Barefoot College

Last updated

Barefoot College
Location
Barefoot College
Tilonia
,
Rajasthan

India
Information
Type Public
Established1972
Founder Bunker Roy
Campus Tilonia
Website www.barefootcollegetilonia.org

Barefoot College, previously known as the Social Work and Research Centre ("SWRC") [1] is a voluntary organisation working in the fields of education, skill development, health, drinking water, women empowerment and electrification through solar power for the upliftment of rural people, [2] which was founded by Bunker Roy in 1972. It is registered under Friends of Tilonia Inc. [3]

Contents

The "Villagers' Barefoot College" in the village of Tilonia gives lessons in reading, writing and accounting to adults and children especially the "drop-outs, cop-outs and wash-outs." Girls heavily outnumber boys in the night schools. [4] In 2008 there were approximately 3,000 children attending 150 night schools. [5] [6]

In the profile acknowledging Roy as one of Time 100 most influential people for his work with the Barefoot College, Greg Mortenson wrote that the grass-roots social entrepreneurship has trained more than 3 million people for jobs in the modern world, "in buildings so rudimentary they have dirt floors and no chairs" so that poor students feel comfortable. [7]

History

Bunker Roy is the founder of what is now called Barefoot College. [8] After conducting a survey of water supplies in 100 drought prone areas, Roy established the Social Work and Research Centre in 1972. [8] Its mission soon changed from a focus on water and irrigation to empowerment and sustainability. [8] The programs focused on siting water pumps near villages and training the local population to maintain them without dependence on outside mechanics, providing training as paramedics for local medical treatment, and on solar power to decrease dependence and time spent on kerosene lighting. [8] Roy has been named one of the 50 environmentalists who could save the planet by the Guardian and one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME magazine. [9]

Night Schools were begun that allowed students who worked to support their families during the day to still receive training. The organisation has utilised a system of training the trainers to bring skills training to villages. [10]

In 1997, Kamala Devi became first female solar engineer trained by the college's programs. She continued to work with the college. In 2012, she became the head of the solar unit at Kadampura. [2] Since 2015, over 60 women from Zanzibar, as well as women from Malawi and Somaliland and other countries, all trained at Barefoot College and part of a larger group called The Solar Mamas, have assembled, installed, repaired and maintained solar power in their villages. [11]

In March 2023, NY Times columnist Nicholas Kristof profiled the organization in his opinion column. [12]

Methodology

Barefoot College founder Bunker Roy speaking about the programs in 2008 Pop!Tech 2008 - Sanjit Roy.jpg
Barefoot College founder Bunker Roy speaking about the programs in 2008

The programs are influenced by the Gandhian philosophy of each village being self-reliant. [5] The policy of the Barefoot College is to take students, primarily women from the poorest of villages and teach them skills such as installing, building and repairing solar lamps and waterpumps without requiring them to read or write. In extreme cases, there are students without verbal fluency in the languages of their teachers. [13]

The participating villages create a Village Energy and Environment Committee which determines the rates the villagers will pay for the solar panels and identifies which of the poorest residents of the town will go to the college for training. [5] The students receive 6-month training program learning about solar panels and storage batteries before returning home where they maintain and repair the systems. [5]

The college does not give out any degrees or certificates. [14] V. Krishna has described the approach as "de-mystifying high technology" to rural villages to show that with the right training, "the uneducated and semi-literate can operate and manage" items like solar panels and water pumps. [15]

Rajasthan's traditional art of puppetry has been utilised by the college to "spread information on health, education and human rights". [16]

Campus

The buildings used for the school have dirt floors and no chairs so that "poor students feel comfortable". [7]

The campus sits on 8 acres, has rainwater harvesting design and was built by the students. [17]

Cross-cultural collaboration

In 2012, the Barefoot College became the first NGO partner with UNESCO's Global Partnership for Girls' and Women's Education. [18] A UNDP funded program of India's Ministry of External Affairs brings women from villages in rural Africa (which do not have electricity) to the school for training, after which they return with new skills to install solar electricity in their villages. [19] The college entered into an agreement in 2012 to expand the programs for students from Fiji. [20]

The documentary film Solar Mamas , funded by the Skoll Foundation and the Sundance Institute, follows a Jordanian woman as she joins with other women from around the world to participate in the solar engineering training at Barefoot College. [21]

An exhibition of photographs taken by the students of the Barefoot College was presented at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. [4]

From problem to solution

Barefoot College, like all groundbreaking, influential places, started out as simply an idea. Acting upon that idea was what got Barefoot College going. Sanjit “Bunker” Roy wanted to come up with alternative ways to address India’s very prevalent poverty and inequality issues. [22] This is just what he did. When people care about a certain issue, two types of changes can result. The person could decide to spend as much of their time as they possibly can by volunteering towards a particular cause that changes this certain issue, or, like Roy, they make it their life mission to change the issue themselves and make a livelihood out of helping the problem become a solution.

