Saritha Thomas

Saritha Thomas is part commercial and part public broadcaster; part creative, marketing, networking and fundraising manager; part community trainer; part researcher and tutor; part radio comedy presenter; part community radio activist cum actionist and a social entrepreneur. Saritha completed her post-graduation in Social Communications and Media at Sophia’s Polytechnic, Mumbai, India. She began her broadcast career with RadioCity, at the turn of the Millennium and launched the first 24-hour commercial radio station in the country. She then moved to the UAE and the Arabian Radio Network. Two years later, she joined the BBC World Service Radio and Radio 4, London – a childhood dream came true.

In 2009 she went back to school, to the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE), London to attempt to give another passion wings. She began People’s P.ow.e.r (Participatory Ownership Empowerment Radio) Collective during her fellowship. The organisational mission of P.ow.e.r is to set up community radio stations with the goal of not only empowering rural, isolated and marginalised communities and giving them a ‘voice’ but also creating a sustainable and powerful, participatory grassroots mechanism to share relevant information, tackle local common issues (e.g. maternal health, sanitation, education, the environment and livelihoods) and celebrate local language, culture and heritage.