Message: Return type of CI_Session_database_driver::open($save_path, $name) should either be compatible with SessionHandlerInterface::open(string $path, string $name): bool, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice
Message: Return type of CI_Session_database_driver::close() should either be compatible with SessionHandlerInterface::close(): bool, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice
Message: Return type of CI_Session_database_driver::read($session_id) should either be compatible with SessionHandlerInterface::read(string $id): string|false, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice
Message: Return type of CI_Session_database_driver::write($session_id, $session_data) should either be compatible with SessionHandlerInterface::write(string $id, string $data): bool, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice
Message: Return type of CI_Session_database_driver::destroy($session_id) should either be compatible with SessionHandlerInterface::destroy(string $id): bool, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice
Message: Return type of CI_Session_database_driver::gc($maxlifetime) should either be compatible with SessionHandlerInterface::gc(int $max_lifetime): int|false, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice
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Donor Information
Every great dream starts with a dreamer
Gauri Vaid
Founder
Archana Nimesh Rathod
Vice President
Sandeep Vaid
Trustee
Radhika Gangal
Trustee
Dr. Shishir Joshi
Trustee
Manisha Yemul
Program Coordinator
Shweta Joshi
Administrative Specialist
Bhakti Kulkarni
Counsellor
Mrunal Rudrawar
Counsellor
Sarita Chaudhari
Counsellor
Gauri Vaid
Founder
Gauri Vaid specialized in family and child welfare while earning her masters in social work. After graduation and six years in the field of HIV prevention, she discovered that adolescents were drastically undereducated in the realm of health and life skills. When working with many children and young adults, Gauri found that there are no open channels for communication about issues facing adolescents, leaving children confused and tangled with myths around love, menstruation, and many other difficult topics. In 2010, she set out to tackle this issue with the founding of Step Up Foundation. She believes that taking initiative is necessary for any positive change to occur, and if someone must take initiative, then why not her. In her free time, you can find Gauri spending time with her flower pots or trekking new places.
Archana Nimesh Rathod
Vice President
Archana Rathod earned her master’s degree in clinical psychology. After graduation, she spent 10 years as a counsellor, working on cases from marital disputes to psychiatric disorders. As a founding member of the Astiva Psychological Counselling Center, Archana believes in helping those in need.
Sandeep Vaid
Trustee
Sandeep Vaid earned his master’s degree in computer science. For the past 14 years, he has been working in the IT sector, most recently as an employee for MWH Global. As a trustee member of the Step Up Foundation team, he believes that every citizen should give back to society.
Radhika Gangal
Trustee
Radhika Gangal worked as a pre-primary school teacher after receiving her commerce degree. She began working with Step Up Foundation seven years ago because she believes that adolescence is a crucial phase, and she enjoys guiding children to develop their own personality in a positive way.
Dr. Shishir Joshi
Trustee
Dr. Shishir Joshi has 15 years of experience in the medical field and currently runs a charitable clinic based in Pune. Shishir worked to educate the poor children of remove villages, and continues to advocate for education as a Step Up Foundation board member.
Manisha Yemul
Program Coordinator
Manisha joined Step Up Foundation two and a half years ago, bringing over ten years of experience in the social field including visual art therapy and counselling. As project coordinator, she trains new counsellors and develops material for programs across schools in Pune. Manisha is currently pursuing her masters in psychology and believes that one single selfless step can lead to a happy and safe generation. In her free time, Manisha enjoys painting, trekking, and garment designing.
Shweta Joshi
Administrative Specialist
Shweta manages the administration operations and accounts at Step Up Foundation. Her role is to ensure smooth functioning between the teams internally. Shweta studied commerce in school. Before joining Step Up Foundation she worked for 2 years as a sales coordinator with Dish TV. She believes that there is never a right time to start making change - you should make the time right for you and get started. When she is not working, Shweta loves painting, working on DIY craftwork.
Bhakti Kulkarni
Counsellor
Bhakti received her master’s degree in commerce before working in a publishing house. Soon after, she joined Step Up Foundation as a counsellor, a position she has held for the last year and a half. Bhakti loves working with adolescents and providing help to those who need it most.
Mrunal Rudrawar
Counsellor
Mrunal received her bachelor’s degree in education and her masters in organic chemistry. As a counsellor and resource person for Step Up Foundation for over a year, she is always eager to learn new things and contribute to society. Mrunal enjoys providing life-changing lessons and solutions to adolescent challenges.
Sarita Chaudhari
Counsellor
Sarita studied clinical psychology for her masters degree and earned a certificate in advanced counselling and psychotherapy. Prior to joining Step Up Foundation in 2017, she worked in the field of sex education, life skills, and clinical therapy. Sarita enjoys working with adolescents to improve their mental health and quality of life.
