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ABOUT US
Empowering one child, one family, one community at a time.
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Founded in 2015, Gubbachi is a Section 8 company* working towards the educational inclusion of marginalised children - typically from migrant families, as well as community interventions connecting migrant families to benefits and entitlements.
*What is a Section 8 company?
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The Companies Act, 2013 defines Section 8 companies as those with charitable and non-profit objectives, including education. All income and profits for such entities are put towards furthering their chosen cause, with no dividends being paid to any of their members.
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MEET THE TEAM
From left to right: Rizwan, Preethy, Deyone, Mani, Nomita and Somya
gubbachi team
JOSEPH DEYONE JACOBI
CO-FOUNDER | MATH EXPERT
Deyone is a Math Educator with an engineering degree to boot. An MA in Education from Azim Premji University inspired him to act on the belief that universal quality education has the potential to solve many current social issues. He believes in the simplicity of Math and that every child can learn abstract mathematical ideas from daily life experiences. Developing ideas and materials to make learning Math a happy experience is what excites Deyone.
MANIMAKALAI RAJA
CO-FOUNDER | PROGRAM LEAD, TRANSFORM
The inclusion of migrant, out-of-school children into formal schooling has been Mani's dream for 22 years. This is what motivated her to pursue a Montessori Diploma in Elementary and Early Child Learning. During her five year engagement at Prakriya Green Wisdom School, she got first-hand experience in the importance of investing in the teacher for child-centred teaching-learning experiences. This is the belief that guides her as she leads a group of young, dynamic and committed teachers who ensure quality education for underserved children in government schools.
NOMITA SIKAND
CO-FOUNDER | RESOURCE MOBILISATION
Nomita has 12 years experience in the private education and corporate sectors, 8 years of which she spent private school teaching and briefly in education technology. In 2011, she went on to deepen her understanding of education and completed her MA in Education at Azim Premji University. This strengthened her belief that central to the idea of education equity is quality learning and a strong literacy program - every child's right. She consulted with APU to design and implement academic support for students in the MA program as part of a student support initiative. Since 2015, as a Gubbachi co-founder, she has been engaged in organisational growth, operations, curriculum and teaching in the Bridge Programs. She is currently responsible for Resource Mobilisation.
PREETHY RAO
CO-FOUNDER | PROGRAM LEAD, BUDS & CONNECT
Preethy shifted tracks from being a Market Researcher to working in a school for marginalised children in 2008. Her interest in the idea of equity through literacy was sparked off during her MA in Education at Azim Premji University. This led her to being part of Gubbachi’s founding team. Preethy is currently Program Lead of the Bridge program at the Community Learning Centre (CLC) at Bellandur, an alternative intervention to mainstream schooling for children who can't afford private schools.
RIZWAN AHMED
CO-FOUNDER | PROGRAM LEAD, ENABLE
Rizwan, a postgraduate in Business Finance, transitioned from a career in the financial services sector to the social development sector. After completing an MA in Development from Azim Premji University, he managed a community-based education program for government high schools across six Karnataka districts with Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement, driven by his commitment to delivering quality education to marginalised children. With a deep understanding of the education ecosystem, Rizwan collaborates with diverse stakeholders to ensure the seamless operation of Gubbachi’s initiatives. He oversees community-related interventions and manages relationships with government agencies.
SOMYA NAND
CO-FOUNDER | PROGRAM LEAD, SCHOOL LEARNING PROGRAM
A Math major from Delhi University, Somya moved from a career in consulting for garment manufacturing to teaching. Her desire to understand and contribute towards the education of the underserved led her to pursue an MA in Education at Azim Premji University and, eventually, to co-found Gubbachi. Somya is currently the Operations Lead of Gubbachi and Program Lead for the interventions at GHPS, Kodathi.
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ORGANISATION NUMBERS*
50 8 17 12 14 11 15
HEALTH ASSOCIATES
TEACHERS
COORDINATORS
COMMUNITY ASSOCIATES
ADMIN & OPERATIONS
VOLUNTEERS
CENTRE HEADS
* 2024-25
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