By creating Barefoot College, Bunker Roy has made service-learning his livelihood – he has become an entrepreneur by making his job to be helping the community. Because of his dedication and determination, Barefoot College endeavors to help the poverty and inequality issues by teaching the people in the community the basic skills they need to survive and be effective in their community – without having to hire people to do the simple jobs. [23] The college also provides women with training to learn how to do things normally dominated by men. It gives the women equality with the men and helps them to become more self-sufficient. [23] The “professionals” that started out at the college were geologists, economists, doctors, social workers, charted accountants, graduates, and post graduates who wanted to support and help the same cause that Roy did. [22] By teaching the people how to better themselves and giving them an opportunity to become literate and further their knowledge in practical areas, Barefoot College didn’t just fix the problem of poverty and inequality; it brought the citizens into the solution so that the Indian community would feel that they were doing their part to help their community. They are now more efficient, effective, resourceful, knowledgeable citizens who are fighting to have a productive and profitable society thanks to the brainchild of Sanjit Roy that is Barefoot College.

Awards and achievements

Returned award

Notable participants

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vocational education</span> Studies that prepare a person for a specific occupation

Vocational education is education that prepares people for a skilled craft. Vocational education can also be seen as that type of education given to an individual to prepare that individual to be gainfully employed or self employed with requisite skill. Vocational education is known by a variety of names, depending on the country concerned, including career and technical education, or acronyms such as TVET and TAFE. TVE refers to all forms and levels of education which provide knowledge and skills related to occupations in various sectors of economic and social life through formal, non-formal and informal learning methods in both school-based and work-based learning contexts. To achieve its aims and purposes, TVE focuses on the learning and mastery of specialized techniques and the scientific principles underlying those techniques, as well as general knowledge, skills and values.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Veerendra Heggade</span> Indian philanthropist and hereditary administrator of the Dharmasthala Temple

Dharmasthala Veerendra Heggade is an Indian philanthropist and the hereditary administrator of the Dharmasthala Temple. He succeeded to the post at the age of 19, on 24 October 1968, the 21st in his line. He administers the temple and its properties, which are held in trust for the benefit of devotees and of Dharma. He is a nominated Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha since July 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aruna Roy</span> Indian activist

Aruna Roy is an Indian social activist, professor, union organiser and former civil servant. She was the president of the National Federation of Indian Women and founder of the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sree Chitra Thirunal College of Engineering</span> College in India

Sree Chitra Thirunal College of Engineering (SCTCE) or SCT College of Engineering is a State Government sponsored engineering college in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It was established in 1995 by the Government of Kerala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pelelu Tepu</span> Village in Sipaliwini District, Suriname

Pelelu Tepu is an Amerindian village in the hinterland of Suriname. Also known as "Pe'reru Tepu", the village is typically referred to simply as "Tepu," which means "high" in the Indian Tiriyó language. The village is located on Tepu hill, on the Tapanahoni River. Though inhabited by Amerindian tribes indigenous to the area, the village was founded by Christian missionaries and (primarily) Tiriyó Indians, although it now also includes small numbers of Wayana and Akuriyo Indians. The village has a tribal organization, led by a Trio Captain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SVKM's NMIMS</span> University in Mumbai, India

Shri Vile Parle Kelavani Mandal's Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies is a private deemed university located in Mumbai. It has 17 constituent schools that offer both undergraduate and postgraduate courses in management, engineering, commerce, pharmacy, architecture, economics, mathematical sciences, hospitality, science, law, aviation, liberal arts, performing arts, architecture & design. It is accredited by NAAC with 3.59 CGPA and Grade A+. NMIMS was also awarded Category I University status by MoE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bunker Roy</span> Indian social activist and educator (born 1945)

Sanjit "Bunker" Roy is an Indian social activist and educator who founded the Barefoot College. He was selected as one of Time 100's 100 most influential personalities in 2010 for his work in educating illiterate and semi-literate rural Indians. Roy was awarded the Padma Shri by Giani Zail Singh in 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deepalaya</span>

Deepalaya is an Indian non-governmental organization that aids the development of the urban and rural poor in India, with a focus on children. Founded in 1979, it is headquartered in Delhi. Deepalaya primarily serves the urban slums of Delhi, but also works on rural development in the states of Haryana and Uttarakhand. Deepalaya's focus is on sparking sustainable development from within a community.

