SAMUHA BOARD & GENERAL BODY
The SAMUHA Board has met twice a year, apart from some special meetings, for the past 27 years!
The SAMUHA Board comprises of development professionals, each of whom has over 30 years of field and institutional experience.
The SAMUHA Board or Governing Council and its General Body are co-terminus. The same 7 members comprise both these institutional bodies. This makes the SAMUHA Board a small and effective body of governance.
N Samson, President
- Samson started his development life as a volunteer when he worked with ARTIC during the 1977 cyclone. He then worked as a Community Relations Officer at Victoria Leprosy Hospital, Dichpalli. In 1980, Samson founded and continues to head GRAM - Gram Abhudaya Mandali, Nizamabad, AP. Samson has led a successful community re-organisation process in which he has facilitated 45,000 Dalit members from 600 villages to formalise themselves into formal women' thrift cooperatives. He has simultaneously led an institutional re-organisation process in which he has helped GRAM shift from an implementing organisation to a facilitating organisation. He has more than 35 years of experience in the development field.
G Nagarajan, Vice President
- Nagarajan started his development life as a SEARCH Trainee. He then joined Myrada’s, Kollegal, Liaison office for 2 yrs as a Development Educationalist. Naga worked with ActionAid India for 20 yrs in positions as varied as Field Officer to Project Director. Naga founded Integrated Rural Development Trust on secondment from AAI. IRDT is based in Dharmapuri, and was developed as a multi sectoral integrated rural development programme. It covered 200 villages with 100 staff – and has now been handed over to local communities. Naga was Involved in Tsunami Rehabilitation and relief work with SCF and IOM and was a consultant for EED & CAFAD supported projects in Tamil Nadu. He is presently Executive Director of SCAD, Tamil Nadu.
Pradeep Esteves, Treasurer
- Pradeep is an Advisor to various NGOs and heads a group of Chartered Accountants on matter with FCRA policies etc. He has been with NGO sector for more than 3 decades. His experience ranges from running a project to providing support on finance related matters.
Raja Menon, Member
- Raja worked in the West Bengal Milk Federation promoted by the NDDB from 80-83, with Action Aid, an international donor agency from 83-85 as Field Officer, with Professional Assistance to development Action (PRADAN) & CINI in Kolkata. In 1994, he founded and continues to head Jeevika, Kolkata, a livelihoods group. Raja Menon is a technocrat. He specialises in livelihood options for people. He was an Ashoka Innovators for the Public Fellow, US, for 3 years, and received an Industrial Scholarship at IIM. He has over 32 years of development experience.
HR Prakash, Member
- Prakash started his development life at 20 years when he joined Care as a Field Officer from 1966 to 1979 in various capacities. Prakash is currently the head of ARTIC, Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh. He has experience and expertise in disaster management, appropriate constructions, community organisations and livelihoods. He has over 45 years of development experience in INGO and NGO levels.
T Pradeep, Secretary
Pradeep has a background in journalism, disasters (beginning with the ‘75 Earthquake in HP (followed by stints as volunteer, team-leader and head, in 2 earthquakes, 2 cyclones, 1 drought, 2 flood, 1 Tornado, 1 Refugee and 1 Tsunami) and development. He was Regional Director, ActionAid, when he was seconded to start Samuha. Since then, as part of SAMUHA, he has been instrumental in the incubation of 6 organisations: Mahiti (free and open source software), SAMARAKSHA (HIV/AIDS), Jana Sahayog (People living in Slums), Suvidya (experiential mathematics), iSquareD (social enterprises) and SAMARTHYA (disabilities). As Cx, iSquareD, he is presently promoting the concept and practice of the Climate-Neutral Village and the concept of the CSR-CER-Cookstove Fund. He also heads a private initiative, Akasmika that is exploring GIS/MIS Digital Data Backbones.
