Poornima Chikarmane
Poornima Chikarmane began her engagement with waste pickers during her tenure as an Associate Professor/ Assistant Director at the Pune Sub-centre of the Department of Continuing and Adult Education and Extension Work, SNDT Women’s University, Pune. Combining direct action and academic research, Poornima has supported waste pickers’ advocacy towards rights and economic and social entitlements for more than 35 years. She was instrumental to the movement and organisation of waste pickers in Pune including the formation of Kagad Kach Patra Kashtakari Panchayat, and SWaCH.
Lakshmi Narayanan
Lakshmi Narayanan has worked with waste pickers since 1989, building capacities, institutions and securing recognition and protection from the state. She is a visionary leader, a thorough researcher, and a hands-on practitioner. Lakshmi has co-founded Kagad Kach Patra Kashtakari Panchayat and SWaCH, and is a beloved leader of waste pickers of Pune. Here is a little about Lakshmi’s lifetime of working with waste pickers.
Shabana Diler
Shabana Diler has over two decades of field experience in the development sector which involves working with workers in the informal sector, urban poor and the youth. She has worked with SWaCH, and been part of setting up operations, running them efficiently setting systems in place. Shabana also brings in experience of handling functions such as administration, citizen outreach, and networking with local government institutions, in a multi-dimensional organization.
Lubna Anantkrishnan
Lubna leads the recycling, livelihoods, and sustainability work at Kashtakari Panchayat. She has implemented waste picker-inclusive models for zero waste and plastic waste management, been involved in advisory on extended producer responsibility, and supported waste pickers to set up and manage enterprises in waste. She has a background in Economics.
Aditya Vyas
Aditya oversees the social welfare, education, helpdesk and social entitlements work. Aditya has a background in Technology and has completed a post-graduation fellowship from Ashoka University. He has previously worked with PRADAN where he worked with self-help groups on financial inclusion and livelihood generation.