Envisioning a society built on the principles of social justice, equity and democracy, Vacha today works with adolescents living in urban bastis (slums) located across municipal wards in Mumbai and Thane districts.

Yagna Parmar

Passionate about girls' rights and gender equity, Yagna has grown with Vacha over the last 15 years. Currently, she is responsible for project management, strategic planning and implementation, donor management and resource mobilisation. She contributes extensively to the girls’ empowerment project, and gender and health education training of adolescents and represents Vacha at various forums.

A sports enthusiast, she doesn’t need a second call to join kids in a game of cricket. A topper in her master’s degree in social work at SNDT Women’s University, she holds two postgraduate diplomas – in career counselling from Xavier’s Institute of Counselling Psychology and in Development Studies from Azim Premji University.

Nischint Hora

Her sense of humour and laughter are her trademark. A student of literature, media and women’s studies, she has worked in the programming division of Doordarshan. Nischint has been with Vacha for nearly 27 years. She has extensively contributed to gender training programmes. She has been involved in documenting the lives of girls and has also co-directed a documentary film on women in the Indian freedom movement. She has co-edited a book “Experiencing Girlhood: Stories from Bastis in Mumbai”. Nischint provides creative inputs to Vacha’s projects.

Darshana Shah

Darshana is responsible for accounting and finance and regularly updates the Board of Trustees and Funders on such matters. She has three decades of experience in accounting and administration. Closely following every change or amendment to the tax laws and accounting systems, Darshana is a merit holder in commerce and a law graduate from the Government Law College, Mumbai. When she is not looking at numbers and laws, she immerses herself in the world of music and fiction.

Dineshwari Thonse

Soft-spoken but firm, Dineshwari is the Co-Founder, Managing Trustee at Vacha. She is also the Chairperson of the Resource Centre for Women and Girls. She ensures Vacha’s adherence to good governance, leads the way for strategic thinking, strengthens management systems and safeguards the sustainability of the organisation. With roots firmly set in the women’s movement of Mumbai, Dineshwari holds a postgraduate degree in Economics and an M.Phil in English Literature from SNDT Women's University, Mumbai.

She is a retired lecturer from Smt. Mittal College of Commerce and a former Trustee at TOUCH – turning Opportunities for Upliftment and Child Help.

Meenal Patel

An acclaimed theatre actor, she has acted in mainstream and experimental plays in several languages including Gujarati, Hindi, English and Marathi over the last 50 years. Meenal has used theatre to express feminist ideas and has also penned songs on women’s empowerment. She has been on the advisory panel of the Film Certification Board. She received several awards, including one for her role of Kasturba in the play `Gandhi Viruddh Gandhi’.

As Co-founder and Trustee at Vacha, Meenal has contributed extensively to the first-ever music album on the girlhood of intersectional and deprived girls.

Dr. Vibhuti Patel

Always encouraging and supporting youth to aspire to achieve greater heights, Vibhuti is a stalwart in the feminist movement in India. She has a PhD in Economics from the University of Mumbai and is a retired Professor and Head of the Post Graduate Department of Economics, at SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai. She is also a retired Professor and Chairperson of the Advanced Centre for Women’s Studies, School of Development Studies at Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). As an Expert Committee member of the Working Group on Discrimination against Women and Girls in the United Nations Human Rights Council, she contributed to the Report on Women's Human Rights in Changing World of Work, 2020. She is a recipient of many awards and recognitions for her work in various disciplines.

As Trustee, Vibhuti contributes to building Vacha’s visibility, strategic thinking and networking.

Dr. Veena Devasthali

A silent worker with a warm heart, Veena is a retired Professor and Head of the Department of Economics, SNDT Women’s University in Mumbai. With a PhD from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mumbai, her areas of core competency are Macro Economics, Development Economics, Indian Economy, Industrial Economics and Labour Economics. She has been on various important committees for academic development and management. She has been associated with the Women’s Movement in Mumbai.

As Trustee – Treasurer at Vacha, she provides her expertise in research and documentation.

Namrata Mishra

Armed with an MA in Gender, Culture and Development Studies from Kranti Jyoti Savitribai Phule Women’s Study Centre, Pune, Namrata has a penchant for languages. Fluent in English, Hindi, Marathi and Avadhi, she uses Arts for advocacy and promotion of Women’s Rights. At Vacha, she designs and leads the capacity-building programmes on gender equality and empowerment. She is also responsible for documentation and social media. Her creative bent is evident as she reads Urdu poetry in her spare time.

Sofiya Shaikh

Sofiya gravitated towards Human Resource management as a result of her love and interest in human relations. Sofiya Shaikh holds a bachelor's degree in management with a specialization in Marketing. She has over six years of experience in HR systems and management. As the HR coordinator at Vacha she handles the recruitment, onboarding and induction processes while maintaining the HR systems. She is also responsible for ensuring HR compliance and fostering a positive work environment. She plays badminton during her free time and loves being amongst nature.

Sonal Parmar

A bachelor’s and master's degree in social work from Nirmala Niketan College, Bombay University and Sarad Patel University, Gujarat respectively, Sonal was determined to build a career in the development sector. She has over 10 years of well-rounded experience working with various NGOs dealing with children and rescued and exploited persons. She comes with insightful exposure to all facets of human trafficking including rescue, casework, investigation, administration, operations and aftercare. At Vacha she coordinates the activities of the various Mumbai centres, ensuring smooth execution of all the programmes. To unwind, Sonal listens to music and often sings for her pleasure.

Samrudhi Panchal

Samrudhi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Patkar–Varde College and has over 14 years of experience in data analytics in the social sector. She has adopted and implemented various monitoring and evaluation tools in organisations. At Vacha, Samrudhi will be responsible for the implementation and monitoring of the MIS which will support and aid the planning and programme staff. A lover of art, she indulges in craft activities.