Life flows, sometimes gently, sometimes in torrents, but always forward. Like a river that carves its path through stone and soil, carrying stories, dreams, and time itself, our lives are shaped by what we carry and what we choose to leave behind.
For Nisha Jose Mani, life has been exactly that; a river of experiences, some serene, some stormy, but all deeply meaningful. A social enabler, author, educator, environmentalist, and cancer survivor, Nisha has spent the last decade living in rhythm with this current, letting life lead her from riverbanks to classrooms, from flash mobs to hospital wards, and from deep underwater dives to deeply personal revelations. The spouse of prominent Kerala MP Jose K. Mani and daughter-in-law of late finance minister K M Mani talks to SheEO about this journey.
Strength, Healing and Purpose
As life moved forward, something unexpected entered Nisha Jose Mani’s path, not to halt its course, but to reshape its meaning. Nisha was diagnosed with cancer. She saw it as an uninvited companion, one that deepened her purpose rather than derailing her path. She spoke of it not as a fall to recover from, but as a gentle elevation, a push toward greater awareness and strength. While her body underwent the clinical rigour of treatment, her mind remained calm, steady, and accepting. There was no mental descent, only continuity and grace.
Her resilience, she believes, was forged long before her diagnosis. Walking beside cancer patients, holding their hands, listening to their fears, and quietly absorbing their courage had prepared her. With quiet conviction, she chose transparency over silence, even announcing her condition publicly to prevent gossip and encouraging others to speak their truths. She turned vulnerability into strength and began yet another journey, not just to heal, but to help others face cancer with dignity and hope.
Nisha Jose Mani expresses a message of clarity and quiet urgency to other women, which is to prioritise oneself. She urges women not to ignore the small signs, not to postpone a check-up, and most importantly, not to let fear or shame silence them. “A five-minute self-exam after your period, once a month, could save your life,” she says. “For women over 40, or even younger if there’s a family history, an annual mammogram is a must,” she added.
Nisha understands the hesitation many women feel, the awkwardness of a mammogram, and in case something goes wrong, the fear of losing hair, the worry about looking different in their partner’s eyes. But she gently reminds them that courage is contagious, and early detection gives you options, not endings. Her message is clear: “You are worth the care and time. Don’t wait to put yourself first.”
A Personal Legacy of Giving
Even before cancer touched her own life, Nisha Jose Mani was already standing beside those who faced it by offering comfort, strength, and even her own hair. In 2013, she became the first woman in India to donate her hair publicly for cancer patients. What started as a symbolic act, cutting fifteen inches of hair in front of a crowd, soon evolved into a powerful campaign of empathy and action. With support from organisations like Sargashetra Cultural Centre and Vijayapuram Social Service Society, Nisha helped turn donated hair into free wigs, restoring dignity and hope to women navigating the isolating journey of treatment.
But for her, it was never just about the wigs. “Hair should not define you,” she says. “Confidence should.” She has donated her hair five times since that first cut, each time out of choice, solidarity, and strength.
A Spiritual Bond with Nature
Nisha Jose Mani’s deep connection with nature began, interestingly, beneath the surface of the sea. It was during her honeymoon that she first attempted scuba diving. It was an experience that shifted her worldview. She recalls. “Until then, I had only taken from the sea. I had never thought about giving anything back.” That moment of clarity evolved into a profound environmental commitment, culminating in her flagship initiative, One India, One River, One Woman.
Through this campaign, Nisha embarked on a journey across India’s rivers, immersing herself not only in water but in the lives of those who depend on it. She kayaked for days, swam in the currents, stayed with riverside communities, and initiated dialogue around conservation, pollution, and collective responsibility. The journey opened doors to neglected landscapes and silenced voices. “I sleep in village homes, eat with the locals, and always ask what I can do here, for this place, for these people?”
Her expeditions have taken her to the Ganga, Palakkad’s waterways, and even to heavily polluted stretches where urban waste clogs natural flow. “The closer you get to cities,” she observes, “the more uncivilised the surroundings become. Civilisation is not about infrastructure, it is about behaviour.” For Nisha, environmental activism is not just about awareness, it is about presence.
Merging Academia and Advocacy
Nisha Jose Mani has cultivated a strong foundation in academia and policy research. She has a Postgraduate in Human Resource Management, Finance, and Business Administration, as well as professional credentials as a certified cost accountant.
Currently, Nisha is engaged in two concurrent doctoral programmes, one of which focuses on gender budgeting, a subject that aligns closely with social equity. This research is inspired by the economic philosophy of her late father-in-law, K M Mani, a towering figure in Kerala’s political and financial landscape. His principle was clear, empowering the toiling and underserved classes creates a ripple effect that strengthens society as a whole. While he implemented this through decades of budgetary reforms, Nisha now seeks to validate his vision through academic inquiry and evidence-based policy analysis.
In addition, she contributes to the K M Mani Centre for Budget Research to promote inclusive fiscal policy and equitable resource allocation.
A Collective Effort
An integral part of Nisha’s contributions is the Karunya Sandesha Yatra, both deeply personal and profoundly collective. While it stands as a tribute to Shri K. M. Mani’s enduring legacy of compassionate governance, it is also a living, breathing collaboration that brings together communities, healthcare professionals, survivors, students, and volunteers from across the country.
The Yatra merges science with sensitivity, advocacy with action. It simplifies procedures and processes by decentralising access to screening through mobile mammogram clinics and humanising breast health conversations through grassroots engagement. Then the inclusion of creative, body-positive activities such as Zumba and Chair Yoga proves that health education can be celebratory, inclusive, and empowering.
The Yatra also lends a space for healing and visibility. Their walkathons and mentorship sessions offer solidarity and recognition through this campaign. Hair donation and wig campaigns offer more than cosmetic support for patients in treatment. There are interactive sessions for early awareness, replacing stigma with self-care for young women and students.
Through every initiative, Nisha Jose Mani, like the rivers she has travelled and the communities she has embraced, reflects a life lived in service. Her personal experience becomes a public mission, and individual healing becomes a catalyst for collective well-being.
