Our Team

Dilani Balasubramaniam

Co-Founder (President)

Hi! My name is Dilani Balasubramaniam. I currently work in Ontario as a provincial youth outreach worker, with a specific focus on Tamil youth and their families living in Scarborough. I am also a portrait photographer and traditional yoga teacher. All my experiences contribute to my inquiry into people’s journeys with compassion so that I can provide whatever resources the individuals are ready for. In the past, I’ve worked with racialized and isolated men who were struggling with addiction disorders and problem gambling. I’ve conducted educational workshops for Tamil women in Scarborough who were at risk of developing diabetes. I also volunteered with displaced Tamil refugees and Tamil Canadians with disabilities.

Now, I am so excited to partner with Nirubana in creating Kudai Centre. Our long-term goal is to establish a safe, physical home where young Tamil women can come and stay for up to a year, while accessing professional resources and support to build themselves. To create something like this has been a long-time dream of mine because I grew up needing a safe space, professional care, and community resources so that I could, one day, truly live independently. To be honest, I am still on my way there, but I am in a privileged enough place to give back now and start building something for others. Both in my personal and professional experience, I’ve come to realize what a huge need it is in our Tamil community, for young women to have access to a transitional home that understands their unique struggles and cultural barriers.

Nirubana Sritharan

Co-Founder (Vice President)

My name is Nirubana Sritharan. I’m a residential youth counsellor at a mental health and addictions treatment facility in Ottawa. I also work in the residential operation at the same facility. I’m a co-founder and managing partner of a Learning Centre that focuses on individuals’ unique learning styles. I have a background in Psychology, Addictions Counselling and Research. My experience in residential operation has given me plenty of knowledge and resources about what it takes to create and operate a transitional home. My research experiences have taught me a lot about evidence-based program models, best practices and service approaches that are best suited for a transitional home. Apart from my professional experiences, my personal experience with mental health and independent living has given me a multi-layered perspective to this project. Breaking the barriers to accessing mental health services in the Tamil community has been my dream and passion for a long time. I personally know the importance of having a safe place and valuing mental health.

Nivetha Sivaranjan

Secretary and Board Director

Hello, my name is Nivetha Sivaranjan (she/her). I am a trauma-informed, Registered Social Worker, and currently work as a Community Support Worker for the Canadian Mental Health Association. My desire to help the greater community started young, which lead me to complete my social work degree and co-found Aadhya Empower Yourself, a non-profit focused on destigmatizing mental health in the Tamil community. As a social worker for the past 6 years, I have worked directly with vulnerable communities and gained deeper insights into barriers and challenges experienced by minorities in accessing mental health-related services. I am also a professional photographer, specializing in wedding, and portraiture photography. Through all of my formal and informal experiences, I have always hoped to be both a story-listener and storyteller, in pursuit to help facilitate and create safe environments in which individuals can share their unique stories.

Specifically, Mental Health support has been important to me as someone who has experience within the mental healthcare system both as a service user and service worker. It has allowed me to recognize the importance of working directly with vulnerable populations and helping to amplify their voices directly. My experiences within the system, especially as a woman of colour, further pushed me to complete a specialization in Addictions and Mental Health, along with now pursuing my Masters in Social Work.

Abarna Kuhendran

Co-Treasurer

Hi! My name is Abarna Kuhendran. My academic background is in Mathematics and Psychology. I’m currently a Secondary Math Teacher at KPRDSB.

I’ve always wanted to be a teacher, because it would allow me to serve my community, in a way that I enjoyed. As a teacher I strive to inspire my students to be able to consciously connect their learning to happiness and to their self confidence. My passion to educate and motivate the youth of today really grew and deepened after being put into classrooms with youth who struggled with focus and communication because of unfortunate personal circumstances.

It is so crucial for our youth to have the opportunity and experience of being in a safe space with trustworthy support to truly reach their full potential.

Arthika Nadarajah

Co-Treasurer

Hi, I’m Arthika Nadarajah and I’m excited to be joining the Kudai Centre team as Co-Treasurer!

I’m an Economics major from Carleton University and have gained 3+ years of business management experience through the trucking industry. I am currently working as a Business Analyst at a freight transportation company. My area of expertise is in data analytics and reporting, establishing new processes and systems for companies and creating tools that are used to reduce workload. I have implemented multiple processes for various companies to increase workplace efficiency and productivity and documented the processes for future reference. Furthermore, I am a part-time event decorator in the GTA, specifically focused on in-home celebrations.