Staff Motto

Our Society does not provide ‘hand-outs’ to the community, we provide ‘helping hands up‘ for them. At present 57 trained staff work diligently and selflessly implementing the various programs for the success of the Society’s community development project.

Directors – Bob and Janine Mann, having a heart to work for the poor of India, moved from Australia to Jaipur in July 2004. Bob had worked in administration in the coal mining industry since 1980. Janine had been a housewife raising their two sons. Bob and Janine feel blessed in the work and have committed the rest of their lives to serving the poor of Jaipur.

President – Amit Wilson joined Helping Hands as an English teacher in 2007, since that time all his students have achieved very well under his teaching and guidance in many areas. On showing leadership qualities and committing to endless hours of society work he has managed the Society since 2013. Amit is married to Savita, who has worked with Helping Hands in our sewing centre since 2006. Many young women of the Kathputli Slum Community are today able to sew because of Savita’s training and counsel. 

Swati Kewlani has been with Helping Hands School as a teacher since 2006. Having taught a variety of subjects through those earlier years Swati now specializes in teaching Social Science to our secondary school students. She is also the overall coordinator of the Secondary School classes. Swati has very competently filled the position of Society Secretary since her election to the position. Having a home to manage, two sons in school, tuitions, yet somehow she still manages to go beyond the call of duty in service to the school and society works.

Shankar Singh joined full time Helping Hands service in 2006. Today Shankar serves on the executive board in the position of Society Treasurer. Shankar, along with his wife Sumitra, works daily in Kathputli slum colony providing various community services for the people. Services include literacy classes, guidance in savings transactions, cleaning programs, counselling services, and taking people for various medical treatments. In 2011 Shankar lead the staff team in constructing a 20 cubicle toilet block for the community. And in 2015 he managed the project of providing a water tap in to every home of Kathputli Slum colony.

Having been with Helping Hands since the day of its inception in 2004 Bharti Thanedar is our longest serving staff member. Today he sits as our elected Society Vice President.  In his work Bharti is considered the team all-rounder, as he covers a multitude of work positions. Pictured with his wife Sarswati, who is a Montessorie class teacher, they have three children attending our primary School. Both Bharti and Saraswati were instrumental in the formation of the Helping Hands School back in August 2005.

Neelam Sukhija has been teaching since receiving her B Ed in 1995, and joined our Helping Hands School in 2007. In 2010 she was promoted to the position of School Principal which she has diligently managed since that time. Having both qualified and unqualified teachers under her care Neelam is always striving for new ways to improve the methods employed by her teaching staff. A few years ago she released two of her teachers for a year to complete their B Ed degrees, now they are back teaching in our school. At present she has other Primary and Nursery teachers studying part time for their Teacher’s Diplomas. Neelam herself has two sons who have studied for their business degrees and are in full time employment.

Vijay Pal Singh has had 25 years of experience in various fields of community development.  He was welcomed to the Society in the position of Programs Manager in 2008. From Vijay’s office in Kathputli he implements and manages the society’s community development programs. Programs include community health and hygiene, medical camps, adult literacy, skills training, computer training, women’s self-help groups, finances management, counselling and community awareness services. The community development work through this family doesn’t stop with Vijay himself. His wife Elizabeth is a senior nurse with the Dulabji Hospital. Elizabeth is involved in their local community development work, as are their three grown up children.

In their capacity as the Team Leaders all offer their services in working together day and night, for the upliftment of the poor and underprivileged of our city communities.