R Seenivasan
E-mail: rseeni@eth.net

Biography

Seenivasan is trained in Agriculture and rural management and currently works as Microfinance Advisor to Aga Khan Foundation, Afghanistan (AKF-A) in their Badakhshan rural development program. His works addresses research and action in offering alternative livelihood options for poppy cultivating households. Community based microfinance programs through networks of self help groups are formed in the area by his teams and they are a first of its kind in Afghanistan.

Prior to joining AKF, for twelve years Seenivasan has worked with DHAN Foundation as their program leader heading coastal management; water & tank fed agriculture; and information technology for development programs. Seenivasan also worked as a faculty in TATA-DHAN Academy teaching Water and Agriculture, Environment and Policy Environment course for masters' level students for two years.

The coastal management and tank fed agriculture programs of DHAN Foundation lead by Seenivasan are some of the largest ones implemented by any private development organizations in India. These programs aimed at developing traditional irrigation structures through community participation and financial contribution. His work on tank fed agriculture has helped more than 700 village communities in reviving their traditional water structures and contributed to important policy development of tank irrigation sector in India.

Seenivasan has participated and represented his organizational work in various national and international events of importance in water, microfinance, information technology and rural community development. Apart from field action, his works include preparation and publication of several reports, manuals and papers in refereed journals on the subjects of water, microfinance, and rural community development. His interests include study of history, culture and water development with a focus on south Asia and Africa.

He is one of the founder trustee and treasurer of Kalnajiam Foundation, a large microfinance promotional agency in India. In the last thirteen years, he had opportunities to work with Government departments, NGOs, Community organizations and Advisory organizations involved in rural development and traveled to more than ten countries in south Asia, Africa, Europe and Americas.