Tejaram
Tejaram is the Co-ordinator of Manthan. He worked as a night school teacher for SWRC (Barefoot College) Tilonia while he was studying at the University for his B.A. during the early 1980s. After this, he worked on accounts and education in the field centre of SWRC in his village, Nallu. He then worked at the education section in Tilonia where he initiated and successfully ran an exhibition of science in everyday life in a mobile van; visiting different villages and explaining to children as well as adults about the scientific explanations of items and processes that we encounter in everyday life. After this, he worked as the Education Co-ordinator fol-lowed by a term as the Development Co-ordinator at SWRC Management Group. He also contested the election for Panchayat (village level elected government) in his village. From 1998 he has been working at Manthan. He is also a member of the core group of SWRC, a member of the advisory body for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan (an educational scheme by Government) at the block level and a member of the District Co-ordination Coordination Committee.
Ramcharan
Ramcharan responsible for the rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge projects at Manthan. For a long time he was worked serving his community. He worked on constituting and supporting Self Help Groups (SHGs) to empower women through savings. He also worked advocating correct implementation and increasing community understanding of two important in India – RTI (Right to Information) and NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act). He studied at Barefoot college night school.
Gordhan
Gordhan is the accountant at Manthan. He studied at Night School up to primary level (5th standard) and continued his studies at a government school after that up to the 8th standard.
Madanlal
Madan Lal holds a B.A. in Political Science. He is also a dalit (member of a lower caste). For several years he worked as teacher in his village. He has also mobilised people in his village on issues such as building rainwater harvesting structures. He is still teaching at the school in his village and he is currently managing all the education projects at Manthan.
Suraj
Suraj works in managing the educational programmes at Manthan. He began working in education when he ran a Night School in 1989 in Tilonia. He also worked as an Education Coordinator in the Lok Zumbish programme. In addition to this, he has worked in Health Awareness programmes in different villages. He joined Manthan in October 2009. He was also a member of Navuyak Mandal in his village. He has studied up to the 8th standard.
Keshav
Kesha is working on health issues. He is working with the village panchayat, adolescents and women's groups encouraging immunization. He has studied up to the 8th standard.
Om Prakash
Om Prakash works primarily on Manthan's office computer doing administrative work, report writing and correspondence. He also handles the women’s SHGs (Self Help Groups). After completing primary school he undertook vocational training for water testing and for running a telephone booth. He is physically disabled and a dalit. He completed his primary education at a night school. He also grinds the wheat for Manthan’s kitchen and takes care of Manthan’s cattle.
Parmaram
Parmaram assembles, installs and repairs solar lanterns and operates the solar-powered reverse osmosis plant at Manthan campus. After completing his primary education at night school, he was trained in carpentry,water testing and engineering to become a Barefoot solar engineer.
Kamla Devi
Kamla Devi is one of the most influential female voices in the community. Although illiterate, she works closely with women’s groups giving proffesional and personal advice. Married to Manthan's Coordinator Tejaram, Kamla manages Manthan's campus, fields and cattle. She completed primary education at a night school, and then became a housewife.
Sonu
Sonu manages the baalwadi (nursery) programme at Manthan. She one of the first women in her family to work outside the home, as her caste usually disallows it. She is currently finishing up her 12th standard, and hopes one day to be a policeman.
Shantilal
Shantilal operates and maintains the solar panels that control the reverse osmosis plant and general power for the Manthan campus. He studied up to the 5th standard in Manthan’s night school, and was then trained as a solar engineer through a Barefoot college training session. He joined the Manthan team in January 2010.
Naru
Naru is working on education projects, nurseries and drives the Manthan vehicle. He is from the shepherd community and has studied up to the 8th standard.
Dharmichand
Dharmichand manages technical training workshops, specifically those pertaining to the caretaking of animals. Before that, he worked for a time as a night school teacher in his village. Dharmichand also belongs to the shepherd community and has studied up to the 8th standard.
Hariram
Hariram works on education awareness programmes and manages ‘Youth Pocket’, Manthan’s youth microfinance initiative. He joined Manthan in September 2009, and is currently working towards is B.A.
Santosh
Santosh has been working in Manthan since 2007 as a CHM (Community Health Mobilizer). She was first associated with Manthan during the Kishori meeting in 2005. She actively took part in programmes such as HIV awareness and Education amongst others. She also ran a Baladwi (nursery) in her village in 2007. Presently she is working in Health Awareness Programmes among the villagers. Santosh wants to become a Midwife in the future, and is prepping for her exams now.