Our Story: Transforming Lives Through Innovation

Board Members

Mr. Ramamurthy Shankaran

Mr. Ramamurthy Shankaran, founder of Frigoscan Post Harvest Technologies, is an expert in post-harvest management with over 30 years of experience. His company, founded in 2011, specializes in cold storage and packhouse operations for perishable fruits. Shankaran has a background in mechanical engineering and food production, with past work at Blue Star Limited. He also mentors startups, advocates for women's health and sanitation in Jharkhand, and supports restoration of ancient temples in Tamil Nadu.

Dr Thiyagarajan Thiripurasundari

Dr. Thiyagarajan Thiripurasundari has 27+ years of experience in child rights, gender, and youth issues. Her work spans leading nonprofits, focusing on child protection and education during emergencies. She has received recognition for creating child-friendly spaces and implementing Standard Operating Procedures for railway safety. She has trained over 1200 Railway Protection Force personnel in Southern Railways and supported Tamil Nadu's Juvenile Justice System documentation.

Management Team

T S Padmapriya
Chief Executive

Ms. Padmapriya T S, Chief Executive of Sanitation First India, has over 22 years of experience in top management roles at leading international development organizations, including CARE and Save the Children UK. She is recognized for her expertise in strategic planning, operations, grants management, and policy development for the non-profit sector, with a focus on sustainable WASH and circular economy. Padmapriya has received numerous awards, including the Rotary Vocational Service Excellence Award in 2014 and the Imagine Award of Excellence in WASH Leadership in 2023. She is also a heritage blogger, researcher, walk curator, and published author.

Kumar Mohanasundaram
Director, Finance

Kumar Mohanasundaram, Director of Finance at Sanitation First since 2018, has played a key role in establishing effective financial processes that ensure accountability and trust. With over 22 years of experience in compliance, operations, and grant management for international non-profits like CARE, USAID, and the British Council, he's skilled in managing complex, multi-currency projects and geographically dispersed teams. Kumar has earned multiple awards for fiscal excellence and has trained over 400 partners in best practices, demonstrating his expertise in leading large-scale humanitarian projects, including a 30-million-USD Tsunami relief effort.

C. Sundara Manickam
Construction & Wash Specialist

Sundara Manickam is a seasoned construction engineer, WASH specialist, hydrologist, and disaster management expert with over 30 years of experience across international and UN agencies. In his recent role with Sanitation First, he has significantly contributed to community mobilization and water sustainability projects in Tamil Nadu, implementing participatory approaches and developing a pictorial guide for village women to test water quality. His previous experience includes work with RedR India, UNICEF, WASH Institute, and ADRA, focusing on post-disaster relief, WASH infrastructure, and training government officials and community members on water quality and sanitation.

Dr. Sophia J D
Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist

Dr. Sophia, with over twenty-five years of R&D experience in fields like Natural Resource Management, WASH, and Climate Adaptation, currently serves as the M&E specialist at Sanitation First. She has a strong background in theory of change, strategic planning, and integrated project management, and has led multi-country projects with a focus on gender-transformative, participatory, and sustainable approaches. Prior to this role, she was a Principal Scientist at M S Swaminathan Research Foundation, coordinating the Indo-EU Water4Crops project and demonstrating innovative water management systems.

Nisha Kesavan
Head, Projects

Nisha has over a decade of experience in programme management, emergency procurement, and development communication, specializing in delivering high-impact training and managing large-scale humanitarian projects. She led the development and rollout of menstrual health training for over 20,000 women during the lockdown, trained over 2,000 teachers on COVID-19 protocols, and coordinated the distribution of critical medical supplies. Nisha is also an award-winning filmmaker, a certified adolescent trainer, and has executive certifications from WHO on child safeguarding and development communication.