Founder - Hanwant Singh Rathore

FOUNDERS

Our founders, Hanwant Singh Rathore and Dr. Ilse Köhler-Rollefson have been working for and with the Raika since more than a quarter of a century and decided to set up Camel Charisma when they realised that the traditional source of income – sale of male work animals – no longer  provided a viable livelihood option and that they had to go beyond NGO advocacy for effective animal health services, and grazing rights.

Hanwant Singh Rathore is a native of Jodhpur whose earliest childhood memories are about gliding across sandy roads in the camel cart of his grandfather, a famous camel rider and trader. In 1996 he founded Lokhit Pashu-Palak Sansthan

Ilse was born in Germany where she completed her Ph.D. in veterinary medicine. Her initial experience with the Raika compelled her to set up the League for Pastoral Peoples and Endogenous Livestock Development (www.pastoralpeoples.org). Now she is making her home in Sadri, and presently laboring to complete the follow-up volume to Camel Karma.