When I worked at Kottampatti as a development apprentice during the year 1994, then Collector of Madurai Dr. Krishnasamy Rajeevan was visiting the tank where I was supposed to start the work for its renovation with the DRDA Madurai support under the million Wells Scheme sanctioned by Dr. Krishnasamy Rajeevan. The collector was coming with his Thasildhar of Melur and BDO of Kottampatti and other officials. During that time, I was five months old DHANite trained by Professor C. R. Shanmugham, one of my mentors at the DHAN Foundation. The Collector asked casually the capacity of the tank. This question was to BDO and Thasildar of his team. They were surprised and looked down on their local officials. I immediately answered the question by telling the real capacity of the tank from the data available in the tank memoir, which was collected from BDO of the same person accompanied with collector. Then collector appreciated DHAN and shared in the forum that why I brought DHAN for tank development in Madurai District. This was the intensity of our DHAN investment in young professionals to go deep in to the theme. This was possible because of Prof.C.R.Shanmugham and our M.P.Vasimalai on their development perspectives and guidance.

Another movement in my journey was working with Dr. Satyagopal then collector of Theni district, who was the first collector of the district during the year 1997 when Theni was bifurcated from integrated Madurai. Who given me challenge with Renovating five tanks with community contribution and participation. But at the same time, Dr. Satyagopal gave me space to use his guidance and support any time, either at his camp office and collector office. When taking this work I just completed two years and three months in DHAN and working with Dr. Satyagopal was tough even for their own officials. I built my skill and attitude when working with him for one and a quarter year 1997 to 1998. My every day work and movement were monitored by him. All my five estimates were appraised by him at his camp office(home) and he gave me feedback. Initially it was tough, and later I enjoyed it as he took me to his table for meeting both at Camp office and at collector office. When he faces resolving critical issue of the Athikarikulam tank encroachment eviction at Andipatti taluk, I personally helped him to collect facts about the encroachment issue to resolve it. This was made me to win his heart, as he has been praised by the entire district for addressing the issue of encroachment as, through negotiations, the collector solved one long, years-pending issue. During the time of working with Dr. Satyagopal, I learned all development management from the district and their line department. The collector was visiting all the five tank work renovated at Aundipatti. It was a great experience for DHAN, and it triggered me in my journey as these experiences in latter future helped me to handle officials beyond district and at state level when I graduated as COO and CEO of DVTF during the year 2015.

The deeper involvement and my interest in working has resulted in partnership building. During the year 2011, I just participated in one of the meetings at the DHAN central office with Mr. Babu Joshep, who came from Axis Bank Foundation to DHAN to choose us as a development partner. I was just a participant and the latter organization asked me to accompany him for his field visit to Singampunari. He kept interacting with me then I working with him for six months to prepare the proposal for phase 1 DHANA project for the renovation of 750 tanks in one basin, a scalable project first of its kind which then become phase 2 and phase 3 and even for DHANA 4.0 for 75 crores. This was great lessons to me and the entire DHAN about implementing scalable projects in the basins. After that only, the basin concept emerged at DHAN as concept. Now it is at a greater positioning.

I am also inspired by our NWDPRA watershed project coordination as, during my 15th year, I was given the responsibility at state level to coordinate the 45 watersheds in six districts of Tamil Nadu, which was sanctioned by DHAN as Project implementing Agency. I learned and equipped my capacity to handle more than forty staff of DHAN who are part of this project from different DHAN Collective themes, which made me to equip my skills and perspectives on collective management internally and also keep very effective relationship with six district JDAs of Agriculture Department and mainstreams.

Another interesting practice of document writing with all meetings I attend during all the 55 plus CFMs, all 26 retreats, All ICF and MiDAIM and many other forums have kept me my memory of all the historical happenings I can remember easily at any point in time. My role as COO and CEO of DVTF for ten years from 2010 to 2022 has given me ample opportunity to make significant changes in mobilizing resources from CSR, NABARD and others are ever- remembered experiences for me and which have helped us to significant growth in the tank sector.

I conclude my journey experiences that if we sincerely work and search soulfully to go deeper into things, our learning will be insightful and bring achievements. I never hesitated to approach any hardships and challenges in my role. I can also believe that hard work and deep preparation never fails. I have never missed any opportunities in those 31 years, and even small things, I see as an opportunity to learn and update myself.

- Mr.N.Venkatesan, Programme Leader, DHAN Foundation