Scholars

Aishani Jaiswal is a New Delhi based research analyst. Having graduated from the University of Delhi with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, her areas of interest lie in gender, minority rights, and public health. She has previously worked in research and media spaces focusing on South Asian issues and tackling online hate speech. In addition to her professional goals, she is also passionate about mental health issues.

Amana Parveen has developed extensive industry knowledge and academic experience in the social impact sector through her involvement over the last three years. She is a Political Science honors graduate from the University of Delhi, India. Along with her Bachelor’s degree, she completed a diploma in Women Empowerment and Development. She also holds certifications in Human Rights and Legal Literacy. She has worked in a diverse range of impact environments, including education, livelihoods, fundraising, relief, communications, corporate engagement, and advocacy. As part of her currently Fellowship with the American India Foundation, she is developing a communications and branding strategy along with other deliverables for a European Union funded project on the revival of livelihoods for the indigenous and marginalized women artisans across India with Fair Trade Forum – India. Previously, she has worked on a project named “Let’s Reach Out Kerala,” which aimed to offer psychosocial support to guest workers stranded in and outside the state of Kerala, India, during the first phase of the pandemic. After that, she went on to work on a vaccination project to provide Covid-19 vaccines to 200 guest worker families in Delhi-NCR, India. Through her various experiences, Amana acquired considerable skills, such as project management, communications, graphic designing, development of concept notes, collaboration, and research. Amana is a self-motivated and passionate individual who envisions an empathy-driven world.

Benny Katta is a Scholar of “Rural Economy and Digital Tools” with a study on Digital Agriculture, Rural Economy and Social Development. He has 17 years of professional experience in program management and project implementation on rural & social-economic development, corporate social responsibility projects, sustainable livelihood, women empowerment, digital agriculture, capacity building, and commercializing the FPOs. He is a good strategic planner, conflict manager, and social impact player. He has displayed skills in decision making, critical thinking, and demonstrated persuasive communications, team management, and leadership skills. He was recognized with the “Sitara Award” for setting up a benchmark for clean finance handling by Tata Group for DFID Project.

Bikash has 20 years of experience in the humanitarian and development sector with significant achievements in leading large scale multi-country humanitarian response programs, developing/institutionalizing humanitarian policies and strategies, leading organizational and community-centered Emergency Preparedness Plans, mainstreaming DRR, climate resilience, Comprehensive Safe School programs, and linking relief, rehabilitation and development (LRRD). He has led and supported more than 70 emergencies in several countries across the globe with Action Aid, LWS, CARE, ADRA, Tdh, and HelpAge International, as a humanitarian focal person and commendable technical experience in cash-based programs, nutrition, protection, education, WASH in emergencies, and food security & livelihoods in emergencies. Bikash has facilitated more than 100 training on various areas. He is a seasoned professional with expertise in PCM such as needs assessment, proposal development, log frame & budget preparation, monitoring and evaluation. Bikash currently working with HelpAge International as Emergency Response Manager. The key responsibilities are coordinating and managing the Global Emergency Fund (GEF) and supporting country offices, partners, and network members for humanitarian crisis response. Bikash received a Bachelor’s degree in Law from Utkal University in Odisha, a Master’s degree in History, and a Master’s degree in Social Work from the Utkal University of Culture in Odisha.

​Divya Chhabra is an AIF Fellow working with SAFA India, based in Hyderabad, Telangana. She is focused on developing local employment opportunities by incubating micro-entrepreneurs and creating an ecosystem for micro startups. She holds an integrated degree in BCom LLB from Tamil Nadu National Law University, Tiruchirappalli. During her academic pursuits, Divya gained valuable experience interning with various organizations, including the People’s Union of Civil Liberties in Jaipur, Majlis Legal Centre in Mumbai, and Jagori Rural Charitable Trust in Dharamshala. Through these internships, she gained knowledge about litigation and violence investigation while developing her passion for the development sector. Divya believes in effective communication with communities to understand their needs and bring positive change. She is determined to use her Fellowship as a stepping stone toward starting her own social enterprise or NGO. When she is not working, Divya enjoys reading and traveling.

Dnyana S is serving as an American India Foundation (AIF) Banyan Impact Fellow with Seba Jagat in Kalahandi, Odisha, in the project of public health. Dnyaneshwar is a first-generation learner. He is a Master’s degree holder in Gender, Culture, and Development. Being critical of the add-and-stir approach to gender, he has written two research papers about media representations of gender, masculinities, and sexualities during his academic career. As an intern, he has worked with adolescent male children from underprivileged communities in Pune on gender sensitization and leadership skills. He has had short-term research experiences with folk artists and young entrepreneurs from Maharashtra. He has worked with men against violence and abuse for a research project on the construction of men and masculinities through different social institutions. He is a former Goonj Urban Fellow, where he worked with different left-out communities in West Bengal and Odisha on various initiatives by Goonj, like health and education. He intends to create safe spaces for people with different gender, sexual, social, and cultural identities. He believes in fluidity and tries to dismantle binaries for the betterment of human rights. He believes in acceptance, awareness, and advocacy for the rights of underprivileged people

Hamsini Balaji is serving as an American India Foundation (AIF) Fellow for the Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society and she will be helping build a social enterprise to brand the products of Self-Help Group (SHG) Members to increase access to larger markets and create sustainable livelihoods. Hamsini values curiosity and community, which has led her to the development sector to apply systems thinking to identify interdisciplinary and cyclical solutions to development challenges. Hamsini’s prior experience has involved serving as a Technical Program Officer and Measurement Advisor for a USAID nutrition, WASH, and women’s empowerment program. She holds a Master’s in Social Entrepreneurship from the University of Southern California and has designed and developed two social enterprises during her graduate career. Personally, Hamsini is exploring what it means to be a woman, the power of women, and their ability to organize for social change. Through the Fellowship, she hopes to co-design a solution with rural women and understand the operational and field realities of the development sector. In her free time, she enjoys exercising, spending time in nature, reading, and dancing.

Ilika has received her education from eleven schools and had the opportunity to grow up experiencing the extraordinary cultural and social diversity across the length and breadth of India. She has completed her Bachelor’s degree in Economics with Honours from Shri Ram College of Commerce, New Delhi and is inclined towards issues related to development and economic inequality. She slowly developed an interest in Human Rights and went on to pursue her Master’s degree in that field. She wants to work at the intersection of human rights and global politics to address the legal, economic and political challenges in the realization of basic human rights worldwide. For this, she has completed her postgraduate diploma in Human Rights Law. She has two years of experience in the field of research as a Research Assistant in the Politics Initiative at Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi. Here, she developed the India Manifesto Project and undertook research related to elections, democracy, complexity of voters, and identity politics. She is currently working as a Banyan Impact Fellow with American India Foundation. Ilika has chosen to work in the field of prison reform and restorative justice with Turn Your Concern Into Action ‘TYCIA’ Foundation, New Delhi. She has a strong aptitude for qualitative research and is currently honing her project management skills. She is passionate about human rights, and wants to build a career in this field by gaining experience with international organisations. She eventually wants to pursue further specialised studies in this domain.