Tilonia is a village in Ajmer district in Rajasthan, India. It is home of the NGO, Barefoot College, founded by renowned social worker Bunker Roy. Tilonia is also home of eShala.org, Online educational portal co-founded by Kartar Jat. This village has become a model for all remote villages for education, economic and social development. Tilonia is also known as education hub with its meritorious students in Navoday Vidyalaya and village school. Main occupation is farming but nowadays people are working in Indian Army, NTPC, BSNL, Indian Railway, Police and various other State and Central Government jobs from Group-D to Sr. Manager levels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maniyur</span> Grama Panchayath in Kerala, India

Maniyur Grama Panchayat is located in Vadakara Taluk, in the Kozhikode district in the state of Kerala, India. It covers an area of 31.03 km2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bajaj Group</span> Indian conglomerate

Bajaj Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate founded by Jamnalal Bajaj in Mumbai in 1926. The group comprises 40 companies and its flagship company Bajaj Auto is ranked as the world's fourth largest two- and three-wheeler manufacturer. The group has involvement in various industries that include automobiles, home appliances, lighting, iron and steel, insurance, travel and finance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Claret College, Ziro</span> College in Arunachal Pradesh, India

Saint Claret College, Ziro (SCCZ) is a Catholic undergraduate college established in the Himalayan foothills at Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh, India. Founded in 2003, SCCZ is served by Claretian Missionaries, a Roman Catholic Order founded by St. Anthony Mary Claret and that serves in 64 countries. Saint Claret College at Ziro is permanently affiliated to Rajiv Gandhi Central University, Itanagar. SCC is recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and is accredited with "A" Grade by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), Bangalore. SCCZ offers Bachelor of Arts, B. A., and B. Com, besides several certificate courses.

The Appropriate Technology Collaborative is an American non-profit dedicated to designing everyday technologies for the global poor.

India Development and Relief Fund (IDRF) is a Maryland, US-based 501(c) (3) tax exempt, non-profit organization that supports impoverished people in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. IDRF's programs span all over India from Jammu and Kashmir to Tamil Nadu, and from Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh, Nepal and more recently Sri Lanka. Since its inception in 1988, IDRF has disbursed $34 million in grants to various developmental programs pertaining to areas like: education, health, women's empowerment, eco-friendly development, good governance, and disaster relief/rehabilitation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parikrma Humanity Foundation</span>

Parikrma Humanity Foundation is a non-profit organization located in Bangalore, India. Parikrma addresses the growing gap in urban India between those benefiting from economic liberalization and those who are not. Consequently, only a minority of children in India can afford access to private schools where the quality of education is high and taught in English. Children from slums and rural communities attend free government-run schools, where instruction is in the state language, which often proves insufficient for attaining job opportunities in a rapidly globalizing world.

Under Article 15(3), the Constitution of India allows for positive discrimination in favor of women. The article, under right to equality, states that: "Nothing in this article shall prevent the State from making any special provision for women and children." In addition, the Directive Principles of State Policy 39(A) states that: "The State shall, in particular, direct its policy towards securing that the citizens, men and women equally, have the right to an adequate means of livelihood."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saundarya Rajesh</span> Indian businesswoman

Saundarya Rajesh is an Indian entrepreneur who is the founder and president of Avtar Group. She is known for her efforts in promoting second career opportunities for women in the corporate sector in India. She runs Project Puthri, an initiative to empower underprivileged girls to secure employment. She was awarded the ‘100 Women Achievers of India’ in 2016 by the Minister of Women and Child Development for her work. She received the Women Transforming India Award from the NITI Aayog and the United Nations in 2016.

Tamana is a non-profit voluntary organization, registered in 1984 in India, consisting of three special education centers, a training cell and a research center to support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The organization's work is recognized by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, Government of Delhi, Rehabilitation Council of India and is registered with the National Trust. Tamana also has a Special Consultative Status within the United Nations Economic and Social Council since 2005.

