Brief Profile - Honourable Founder Advisors

The persons who selflessly guiding the foundation all the way in every steps of its initiatives till today. We must offer our heartiest thanks and honour for them by this way. Their systematic guidance always helping the affair to be brought as professional development facilitator long run. Here under we have gladly mentioned his brief professional profile.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Mr. Bharat Sing Rai,
Honourable Advisor,
Kapinzal Social Foundation 

Mr. Rai was a founder member of the Organization and played role as President for the foundation for a couple of years. Later he had become as lifetime Advisor of the organization. He is an well known social worker of the society. His interest in social work cum socioeconomic development sector always indicate the foundation in proper as well as professional way. His experience relates to good governance, strategic planning and designing programs and well structure activities and project implementation systematically. He achieved lot of formal appreciations from various sources of the state. We pay our sincere respect always for him. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Mr. Karma P. Takapa,

Honourable Advisor, 

Kapinzal Social Foundation

The foundation pay its respect to Mr. Takapa. We feel proud to have such person with us, whose constructive suggestion and timely guidance helping the foundation to bring it in today's position. His extraordinary profile in development sectors mentioned here under encourage the foundation to keep its efforts successfully for the development of community sustain long run. Apart from his profession, he always giving his interest honourary for making the foundation more prominent and systematic as professional facilitator for the deprived / disadvantaged and poorer community. We are highly grateful to him!!!                                                                                                                   

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE                                                                                                                                                                        

Assistant Manager and Deputy Manager, Marketing, in the Sikkim State Cooperative Marketing Federation (SIMFED) as from 1984 to 1986.

Appeared successfully in the State Civil Service examination and appointed as Under Secretary in Government of Sikkim in 1986. Deputed to SIMFED. Resigned from government service in 1987.

Established Metalex Industries (P) Ltd, a manufacturing unit, in 1988. Unit could not sustain and was closed down in 1992.

Established Yuksom Tours and Treks in 1991 as a sole proprietary concern. The travel company is continuing to date.

As founder member established Green Circle, an environmental group, in 1994. 

As founder member established Sikkim Development Foundation (SF), a Non-Governmental Organization in 1999.

Appointed as Project Director, “Project for Employment and Income Generation through Village Tourism  and Micro Enterprise Initiatives” implemented by SF between July 2001 to March 2003.

Executive Director in Sikkim Development Foundation since March 2003.

In December 2007 appointed as Short Term Consultant (STC) by WSP-SA for Sikkim Water Quality Project. Contract renewed in 2008 upto July 2009.

In February 2009 appointed as Chairperson of Ecotourism and Village Tourism division of the Travel Agents Association of Sikkim.

In August 2009 appointed as a Director in the Governing Board of State Institute of Rural Development, to represent the Non Governmental sector in Sikkim.

WORK EXPERIENCE                                                                                                                                                                                       

As Assistant Manager & Deputy Manager in SIMFED was involved in marketing of agricultural produce of Sikkim. This entailed procurement from village level and sales outside the state.

As Director in Metalex Industries (P) Ltd, headed the production and administration of the company.

As promoter and proprietor of Yuksom Tours and Treks, established one of the first travel companies in Sikkim. Has been actively involved in the promotion of responsible tourism in the state in a personal capacity as well as General Secretary and later as Executive Member of the Travel Agents Association of Sikkim (TAAS).

As a founder member of Green Circle, established one of the first environmental groups in Sikkim. Green Circle was involved in awareness generation and advocacy of issues related to the natural and cultural heritage of Sikkim.

As founder member of Sikkim Development Foundation have been engaged as Project Director and as Executive Director. Sikkim Development Foundation has been in the forefront of the NGO movement in Sikkim in the last few years, addressing livelihood issues. The focus has been on engagement with rural and semi urban communities to identify and support community based initiatives which are based on local resources and are sustainable.

As Project Coordinator in the “Arithang Demonstration Project” of the Ausaid supported “Gangtok Water Supply & Sanitation Project” 2002 – 2004 led a team which worked on community mobilization and organisation, KAP study and baseline survey, reporting & documentation, capacity building programmes in the project area.

As STC contracted by WSP-SA for 2007 – 08 in Sikkim Water Quality Project, was responsible for policy advocacy with Rural Management and Development Department (RM&DD, Government of Sikkim. This included analysis of RM&DD implementation mechanisms (staff structure and fund flows), facilitating state and district level discussions and activity mapping workshops and community engagements as Project Coordinator for Evaluation of Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC), commissioned by RM&DD, Government of Sikkim and carried out by Sikkim Development Foundation in July – August 2009, headed the team to conceptualize the methodology for evaluation, put together the team and coordinate the field survey, collation and analysis of data, preparation of the evaluation report and presentation of the report to RM&DD.

Attended the 3^rd South Asia Conference on Sanitation (SACOSAN), New Delhi, in November 2008, as the sole NGO representative from Sikkim.

As STC for WSP-SA during 2008 – 09 was involved in identifying 8 pilot areas for implementation of Water Safety Planning, facilitating training workshops for GP level functionaries, preparation of VVWSC guidelines and working closely with RM&DD to formulate a state rural drinking water policy in line with the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP). This is currently in process.

As Chairperson of the Ecotourism and Village Tourism Committee, conducted discussions with Village Tourism Bodies on formulating policy for development of Ecotourism and Village Tourism in Sikkim which is to be presented to the Government of Sikkim. Evaluation of Ecotourism and Village Tourism is currently in progress.

As a local Sikkimese, has, over 25 years, been closely associated with various social formal and non formal local organizations interacting with the state government in various sectors. This has provided a deep understanding of the issues related to governmental as well as non governmental interventions in the developmental sector of the state.

As a local landowning Sikkimese ancestrally from a rural background, have been able to relate to issues concerning rural communities and have a natural bonding with rural people.