The Pulaha Fellowship, The Second Year:
Continuing Jean-Luc’s Legacy
? A Message From Caitlin Wiesen & Jacques Antin
Caitlin and Jacques are the founders of the Pulaha Fellowship, honoring their son, Jean Luc Pulaha
They shared this at a poignant moment, approaching what would have been Jean Luc’s 30th birthday on 25 November:
“We will soon be reaching what would have been Jean Luc’s 30th birthday… and feel these fellowships really resonate with his vision and wishes for a kinder, gentler world, one that honors nature and indigenous wisdom and holds the sacred balance between people and planet in harmony.”
The Pulaha Fellowship was established in 2024 by Caitlin Wiesen and Jacques Antin in loving memory of their son, Jean Luc Pulaha. Facilitated by Auroville International USA (AVI USA), the fellowship was created to honor Jean Luc’s vision and values by offering young people the opportunity to live, work, and serve for one year at Sadhana Forest, a reforestation and sustainable living community in Auroville and its satellite projects.
The Pulaha Fellowship continues to grow as a living expression of Jean Luc’s dream — young people regenerating forests, restoring watersheds, living in community with nature, and carrying forward his artistic spirit in how they connect with the earth.
Here are the current fellows whose journeys your support is nurturing.
2025–26 Fellows
Vinodh Kumar Jadi
Vinodh grew up in a tribal hamlet in Andhra Pradesh. Trained as a civil engineer, he chose instead to dedicate himself to environmental restoration and joined Sadhana Forest to learn hands-on reforestation and water conservation. He now serves as the Project Director of our Virudhunagar center in Tamil Nadu, working directly with local villagers to expand forest cover and strengthen nutritional security.
Sandra P.T.
Sandra, from Thrissur in Kerala, is a bright Environmental Sciences graduate from Pondicherry University whose research includes agroforestry and agricultural ornithology. After training at our Auroville center, she will soon join the Sadhana Forest Garo Hills Immersion Center as an upcoming Project Director. Coming from a humble background, Sandra holds a deep passion for forests and human–ecosystem relationships and is eager to serve through reforestation and agroforestry.
“Thank you so very much for sharing the backgrounds and pictures of the two new Pulaha Fellows. We were very moved by the video of Sandra and wish both new fellows an amazing learning and growth experience.”
-Caitlin Wiesen and Jacques Antin
Our Update at the One Year Mark from the Foundation of the Fellowship
At the one-year anniversary of the fellowship, we celebrate not only the meaningful impact it has had on the fellows and the communities they’ve served, but also the continuation of this living legacy. We are grateful and honored to share that Jean Luc’s parents have chosen to fund the fellowship again in 2025, ensuring more young people will be able to walk this path of ecological service and inner growth.
Jean Luc dreamed of dedicating his life to restoring harmony between people and nature. He envisioned a life lived in community, close to the Earth, where reforestation, water conservation, and respect for indigenous wisdom could come together in a way that served both people and the planet.
The first Pulaha Fellows – Ramya and Georgey – are carrying forward that dream in powerful ways.
Ramya C., Project Director,
Sadhana Forest, East Khasi Hills
Ramya is one of the two first year Pulaha Fellowship recipients
“My name is Ramya, I am a Pulaha Fellow and the Project Director at Sadhana Forest Khasi Hills Immersion Center in Meghalaya. I completed my Master’s in Social Work in Tamil Nadu, and it has always been my dream to work in remote rural areas. This fellowship aligns perfectly with my passion. I believe deeply in experiential learning, and this initiative provides me with an excellent platform to train hands-on in reforestation and water conservation, creating food security for the most vulnerable communities.”
– Ramya C., Project Director, Sadhana Forest East Khasi Hills
Georgey Ommen Roy, Pulaha Fellow.
Sadhana Forest Auroville, East Khasi Hills
Georgey is one of the two first year Pulaha Fellowship recipients
“I am Georgey Ommen Roy, a Pulaha Fellow at Sadhana Forest in Auroville, Tamil Nadu. This fellowship allowed me to live close to nature, away from technology and the fast-paced life, in a minimalist lifestyle. I love planting trees, digging, and taking care of the forest. Back home in Kerala, I worked on a rubber plantation with my family, but I was never comfortable with the business side of it. Here, I can work selflessly to restore degraded forests, and I want to continue this work for many years. I’m now planning to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work while continuing with Sadhana Forest, hopefully next in Meghalaya.”
– Georgey Ommen Roy, Pulaha Fellow, Sadhana Forest Auroville Forest East Khasi Hills
Sadhana Forest works with local communities to plant indigenous, food-producing trees in India, Haiti, Kenya and Namibia. Their work in drought and famine-prone areas helps regenerate ecosystems, create long-term food security, and reduce conflict over limited resources – all through grassroots action and deep ecological care.
Through The Pulaha Fellowship, Jean Luc’s spirit of service, adventure, and Earth stewardship lives on. The work being done by Ramya and Georgey – in forests, in communities, and within themselves – is a powerful reflection of the vision that inspired this fellowship and the values that shaped Jean Luc’s life.
We are deeply grateful to Caitlin Wiesen and Jacques Antin for making this possible – for transforming personal love and loss into a legacy that will grow for years to come. And we are honored by the work of Sadhana Forest, a place where regeneration is not just a method, but a way of being.
At AVI USA, we are here to link hearts, create bridges, and help bring heartfelt initiatives like this into form. The Pulaha Fellowship is a shining example of what becomes possible when intention and action meet. If you feel drawn to support or create a fellowship in a project that speaks to your values, we welcome the conversation. Contact us by phone or email.
This is the work – quiet, grounded, and full of life. And we are honored to be part of it.
Georgey and Ramya during their time as Pulaha Fellows at Sadhana Forest
“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for helping to realize our son’s vision through the Pulaha Fellowship.”
-Caitlin and Jacques