<i>The Power of Unreasonable People</i>

The Power of Unreasonable People: How Social Entrepreneurs Create Markets that Change the World is a 2008 non-fiction book written by John Elkington and Pamela Hartigan and published by Harvard Business School. The title of the book is based on a quote from Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw: "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable man persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man." The book focuses on two groups of "Unreasonable People": social entrepreneurs and environmental entrepreneurs.

S M Sehgal Foundation is an Indian NGO focused on rural development with its head office in Gurugram, Haryana. It was founded as an Indian public, charitable trust in 1999 by plant geneticist Suri Sehgal and his wife Mrs. Edda Sehgal, who together had accumulated wealth through the 1998 sale of their hybrid seed businesses, Proagro Group.

References

  1. ↑ The Barefoot College in Tilonia, 1997, Author: Sanjit (Bunker) Roy, Publisher:Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi
  2. 1 2 Sarita Brara (30 October 2012). "Lead kindly light". The Hindu . Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  3. ↑ "Donate : Barefoot College" . Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  4. 1 2 Sanjay Suri. "In pictures: Villagers' Barefoot College". BBC Online . Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Elkington, John; Hartigan, Pamela (1 February 2008). The Power of Unreasonable People: How Social Entrepreneurs Create Markets That Change the World. Harvard Business Press. pp. 52–. ISBN   9781422104064 . Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  6. ↑ Fred de Sam Lazaro (6 October 2008). "School in India Teaches Women to Improve Lives, Towns". PBS . Archived from the original on 10 October 2008. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  7. 1 2 Mortenson, Greg. (29 April 2010) Sanjit 'Bunker' Roy The 2010 TIME 100 Archived 17 August 2013 at the Wayback Machine . TIME. Retrieved on 2 June 2012.
  8. 1 2 3 4 John, Mary (2003). Children's Rights and Power: Charging Up for a New Century. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. pp. 232–. ISBN   9781853026584 . Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  9. 1 2 "India's Bunker Roy and Pakistan's Malala Yousufzai to receive top US award". Press Trust of India. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  10. ↑ Osler, Audrey (2000). Citizenship and Democracy in Schools: Diversity, Identity, Equality. Trentham Books. pp. 170–. ISBN   9781858562223 . Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  11. ↑ Mureithi, Carlos (24 January 2025). "Power play The Solar Mamas who are lighting up Zanzibar". The Guardian Weekly . p. 28.
  12. ↑ Kristof, Nicholas (22 March 2023). "Can't Read? Here's a 'Barefoot College' for You" . Retrieved 22 March 2023– via NYTimes.com.
  13. ↑ "Barefoot College" . Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  14. ↑ Rothstein, Mitchell Grant (1 June 2010). Self-management and Leadership Development. Edward Elgar Publishing. pp. 499–. ISBN   9781848443235 . Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  15. ↑ Krishna, V (14 September 2005). Singh, M. (ed.). Meeting Basic Learning Needs in the Informal Sector: Integrating Education and Training for Decent Work, Empowerment and Citizenship. Springer. pp. 200–. ISBN   9781402034268 . Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  16. ↑ Lonely Planet Rajasthan, Delhi & Agra 2nd Edition. Lonely Planet. 1 October 2008. pp. 207–. ISBN   9781741046908 . Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  17. 1 2 Jain, Sonu (1 July 2002). "Tilonia's Barefoot campus, now the bare facts". The Indian Express . Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2010.
  18. ↑ "India's Barefoot College and UNESCO join forces for Girls' and Women's Empowerment". United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  19. ↑ "Mujer Sana Hoy - Health and Wellbeing tips for all Women" . Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  20. ↑ DAWN GIBSON (22 November 2012). "Women get $550,000 -". Fiji Times . Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  21. ↑ Killian Fox (17 November 2012). "Documentary-makers join forces to expose the evil of global poverty". Guardian. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  22. 1 2 "Our Story". Barefoot College. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
  23. 1 2 "Living With Gandhi". Barefoot College. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
  24. ↑ "List of Awardees". Ministry of Environment and Forests.
  25. ↑ "Solar energy brings light and employment". 24 November 2003. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  26. ↑ "Swiss award for Bunker Roy". The Hindu . 22 September 2002. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.