP India, UNDP Zimbabwe, UNEP Kenya, ACTED Afghanistan and with Govt of India under various projects. Her expertise lies in project development, management and coordination, strategic planning, communications, and knowledge management in the fields of sustainable international development, environmental governance, climate change adaptation, and disaster preparedness.
Throughout her professional journey, she has demonstrated exceptional proficiency in Disaster Preparedness and Risk Reduction initiatives. She has been instrumental in developing emergency preparedness plans, SOPs for EOCs, policy documents, contingency plans and successfully executed community-based development programs. Her experience extends to Cyclone Idai recovery support programme in Zimbabwe, where she actively contributed to the preparation of early recovery plans, conducted needs assessments, and supported the implementation of CIDCA funded Cyclone recovery and rehabilitation project. With a diverse and extensive career spanning a decade, she has provided valuable assistance to various international organisations, state governments, contributing to effective emergency preparedness and recovery operations since 2011.
Her exceptional expertise, extensive experience and exposure to different contexts and cultures has equipped her with a unique perspective and the ability to adapt and excel in challenging environments, which make her a standout professional in this humanitarian and development field.
Dr. Pratheesh C Mammen
As a post graduate student in the Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Pondicherry University, Pratheesh C Mammen started research as a field assistant exploring the lesser known and small populations of Nilgiri Tahr in the Western Ghats of Kerala. Later he got an opportunity to explore the Forest-people interface of Masinagudi and adjoining villages in the Sigur plateau. He was awarded PhD for his interdisciplinary research on land use changes and human tolerance towards wild elephants in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, exploring the linkages on a socio-ecological system perspective. As a Project Scientist at Institute for Climate Change Studies, Government of Kerala, he further explored the relationship between Climate Change and people through various research projects like understanding the relationship between climate variability and different variables like incidence of vector-borne diseases, flowering fruiting phenology and endemism. He also assisted in revising State Action plan on Climate Change and facilitated in engagements on climate change with general public through lectures and discussions. He currently serves as the Programme Coordinator, “Mainstreaming Disaster Risk and Resilience Programme” of the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA)-UNICEF partnership, where he puts in much effort in child risk assessment and risk reduction across the sectors and the State.
