The Barefoot College in Tilonia, India, began in 1972 with the conviction that solutions to rural problems lie within the community.
“It is the only college in India built by the poor for the poor and for the last 34 years managed and controlled and owned by the poor following the life-style and work-style of Gandhi. It is based on very simple living, eating, and working and people come for the challenge rather than the money. No one in the college can earn more than $100 a month.”
Interested in learning more? Go to http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?ID=2382&utm_source=ed0408&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=21_BFtxt6
to click on the thumbnails below to see the work of the Barefoot Photographers of Tilonia and learn about the Barefoot College's projects.
Adapted from Yes! magazine
The Barefoot College campus was designed by a semi-literate Barefoot architect and was built by a team of Barefoot architects, Barefoot solar engineers, and Barefoot water engineers. The college collects rainwater from the roofs of the campus and stores 400,000 liters of water in an underground tank built under a community stage. The open-air theater can seat an audience of 5,000 for performances. The college is fully solar electrified and powers its computers, photocopying machines, media center, pathology lab, and 700 lights and fans of its administrative offices, classrooms and living spaces with sunlight.
The Barefoot College campus was designed by a semi-literate Barefoot architect and was built by a team of Barefoot architects, Barefoot solar engineers, and Barefoot water engineers. The college collects rainwater from the roofs of the campus and stores 400,000 liters of water in an underground tank built under a community stage. The open-air theater can seat an audience of 5,000 for performances. The college is fully solar electrified and powers its computers, photocopying machines, media center, pathology lab, and 700 lights and fans of its administrative offices, classrooms and living spaces with sunlight.
What do you think about the work of the Barefoot Photographers? What are the lives of these intelligent, resourceful, and motivated people like in comparison to yours? In what ways do the issues that interest you connect to the issues that interest the Barefoot Photographers? Add a comment!
18 comments:
I feel that what they are doing is great, not only for their comunity but for their environment as well. They are saving not only electricity that way but the natural resources as well as the atmosphere. I personally feel that it is a good idea and that we should do the same, or at least try to. Or maybe even make some effort to support them in some way. I also feel that if we follow their idea then maybe, just maybe, we will be able to afford more things for our school. Granted that you have to make sacrifice in order to gain, and we might not have the resources to buy what we need to accomplish what they have done by producing their own electricity, but if we could I think it would be good for our school, or even school system, to produce its own electricity lowering our bills and then we will be able to put the school budget money towards better stuff for the school.
I also feel that they are not only highly intellegent, highly resourceful, and highly motivated, but infact highly successful as well. For even a poor college they have done well. They have made the sacrifises necessary to get the job done. I know for one thing, no matter how intellegent, how resourceful, and how motivated I am I just do not think i would be willing to work for only $100 a month, especially in our society today. Things just simply cost too much, there is just no way anyone would be able to survive with a mear $100 a month salary. As for the issues that interest me that have to do with the Barefoot Photographers are probally quite the same. For example, I have put a lot of thought into ways to produce electricity in easier and more sufficent ways to help our soceity with our consumer problems and have actually came up with a couple of ideas myself, including a way to use all the lightning bults that stucts the Earth's surface by just simply using lightning rods and channel the electricity to big generators that can store it and send it to where ever necessary and unfortanatly i have come up with a lot of good ideas that will help our society with not only its, electricity use, but its fossil fuel consumsion, its overuse of water, and a few more good ideas that physically speaking could work. But because I am just a youn kid no one will listen to what I have to say.
P.S. ... I have taken physics, infact i took it last year and got a 98 in the class for the year.
