About Us / Team
Leadership shaped by education, child rights, healthcare, and community commitment.
The foundation’s leadership brings together field experience, academic depth, healthcare awareness, community engagement, and long-standing commitment to children’s rights.
Founding Trustee
Mrs. Neela Shroff
Mrs. Neela Shroff founded The Vatsalya Foundation and served as its president with a deep and sustained commitment to vulnerable children. A respected educator at the College of Social Work, Nirmala Niketan, Mumbai for more than twenty-five years, she combined academic rigour with direct field engagement. She studied Economics and Sociology at Elphinstone College and completed her postgraduate work at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences with specialization in medical and psychiatric social work. Before joining Nirmala Niketan, she worked at J.B. Wadia Children’s Hospital and the Family Service Centre. Her professional life included participation in the Cleveland International Programme for Social Workers and Youth Leaders in the United States, presentations at major workshops and conferences in India and abroad, publication in professional journals, and leadership roles in child welfare structures such as CCVC, the National NGO Forum for Street and Working Children, the Child Welfare Committee, and a High Court-appointed commission on beggars’ homes. Her vision and advocacy laid the intellectual and ethical foundation on which Vatsalya continues to grow.
Trustee and Executive Director
Swathi Mukherjee
Swathi Mukherjee has been associated with Vatsalya since 1989 and leads the organization’s child-rights based interventions with a strong emphasis on holistic development for children in need of care and protection. She has helped strengthen Vatsalya’s multi-level approach across outreach, child-to-child contact, contact centres, open shelter work, and rural initiatives. Over the years, she has also built opportunities for volunteers, corporate groups, social clubs, public figures, and individual supporters to engage meaningfully with children through recreation and developmental activities. Her leadership introduced therapeutic initiatives such as dance, theatre, yoga, and gardening, and she has guided generations of social work students as a trained professional in the field. Swathi has represented India in international exchange platforms in Belgium and the Netherlands and was nominated by the U.S. Department of State for the International Visitor Leadership Program on children in the justice system. She has also served as chairperson of the Coordination Committee for Vulnerable Children, working across a large network of NGOs and public systems. Her academic background includes a Master’s in Social Work from Nirmala Niketan, along with additional qualifications in rehabilitation, public speaking, communication, and hospital administration.
Trustee
Dr. Safala Shroff
Dr. Safala Shroff brings together healthcare administration, writing, research, and public awareness in support of social causes. Based in Mumbai, she works in her family’s eye-care practice as a LASIK counsellor and hospital administrator and has long remained closely associated with The Vatsalya Foundation. Educated at Bombay Scottish School and later at KEM Hospital, she developed interests that extend well beyond clinical settings into communication, authorship, and public engagement. She has written and contributed to books and chapters in both national and international publications, edited a widely circulated professional newspaper for gynaecologists, and co-authored books on pregnancy and medical history. Her work in patient awareness and health communication has complemented her support for several social initiatives, including the GSBS Medical Trust and the Women Empowerment Foundation. At Vatsalya, her perspective strengthens the organization’s awareness, governance, and health-related engagement while reflecting a wider commitment to informed and compassionate public service.
Founder Member and Trustee
Mr. Freddy Martis
Mr. Freddy Martis is a founder member and trustee of The Vatsalya Foundation and has been associated with child rights and protection work since 1988. His contribution has centred on creating long-term impact within communities that need care, protection, and opportunities for growth. Over the years, his commitment has helped reinforce the foundation’s focus on opening pathways for children and young people to live with greater stability and dignity. His interests in travel, music, and creativity have also shaped the way he connects with communities, bringing a humane and relatable dimension to the foundation’s outreach and engagement efforts.