2011-12 Heinz Fellows

We are pleased to announce the incoming Heinz Fellows for 2011-12: Ms. Amina Soomro, from Khairpur Mirs, Sindh, Pakistan, and Dr. Mythili Ramakrishna, from Bangalore, India.

Miss Amina Soomro, hailing from district Khairpur Mirs’ Sindh-Pakistan, completed a Master in Commerce from Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur in 2001 with 1st Division.  After completion of degree, Amina began working with National Non-Profit Non Government NGO “Indus Resources Centre” as Information and Material Development Promoter and Field Education Promoter respectively from 2002-2005 for the welfare of rural community with emphasis on women education and information dissemination in district Khairpur Mirs’. The activity was funded by Action Aid-Pakistan, Development in Literacy, USA and Save the Children Fund-Pakistan. Her major contributions were included establishment of 20 community based schools in rural areas of Khairpur to promote primary education especially for girls through participatory approach. She implemented community based Mini Libraries in the community based schools and provided training to teachers for productive use of libraries for enhancement of reading habits among the students and teachers. In 2006-2008 Amina was selected as Senior Auditor in the office of the Auditor General of Pakistan, Ministry of Finance Government of Pakistan-Islamabad where she worked in the Personnel Section (Administration & Budget). During working in Adminstartion and budget department,  she was selected for Public Finance Accountant course in 2007 and she completed and qualified it successfully and promoted as Assistant Audit Officer in 2009 and posted in International Relations and Coordination Department of the Auditor General of Pakistan. She performed her duties to provide financial, managerial and technical support to the senior management, matters related with International organziations of Supreme Audit Instituions and member countries  such as International Organization of Supreme Audit Institution (INTOSAI), Asian Organizations of Supreme Audit Institution (ASOSAI), Economic Cooperation of Supreme Audit Institutions (ECOSAI).Moreover she honored an appreciation shields as best organizer of international conference in Auditor General of Pakistan, shield honored as best team member in group in “Young Professional Leadership Program” in Institute of Rural Management-Islamabad. She has been chosen as member of “Protection against Harassment of women at the Workplace Act, 2010” Committee to inquire into complaints of harassment in the Pakistan Audit Department. She also worked as part time News Translator (English to local language (Sindhi)) in Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation-Islamabad.

Dr. Mythili Ramakrishna is from Bangalore, India and has recently completed a Master’s in Public Health in Developing Countries at the London School for Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She also holds a Bachelor’s in dental surgery from JSS Dental College,Mysore-India.  She completed her schooling in the year 2000. During this time she co-founded the Student’s Movement for Preservation of Environment and was its president from 1998-2000. This society primarily focussed on Industrial waste dumping into our rivers, and on raising awareness amongst the community about environmental causes. Mythili graduated as a dentist in 2007. During her community Internship as a Dental Graduate, she conducted immunization camps and surveys, and organized community dental health camps. Mythili had a year’s experience working in the rural parts of Karnataka, India through 2007, investigating cholera outbreaks, where she aided in its containment through educational programs and Health camps.  She has also been part of Polio Immunization camps during this time in the city of Mysore, India. She was awarded the International Undergraduate Certificate of Merit for Outstanding Academic Achievement in Dentistry for the year 2008, by the Pierre Fauchard Academy – an International Dental Organization.

Since its inception Mythili has been involved with a Non-Governmental Organization - Madhyam Prasaran Scientic and Research Organization (MPSRF), initially working as a volunteer and later as a project officer. Here she has had nearly three years of experience initiating programs in HIV and sexual health. The specialization of MPSRF lay in promoting health and education among street children, female sex workers, transgender and other potentially vulnerable populations. The programs would integrate the use of Arts, Science and Technology in propagating the values of health and in creating among these people a greater awareness of their basic human rights. In conjunction with MPSRF, she played a prominent role in the development and implementation of a Dental hygiene program in 2007, which involved over 1500 children throughout various orphanages in Bangalore, India.