-Jack
What these people are doing is fantastic. They are bettering themselves by going to school, not that it pays but that it is bettering themselves intellectually. They also along with bettering themselves they are bettering the environment. The collecting of the rainwater is simply brilliant. They are saving the earth by using these objects and methods when the U.S. uses fossil fuels and other harmful pollutants. A town where people barley make 100$ a month is protecting the earth why cannot the U.S. Though the U.S. government is not doing much to help the environment, there are some spurts of people doing things to help the environment. An example of this is the Fresno State solar covered parking lot. “This parking lot will supply 20% of the schools energy and is expected to save Fresno State more than $13 million in avoided utility costs over its 30-year lifespan.” This is an amazing idea because parking lots usually have a lot of sun light and it will keep cars dry and cool during the summer. If you would like to learn more about the Fresno State Parking Lot Experiment visit:
http://www.fresnostatenews.com/2007/11/solarwrapup2.htm
From: Tom
The people who chose to attend Barefoot College in Tolinia odviously have a very different set of moral standards then people who chose to attend a large well known College or even a University. The life style is much different and not self centered. You would not chose to go there as much for the education, but for the life experiences that it provides.
You would not be able to have such a simple life going to school in the states. Life gets slowed down. You don't have to deal with the big city or the rushing life style of a college student. Life is much simpler and you would do different things for different reasons in the States compared Barefoot College.
The people at Barefoot College also are clearly willing to give up a lot to gain a lot. They do not have access to the same technology. They go out to collect and store there own water. They use solar energy, sometimes unreliable, to power the College. And, they only earn $100 a month at most. You would be hard pressed to find a United States Student makes that or less in one week.
The people who chose to attend Barefoot College have very different standards. They are willing to give up a lot, and through there experiences, learn what life is like for others. They are able to come out with completly different moral standards then students in other schools.
The people who chose to attend Barefoot College in Tolinia odviously have a very different set of moral standards then people who chose to attend a large well known College or even a University. The life style is much different and not self centered. You would not chose to go there as much for the education, but for the life experiences that it provides.
You would not be able to have such a simple life going to school in the states. Life gets slowed down. You don't have to deal with the big city or the rushing life style of a college student. Life is much simpler and you would do different things for different reasons in the States compared Barefoot College.
The people at Barefoot College also are clearly willing to give up a lot to gain a lot. They do not have access to the same technology. They go out to collect and store there own water. They use solar energy, sometimes unreliable, to power the College. And, they only earn $100 a month at most. You would be hard pressed to find a United States Student makes that or less in one week.
The people who chose to attend Barefoot College have very different standards. They are willing to give up a lot, and through there experiences, learn what life is like for others. They are able to come out with completly different moral standards then students in other schools.
The creaters of Barefoot College have really done something above and beyond for themselves and their community. This education system has been "built by the poor for the poor". The lives if these people are very simple and plain. Compared to what people in the United States have, these people have nothing.The most amount of money a student in Barefoot College can earn is a minimal 100$. In today's economy in the United States, that one person wouldn't be able to make a living for over 4 days.
I think it is a great idea to be running computers, photocopiers, fans and other pieces of equipment fully by solar power. They are bettering environment by not using electricity. But the down side of the solar energy is that it may be at sometimes an unreliable source of energy.
I think that the people of Tilonia have something that many people dream of, true freedom. These people are in as great a partnership with the land as they are with each other. The take what the land gives to them, and are rewarded by being entirely self-sufficient.
The freedom that the Barefooters have been shown to possess is freedom in it's purest form, the freedom of choice. This freedom is exibited because, whereas many similar poor communities would have considered something such as the Barefoot College superfluous in relation to their resources, the Tilonians banded together for the common cause. This cause is practically giving the gift of prosperity to the Barefooter's children for generations to come.
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(Kathleen/Mariah/Marie/Crystal)
I think the photos made me realize what is happening around the word. I love his photos because it makes us understand that not everyone is living like we do. We can see that some people do not have a well education or health like we do. It is why I think his pictures are great.
Rachel
I think the photos made me realize what is happening around the word. I love his photos because it makes us understand that not everyone is living like we do. We can see that some people do not have a well education or health like we do. It is why I think his pictures are great.
