Dr. M. A. Ghare,
President

Chairman,
Action for Agricultural Renewal in. Maharashtra, Pune, India.

Worked with government of Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Andra Pradesh during the drought in Rural Water Supply Programme.
Professional Hydro geologist for last 30 years with Voluntary Sector and Completed a research on fresh water case study for hard rock area of central India for UNICEF and WWF.
Delivered innumerable support as a Resource person in various sectors such as Voluntary Action, Ground Water development, Watershed Development, Sustainable Livelihoods, Community Participation, Ecology and Environment issues , Empowerment of women and Rehabilitation of AIDS born children and Commercial Sex Workers

Mr.Gagan Sethi
Vice President

Managing Trustee,
Janvikas, Ahmedabad, India.

For the first 10 years have worked in two areas of Rural Gujarat (i) Bhal area of Cambay Taluka (ii) South Gujarat Tribal area and have developed a fair understanding of the Socio- Economic Political realities of the area and the issues of Schedule Caste and Tribes in the State. In the process have organized village groups through various activities. Developed Training skills using Behavioral Sciences for Development Organization in the country. He has been involved in providing Training, Organization Development, Project Planning and Evaluation Support towards Institution Building to various NGOs Government Programmes and Funding Agencies in India

Mr.Sandeep Virmani
Executive Secretary

Executive Secretary,
Sahjeevan,
Bhuj, India

He studied architecture, and works with communities on aspects of eco-restoration. He worked with Janvikas- Ahmedabad from 1987-99 and set up Sahjeevan in 1991.
He has been an important founder member and sustained the efforts and programmes of Sahjeevan and Kutch Nav Nirman Abhiyan. He has also helped develop alternatives housing technologies and set up the Hunnarshaala
He has contributed various ideas and knowledge in areas such as Natural resource management, environment, women empowerment and leading the organization into an environment friendly approach focusing the vulnerable community.

Dr.Sudarshan Iyengar
Member

Vice Chancellor,
Gujarat Vidyapeeth,
Ahmedabad, India.

About 30 years experience in issues such as rural development with special focus on decentralized local level planning, alternative development ideologies and voluntary initiatives in tribal dominated and drought prone areas.
Also worked for conservation and management of natural resources with people’s participation in planning, implementing and monitoring to achieve sustainable development; socio economic issues in resettlement and rehabilitation of the population displaced in the process of development

Mr.Madhukant Mankkad
Member

President,
Kutch Nav Nirman Abhiyan,
Mundra, India

Madhubhai Mankad is a Trustee- RARDS and KVK. He has been associated with both the institutions from their inception. One of the founders of Abhiyan, he is also currently the President of Abhiyan.

Mr.Yugandhar Mandavkar
Member

Executive Secretary,
Grasp
Aurangabad, India.

Got two decades experience in the field of land and water management community based natural resource management. He was associated with the most pioneering watershed projects like Adgaon, Pimpalgaon Wagha and was instrumental in design of the Indo- German Watershed Programme and Drought Proofing Programme- Kutch. He has extensive field experience in design, development and management of social development projects and programmes, with special emphasis on community empowerment and empowerment of women. His expertise is recognized in developing systems of designing, implementing and monitoring projects with focus on gender and equity in India and abroad.

Ms.Sushma Iyengar
Member

Vice President,
Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan
Bhuj, India

Sushma Iyengar is the Executive Trustee, Abhiyan. She did Masters in Literature from MS University, Baroda and a three year Masters’ programme in the USA at Cornell University. She worked to set up the Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan which is the first network for grass root women’s organization in Gujarat in June 1989, with organizing the women’s empowerment movement through social awareness and livelihood programme, she was one of the original signatories of the Abhiyan movement of which she has been the Executive Trustee. Through Abhiyan, she had been actively involved in the cyclone relief work, earthquake relief and rehabilitation work as well as tsunami relief work.

Mr.Kiran Vaghela
Member

Director,
Hunnar Shala Foundation,
Bhuj, India

Ms.Krupa Dholakiya
Member

Programme Executive,
Sahjeevan
Bhuj, India.

About 16 years of experience in rural development and promoting natural resource management programs that integrate gender concerns. She has worked with state government, NGOs in the areas of sustainable development, participatory training methodology, organizational development and gender equality.