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Our Governing Body
K Mohanchandran - Chairperson
K Mohanchandran has 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry and has worked at the Taj Group since 1989.
Asmita Basu - Vice Chair
Asmita has 20+ years of experience in the development sector in the fields of gender and human rights. She has served as the Programmes Director at Amnesty International India, worked with MSF in Yemen and has been a Fulbright Nehru Professional Research Fellow.
Mahua Hazarika - Secretary
Founder & Director of Rickshaw Communication & Design, Mahua has vast experience in marketing having worked for Diagio, Condenaste, Publicis & Lowe
Amrita Isaac Roy - Treasurer
Amrita Isaac Roy has 18 years of work experience in the fields of social development and academics. She heads a school in Barrackpore.
Nandita Dalal - Member
Nandita has over 25years experience in the development, corporate and education sectors in India. She is a specialist in strategy and fundraising and has led many HNI & corporate Foundation Strategies - driving fundraising, partnerships and growth.
Rajkumar Fenn - Member
Rajkumar Fenn has over 45 years experience and has worked extensively in the hospitality and training industries.
Dr Annamma John - Member
Leprologist with 27 years experience in clinical management of leprosy, training, M&E of leprosy programmes and research.
EMILY R MENON - Advisor to Governing Body
Emily has been associated with Udayan since 2008 and has 2 decades of experience in establishing and managing non profits and community organisations in both India and Australia.
Originally from Australia, Emily moved to India in 2007 and spent 10 years advising philathropy and CSR advisory services to HNI and corporates in India.
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She served as the Chairperson of Udayan from 2016-2024 and dedicates 50% of her time to serving the children of Udayan and the leprosy colonies of India.
Management Team
KL George
Director
Over 29 years experience as development professional. Managed Children's Homes as Director of SOS Children's Village, in multiple states. Experience working in International NGOs like Compassion International
Adrija Mitra
Assistant Director
Adrija has over 18 years’ experience in the field of child development, child rights, child protection and public health in presigious NGOs in India. She has vast experience in managing donors, fundraising, handling communications and all administrative aspects of NGO operations.
Sarbojit Das
Home Super - Boys
Sarbojit has a master’s in social work from IGNOU University. Later he completed Post Graduation Diploma in Clinical psychology He has 11 years experience working with vulnerable children and has dedicated his life to working with the underprivileged.
Partha Sanyal
Accountant
Partha has a bachelor’s degree in accountancy Honours B.com from Calcutta University. He has 22 years of experience in handling financial accounting for corporate and non profit organisations.
Swapan Naiya
Para-Medical Officer
Swapan has over 45years experience working with leprosy affected Children in NGO sector in Home setting. Specially trained in Leprosy care and management. He was also one of Udayan's first children and has dedicated his life to Udayan!
Our Founder
Father James Stevens was born in Gloucester England and worked in various businesses in soft furnishings and haberdashery prior to coming to India. He volunteered for 2 years in Calcutta with Freres des Homes, a French Social Organisation, where he worked on a school feeding program which fed up to 10,000 children 6 times a week.
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In 1970 the French Centre for the Protection of Children asked him to open a Home for children that no one else was working with. He wrote to Mother Teresa to seek her advice on the matter, and together they concluded that the children of the Leprosy affected were being terribly neglected due to the stigma.
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On 25th March, 1970, he took the first 11 children to a building he had rented in Barrackpore Cantonment, and Udayan was born.
He studied to became a priest at Bishops College in Kolkata, however Udayan is, and always has been, a secular organisation. In 1972 he married his wife Lallita, together having one son, Ashwani, who lives in the UK.
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Sadly, Father James Steven's passed away on Easter Sunday in 2019 - he will be forever loved and remembered.
Our Patrons
Dominique Lapierre
The late French Author of renowned book 'City of Joy,' Philanthropist and Founder of the City of Joy Foundation.
Shamlu Dudeja
A Former Mathematics Teacher, Social Entrepreneur and Socialite who founded The Calcutta Foundation.
Steve Waugh
Former Australian Cricket Captain and Philanthropist who dedicates his life to the Steve Waugh Foundation.