-rachel
I feel what the Barefoot Photographers are doing is amazing. I feel that they are very determined in making their society work. Even though they are poor, their education means a lot to them, and therefore they are working very hard to keep it up. The college has lasted for a long time so far, and is still going strong. I am really happy that the people in India are doing this, because being poor should not stop you from having a future and being educated. I feel good because these people are now able to get an education and live their lives like they should. In my opinion, these people are saving the environment because they are so resourceful. They do not use much electricty because they use the sunlight. The sun operates everything, like the computers and it lights up all the rooms. I think this would be a cool experience since our society is much different. These people are very motivated, resourceful and intelligent, more than myself that is. I dont think that i would want to work for $100 dollars a day, because in our society the cost of living is much higher. Also, I would not be able to survive if I made that amount of money. I think I am resourceful and I am pretty motivated because I try in what i do. I also try to preserve electricity, but I do always count on electiricty and I do not think that I would go too well if I lived in India. I think that the people in India appreciate the environment more than we do, because they are trying to save the environment by preserving electricity, which is very diverse from us. I think our society would interest the Barefoot Photographers because it is much different. They would probably be interested in what our colleges are like and how they compare to those of India.
-Katie
I feel what the Barefoot Photographers are doing is amazing. I feel that they are very determined in making their society work. Even though they are poor, their education means a lot to them, and therefore they are working very hard to keep it up. The college has lasted for a long time so far, and is still going strong. I am really happy that the people in India are doing this, because being poor should not stop you from having a future and being educated. I feel good because these people are now able to get an education and live their lives like they should. In my opinion, these people are saving the environment because they are so resourceful. They do not use much electricty because they use the sunlight. The sun operates everything, like the computers and it lights up all the rooms. I think this would be a cool experience since our society is much different. These people are very motivated, resourceful and intelligent, more than myself that is. I dont think that i would want to work for $100 dollars a day, because in our society the cost of living is much higher. Also, I would not be able to survive if I made that amount of money. I think I am resourceful and I am pretty motivated because I try in what i do. I also try to preserve electricity, but I do always count on electiricty and I do not think that I would go too well if I lived in India. I think that the people in India appreciate the environment more than we do, because they are trying to save the environment by preserving electricity, which is very diverse from us. I think our society would interest the Barefoot Photographers because it is much different. They would probably be interested in what our colleges are like and how they compare to those of India.
-Katie
In the Barefoot College in Tilonia, India, i think what their currently doing is awsome. It seems as though they have already accomlished alot, between jsut builing the whole campus and actually having people attend and working there. I also think it gives us a closer idea to how some poeople actually do live, and how they get through.
Also looking though all the pictures of the work of the Barefoot Photographers, i was extrenmly impressed on how much work and effort was put in and is still being put in to this campus today. it seems like were saving alot on not only money but makeig our environment a healthier place to live in as well. it also seems as though people are openign their eyes to other issues that are just as important as famine, the homeless and other issues that go along the same lines.
-linda
Ancient Greece Project
Slavery In Greece
Slavery plays a major role in Ancient Greece. Slaves are put on sale and bought by the slave owners around Greece. There are more slaves in Ancient Greece then there were free people. The slaves that are bought work as domestic servants as well as factory workers, shopkeepers, mineworkers and crewmembers on the ships. The life of a mineworker and crewmember are lives’ of misery and danger. The workers don't usually live too long because of all the work and dangerous conditions they live under. Slaves are thought of as property to the slave owners and not a citizen of Greece.
A person can also be born into slavery. Ancient Greece was also in many battles and if you were taken as a prisoner, you were either killed or put into slavery in the new country one was brought to. Families can also put their children for sale and they are now a slave for a new slave owner. Household slaves are treated like they are part of the family who buy him or her. The farm slaves are beaten and treated harshly. The police force here in Greece is mainly made up of slaves. - Joe
Judicial Policy
Draco, the law giver, has wrote the first known law in Greece 20 years ago. This law stated that for killing someone you will be exiled from Greece. Now-a-days we are having slaves patrol the streets making sure to keep the city in check and that this law and any other law from now on is enforced. In the trial of the convicted the jurors are 200 random citizens of Greece. Cases not involving theft, murder, rape, or adultery the accused receive a summons naming the day that he or she was supposed to appear before a magistrate. Judgment is passed if the majority of the Jury rules in favor of an action. - Tom
RACISM IN 2008
Racism is a familiar issue in the US. From racial profiling to other issues such as affirmative action, police brutality against minorities and the history of slavery and the growing hatred of immigrants.
