People

Jitendra Rathod

Jitendra Rathod is a development professional with over 18 years of experience working to advance the dignity, rights, safety, and livelihoods of marginalized communities, particularly the Valmiki community, sanitation workers, and the urban poor.

He has led initiatives focused on ending manual scavenging, promoting safe and dignified sanitation work, strengthening community-led organisations, expanding access to education and livelihoods, and advancing housing and social protection rights. His experience includes program leadership, legal and policy advocacy, donor engagement, resource mobilisation, and building grassroots leadership.

As a Director and Leader of Manav Garima Foundation, Jitendra contributes to the organisation's vision, strategic direction, and efforts to build sustainable, community-led solutions for dignity, safety, empowerment, and social justice.

Parsottam Vaghela

Parsottam Vaghela is a grassroots leader from the Valmiki community with more than three decades of experience working for dignity, equality, and justice. Having experienced caste-based discrimination and caste-based occupations himself, he has dedicated his life to organizing and empowering the Valmiki community. He is one of the Directors of Manav Garima Foundation.

He has led efforts on ending manual scavenging, preventing sanitation worker deaths, securing compensation for affected families, and advancing the rights and safety of sanitation workers in Gujarat. Through community mobilization, legal advocacy, and engagement with government systems, he continues to work towards a society where every person can live with dignity, safety, and equality.

Mehul Jadav

Mehul Jadav holds a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) and has more than 20 years of grassroots experience working with slum dwellers, urban poor and the Valmiki community in Ahmedabad. He has been associated with Manav Garima Foundation for the past seven years. His key areas of work include strengthening community-based organizations, community education centres, housing rights, voluntary leadership and promoting safe working practices among sanitation workers.

Sachin Vaghela

Sachin Vaghela holds B.Ed., M.A. and M.Ed. educational qualifications and has seven years of experience in the social sector, including five years with Manav Garima Foundation. An experienced educator, he uses innovative approaches to support children’s learning. His work focuses on education, access to entitlements, safe sanitation work and livelihood opportunities for youth from the Valmiki community in Khambhat, Anand district.

Dhiraj Solanki

Dhiraj Solanki holds B.Ed., M.A. and M.Ed. educational qualifications and has been associated with Manav Garima Foundation for six years. An experienced community mobilizer and educator, he works to promote voluntary leadership among the Valmiki community. His grassroots work covers education, basic amenities, community participation in local governance and safety in sanitation work in Khambhat and Petlad.

Sahezad Malek

Sahezad Malek holds a B. Com degree and has 10 years of experience in the social sector. He has worked extensively on the Right to Education Act, strengthening School Management Committees and local education leadership, and addressing caste- and gender-based discrimination and quality of education in government primary schools. At Manav Garima Foundation, he leads livelihood interventions across the organization’s working areas.

Sanjay Solanki

Sanjay Solanki holds an M.A. and works with Manav Garima Foundation on grassroots community development in Khambhat. His work includes establishing and supporting community-based education centres and addressing issues related to access to entitlements, safe sanitation work and livelihood opportunities for youth.