Barefoot College
Tel: +91 (0)1463 288205
The aim of the Barefoot College based in Rajasthan, India is to enable rural communities to be self-sufficient and to live and work sustainably - in large part through education and training. The award-winning charity established in 1972 works to enable communities to harvest water, supply and maintain solar power, build homes, organise themselves and run night schools for children if they cannot attend government-run day schools. There are 23 affiliated Barefoot Colleges in 15 states of India. The organisation is run according to Ghandi’s premise that everyone is equal - each member of staff is paid a living wage, rather than a market wage.
In rural communities children often don’t attend school in the daytime because they have to look after animals or do essential domestic work or because there isn’t a day school within reach. Barefoot College aims to operate night schools where there is no accessible government school. It trains adults in the community as teachers and children can attend for up to five years. The schools teach literacy and numeracy as well as subjects relevant to rural life.
The night schools frequently serve as a bridge to day school education. The fact that a child attends a night school demonstrates to parents the value of education, which can persuade them to send their children to day school where one exists. Often government will establish a day school once the local demand for schooling has been demonstrated by the presence of a night school. Barefoot College works to change attitudes - evidenced by its success in enrolling increasing numbers of girls at night school. Sofronie Foundation endorses such efforts to shift views and to make education accessible whatever a child’s circumstances.
Sofronie Foundation is contributing Euros 176,250 to the running of 75 night schools - for over 2,000 children - for one year. This will pay for such things as teacher training, materials, water, solar power, trips and running a children’s parliament.