Since the horrific terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, Security concerns have increased as expected, but so have racial profiling, and discrimination. In the early outcome of the attacks, most Americans were understandably outraged and horrified. They even attacked some members of the Sikh community where at least one was killed, because they looked like certain types of Muslims, with beards and turbans. Different people of Middle East or South Asian origin have faced controversial disciplines or questionings by officials at American airports.—Tony
MODERN DAY JUDICIAL SYSTEM
In 2008 our Judicial branch has come a long way from our Founding Fathers. The federal courts are still the base of the Judicial system. The Constitution of The United States of America is supreme law and the Judicial branch is what defines the constitution In the American Judicial System there are the U.S Supreme Court, U.S Court of Appeals, U.S. District Courts, and U.S. Bankruptcy Courts. The Supreme Court consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and eight associate justices. The judicial district is organized into 12 regional courts each of which of a court of appeal. These courts hear cases from their particular region they are located in. The United States District Courts are the trial courts of the federal court system. The Bankruptcy Courts handle cases dealing with bankruptcy matters.— Tom
The Barefoot Photographers are truly talented, devoted, and over all amazing people. They make do with what they have to provide possible futures for those who could have easily given up hope very long ago. I think these people are extremely intelligent. Just because they may not be fully literate, they are still just as intelligent as anyone else. They used their minds, motivation, and resources around them to accomplish what nobody else would have thought to be possible. They also have helped the environment by saving electricity, natural resources, and the atmosphere.
This relates to our issue of political views because they are helping the environment, which is supported by democrats, and they are also doing things for themselves with out the financial support from others, which in some ways, represents capitalism.
The Barefoot Photographers are truly talented, devoted, and over all amazing people. They make do with what they have to provide possible futures for those who could have easily given up hope very long ago. I think these people are extremely intelligent. Just because they may not be fully literate, they are still just as intelligent as anyone else. They used their minds, motivation, and resources around them to accomplish what nobody else would have thought to be possible. They also have helped the environment by saving electricity, natural resources, and the atmosphere.
This relates to our issue of political views because they are helping the environment, which is supported by Democrats, and they are also doing things for themselves with out the financial support from others, which in some ways, represents capitalism, which is has more support from Republicans.
I think what these people are doing is great. There are not that many people in the world that would do something great like this. By looking at the pictures from "The Barefoot Photographers of Tilonia" it makes me realize what is going on in some parts of the world. By doing this, it gives more children in parts of the world the chance to have a new life, to start fresh. A chance many kids don't get.
This it shows that alot of people care about more important things than money in the world, because the are living simply like gandhi. I think it is a great thing that they are doing. It is a great example of pleople joining together and giving back to the community.
I think that the Barefoot Photographers are doing a superior thing; they are serving the economy and they are caring for the people of India. They are helping the economy by using the sun’s energy to power their computers, photocopying machines, media center, pathology lab, and “700 lights and fans of its administrative offices, classrooms and living spaces with sunlight”. In comparison to my life these Barefoot Photographers are more resourceful than me. I now look up to them and aspire to be them.
I believe that I take advantage of things like electricity for granted and these people would love to have what I have. I feel responsible for many things that these people are trying to correct. They are motivated in what they do and they are helping the earth and the people of India. This college opens my eyes to the other parts of the world that are very different from my personal experiences. One issue that we agree on is the conserving of water. The college focuses on rain water harvesting. They get volunteers to collect large quantities of rainwater. They conserve the water and make every last drop last. I wish that our community could at least make an effort to accomplish that idea. I believe that the society we live in right now is that we take fresh water for granted. The Barefoot Photographers are very courageous and inspiring people.
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