Non-governmental organization The Barefoot College

Objectives
The Barefoot College aims to improve the quality of life of the rural poor. Efforts focus on basic needs: water, health, education, and employment, while enrolling individuals in the processes that govern their lives. The College addresses problems of drinking water, income generation, electricity and power, as well as social awareness and the conservation of ecological systems in rural communities.

Activities
The College benefits the poorest of the poor who have no alternatives and encourages practical knowledge and skills rather than paper qualifications through a learning by doing process of education. The College provides nine different areas of programs: drinking water, night schools, health centers, solar power, environment, incom generation, traditional media, people's action, and women's group

Solar Power
Solar power was first used on a large scale in 1986 to completely energize the 60,000 square foot Barefoot College campus at Tilonia

Solar engineers of The Barefoot College have manufactured 500 solar lanterns at the college for 200 night schools across the country!

Solar Engineers
Barefoot solar engineers have installed solar photovoltaic (SPV) units in 300 adult education centres in 10 states of India. All solar panels have been installed, maintained and repaired by the village people without the assistance of any paper-qualified engineer. The results include:

Solar Engineers of the Barefoot College have fixed 104 solar units for night schools to replace kerosene lamps which are detrimental to the children's eyesight!

a) 500 solar lanterns manufactured at the college for 200 night schools across the country;
b) 104 fixed solar units for night schools to replace kerosene lamps which are detrimental to the children's eyesight;
c) 25 remote and inaccessible villages in Ladakh have 36 kws of solar panels that provide three hours of light in the bleakest winter to 930 families;
d) In Leh and Kargil districts, solar energy initiatives have saved a total of 59,000 litres of kerosine;
e) 179 rural youth have been trained as barefoot solar mechanics with absolutely no aid from urban professionals; and
f) 130,000 litres of kerosene have been saved by replacing generators and oil lanterns with solar power.

Web of Non-Governmental and
Non-Commercial Organizations
of the Asia and Pacific Region
Involved in Sustainable Energy Development

Profile of
The Barefoot College

Web of Non-Governmental and Non-Commercial Organizations of the Asia and Pacific Region Involved in Sustainable Energy Development

Profile of The Barefoot College

Web of Non-Governmental and
Non-Commercial Organizations
of the Asia and Pacific Region
Involved in Sustainable Energy Development

Profile of
The Barefoot College