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| An individual's will to learn and
aptitude for learning is more important than any formal
degree or paper qualification. This concept of learning
is the foundation for the Barefoot College. It is applied
in every field at the Centre. For example, the new campus
at Tilonia was designed and built by one of the villagers,
who can barely sign his own name. The campus itself
reflects the adaption of both traditional, as well as new
methods and technologies. Old, traditional methods have
been used to keep the buildings cool while solar energy
is used to provide electrical power the campus. People with minimum paper qualifications, trained at the Barefoot College, work in every field - as night school teachers, health workers, computer operators, solar engineers, or hand pump mechanics. At Tilonia, all of the activities are related and workers are encouraged to move from one field section to another. Basic literacy, health and first aid skills are also taught. In this way, each individual learns about the entire organisation, its mission and its functioning. Sustainable Development From the beginning, SWRC has practiced the idea of sustainable development through self-sufficiency. Unlike many government-sponsored projects, the Centre does not provide free services. A nominal fee is charged for all services, including health services, training, installation of hand pumps or solar electrification for lighting. A sense of ownership is very important for the success of any project and comes only when services are paid for by the individuals themselves. The Barefoot College trains and employs unemployed people from the villages to help them become a productive part of the Centre. Almost 98 percent of the workers at SWRC, Tilonia are from the neighboring rural area. Appropriate Technology New trends in technology and high-tech machines are not always synonymous with development. SWRC does not believe in imposing technology on people in rural villages, nor using technology which deprives people of employment. Any new technology has to be thoroughly tested, appropriated and modified before it can be effective. Adapting and improving on pre-existing, traditional ways is often more effective than using newer technologies. Sense of Community What makes Tilonia a wonderful place is that there is no managerial hierarchy and this egalitarian nature of the Centre is reflected in all aspects of the organisation from salary structure to the community dining hall. The difference between the lowest paid and the highest paid staff is not more than 1:3. Performance evaluations are done by the staff themselves for each other. In the community dining hall, there is no distinction by way of caste, religion, or position. Food is simple and everyone serves himself or herself. and washes his or her own dishes. Initially, getting so-called "higher caste" and "lower caste" individuals to eat or sit together was one of the most difficult tasks. However, now they proudly boast of actually having "unity in diversity." To reinforce the sense of community, an hour every morning and evening is reserved for voluntary participation in community work like keeping the campus clean or watering the plants. Field Centres The Barefoot College concept is percolated to the communities in the 110 villages of the Silora Block through the 12 SWRC field centres. The field centres have the freedom to decide their own course of action. Each serves between 9 and 35 villages. The field centres are dependent on the main centre only for administrative purposes and for certain policies and issues. All heads for the field centres meet once a month at one of the centres to evaluate the month's work and decide activities for the coming month. |
