Meet the PIMD team of Sri Lankan and Australian volunteers
The late Dr. Kandaiya was a seasoned IT professional with over thirty years of global experience across Sri Lanka, Australia, and the Asia-Pacific region. His groundbreaking PhD research pioneered sustainable financial strategies for nonprofits in South Asia, enhancing their social enterprise capabilities. Dr. Kandaiya grew up, was educated and began his professional career in Sri Lanka working for IBM. He established PIMD in 2004 and passed away in January 2019.
With two decades in IT, project management, and consulting, Dr. Vaughan is also an esteemed University teacher, previously lecturing at the University of New South Wales. She specializes in development studies, political economy, and public policy. Visit Donna’s LinkedIn profile for more information
Radhi’s extensive background in financial services and fluency in Tamil, Sinhala, and English provide invaluable support in program coordination and cross-cultural communications within our PIMD Program. Radhi grew up and was educated in Kandy, Sri Lanka.
Monica boasts over twenty-five years in education and a decade in business management in educational institutions. Actively engaged in community development, she has significantly contributed to our foundational curriculums for Grades 1 and 2.
With over twenty years in IT management and consultancy in both the USA and Australia, Judy dedicates time to volunteer with youth programs in her local area, emphasizing community service and leadership.
Emma has been instrumental in authoring and refining our Grades 3-5 literacy programs. Her continuous involvement in teacher training both onsite and online has enriched our educational offerings. Emma is an experienced primary teacher in Australia.
With over three decades of teaching experience in high schools and higher education, Helen actively mentors educators and engages in community initiatives, both locally and in Sri Lanka.
A dedicated primary English teacher and co-author of the Lotus ABOE Phonological Awareness Guide, Rihana also contributes her talents as a documentary scriptwriter and translator in Tamil and English.
Bhairavy specializes in early intervention for children with communication and feeding challenges, fostering family and educator capabilities to achieve positive developmental outcomes for children.
A government school teacher and key instructor in our Lotus Program, Shashikala advises on its implementation across Sri Lankan primary schools, ensuring educational excellence.
A specialist in remedial reading education, Judy leads the pilot implementation of our primary remedial reading program, demonstrating a profound commitment to literacy improvement.
An experienced educator, Helen has been pivotal in developing and delivering our earliest teacher training initiatives in Sri Lanka, and mentoring local educators.