BAREFOOT COLLEGE As an Inspiration for the Under-Privileged Communities
NGOs and Civil Society Empowerment
Writing on
BAREFOOT COLLEGE
As an Inspiration for the Under-Privileged Communities
By:
Larissa Kristany
2011330026
The Faculty of Socials and Politics
University of Catholic Parahyangan
Bandung
2013
“For 40 years, our ‘Barefoot Professionals’ have brought sustainable change to their villages all over the world. The demystified and decentralized ‘barefoot approach’ of community management, control, and ownership has demonstrated the power of simple solutions.” 1Barefoot College is a non-governmental organization that works on giving aids and facilitating basic services, as well as offering solutions of problems in the rural and poor communities. For more than 40 years, it has been performing its objectives of making those worldwide communities to be self-sufficient and to have a sustainable reformation. Known as the Social Work and Research Centre, the Barefoot College was built by Mr. Bunker Roy in 1972, which is located in village Tilonia, Rajasthan- India. As a voluntary organization, it was first delivered from the initiative of Mr. Bunker Roy in relieving the crisis of famine in Bihar and lack of drinking water due to draught in Rajasthan. The threat for the village community then appealed him to bring innovation regarding the drinking water to the entire village of Tilonia. He also took the project on addressing major problems and constructing the community with the local people. The project began on the note, ‘by the people, for the people, and of the people.’2 Starting with the building of campus designed for the illiterates, it then continued on the use of solar energy as electricity for the community and trained un-formal education for women to become solar engineers and doctors for its communities. The ideas implemented from the community are then taken and help in shaping the programs and systems of the Barefoot College. The name of Barefoot College refers to the symbol of ‘barefoot’
Writing on
BAREFOOT COLLEGE
As an Inspiration for the Under-Privileged Communities
By:
Larissa Kristany
2011330026
The Faculty of Socials and Politics
University of Catholic Parahyangan
Bandung
2013
“For 40 years, our ‘Barefoot Professionals’ have brought sustainable change to their villages all over the world. The demystified and decentralized ‘barefoot approach’ of community management, control, and ownership has demonstrated the power of simple solutions.” 1Barefoot College is a non-governmental organization that works on giving aids and facilitating basic services, as well as offering solutions of problems in the rural and poor communities. For more than 40 years, it has been performing its objectives of making those worldwide communities to be self-sufficient and to have a sustainable reformation. Known as the Social Work and Research Centre, the Barefoot College was built by Mr. Bunker Roy in 1972, which is located in village Tilonia, Rajasthan- India. As a voluntary organization, it was first delivered from the initiative of Mr. Bunker Roy in relieving the crisis of famine in Bihar and lack of drinking water due to draught in Rajasthan. The threat for the village community then appealed him to bring innovation regarding the drinking water to the entire village of Tilonia. He also took the project on addressing major problems and constructing the community with the local people. The project began on the note, ‘by the people, for the people, and of the people.’2 Starting with the building of campus designed for the illiterates, it then continued on the use of solar energy as electricity for the community and trained un-formal education for women to become solar engineers and doctors for its communities. The ideas implemented from the community are then taken and help in shaping the programs and systems of the Barefoot College. The name of Barefoot College refers to the symbol of ‘barefoot’