Laxmi Kumari got married at 22 years. For the first couple of months, her in-laws treated her well, but the birth of her daughter changed everything. She was subjected to incessant domestic violence. Within the next couple of months, she was diagnosed with a severe medical condition and was sent back to her parents’ house. It was like going out of the frying pan into the fire. A single mother with no financial means, Laxmi’s life came to a near standstill. At this time, she accidentally met Manju Dhobi, a Community Motivator of the Manzil team.
M.K. Padma Kumar is involved in developing strategies and managing operations for the IPE Global Group.
He has over 25 years of experience in the development sector, working in civil society organisations and international development agencies like DANIDA and DFID. As the Head of State Partnerships at the DFID India, he was responsible for developing partnerships, programme design, management and strategic oversight of all programmes implemented in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha. He has managed various development programmes. His expertise lies in driving operational, financial and programmatic transformations. Before DFID, he was associated with Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), Help Age and World Wildlife Fund.
He holds a Master’s degree in Business Management with specialisation in Human Resource Management and Finance. He is extensively trained in Project Cycle Management, Grant Management, Performance Management, Leadership Skills and Change Management.
