Barefoot College

The Barefoot College, also known as the Social Work and Research Centre is a community-based grassroots organisation working since 1972 based on the Gandhian concept of reaching the last person. It was founded by Sanjit ‘Bunker’ Roy, to harness the skills and intelligence of rural people and ‘specialists’ people with degrees and formal professional competence, to work together to empower local communities. The SWRC/Barefoot aimed at addressing specifically the issues concerning the marginalised, the exploited and the impoverished rural poor living on less than minimum wages; in practical domains like water, education, solar, health, advocacy and rural livelihoods including handicrafts.

Barefoot has sought to provide the opportunity and the right support for communities to participate in planning, executing, and maintaining their own frameworks for development. These processes have provided the opportunity to the rural poor to lift themselves out of relative poverty with dignity and self- respect. The Barefoot College discussed, defined and consolidated the non-negotiables within its body politic (equality, collective decision-making, decentralisation, self reliance, austerity and openness to learning skills).

Barefoot College has been a place where sustainable ideas and the practical knowledge of the poor have been put into practice through work in education and skill development. This work has, in turn, resulted in large-scale impact in rainwater harvesting, solar electrification, non- formal education, health, conservation, women’s empowerment and culture. Barefoot has shown the potential of giving the rural poor an opportunity and support to develop self-sufficiency. What Barefoot has effectively demonstrated is the sustainability of the combination of traditional knowledge (symbolised by “barefoot”) and demystified modern skills.