Annual Report s1

ANNUAL REPORT

2013 – 2014

BAREFOOT COLLEGE, TILONIA

(VIA) MADANGANJ, AJMER DISTRICT,

RAJASTHAN- 305 816

TEL NO: +91(0) 1463- 288204

FAX NO: +91(0) 1463- 288206

EMAIL:

WEBSITE: www.barefootcollege.org

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The year witnessed the training of illiterate women from Latin America, South America, Africa and Asia as women barefoot solar engineers, (WBSEs) since 2006. Barefoot College has been involved in training of WBSEs from more than 65 countries. These women have after completing their 6 month training returned to their villages and solar electrified in and around their villages. The WBSEs credibility amongst their rural communities has been on an all-time high.

At another level illiterate tribal women from Jharkand and Bhod Gaya, Bihar had completed their training as WBSEs and have begun to solar electrify their villages Soda, Bahda, Pecha Kasya and others.

The sanitary napkins section has produced 68630 napkins this year by 7 women.

The women barefoot solar engineers have also been trained in producing puppets.

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“In Rajasthan when we say Water it means Drinking Water.”

A small farmer

DRINKING WATER

During the year 2013-14 there has been 98 meetings organised at the village level on the issues of Drinking Water. The Total number of participants was 1975 living in 45 villages. The meetings were focussed on the issue of problems related to Drinking Water in villages and on groundwater recharging as well as rainwater harvesting.

At the level of section and field centres there has been 17 meetings organised which were participated by 1865 persons from 45 villages in Silora Block and from 6 field centres. Water Committees were selected and formed during the year 2013-14 consisting of 45 villages from 6 field centres. The Water Committees take up efforts of development in terms of Drinking Water through Rainwater Harvesting and Ground Water Recharging and mobilising the members for the committees. Joint bank accounts have been opened in order to take up construction activities. Members of the Joint accounts include women as representatives.

Workshops

5 Workshops have been organised which have been participated by 1311 members of rural communities from 45 villages and 5 field-centres and sub-centres.

The workshops focused on the issues of drinking water and the efforts needed to solve the problem as well as rainwater harvesting and recharging.

Training

During 2012-2013 there were 5 training camps organised which were participated by 378 persons. More than 45 villages were represented in the camps from 5 field-Centres and sub-centres.

The issues discussed in the camps were Documentation, record-maintenance, preparing transparency files and social audit.

Surveys were conducted on monthly basis on the rain water harvesting tanks that were constructed in 75 villages and in 5 field-centres. The surveys were on the repairs and maintenance of the tanks that were taken up.

Women’s Groups Dialogue and demonstrations

The dialogue was conducted on the issue of Drinking Water and Rainwater Harvesting participated by 6500 persons including women from 107 villages in 10 field – centres and sub-centres.

Transparency and Social Audit

There were 3 Transparency and social audit initiatives organised which were participated by 385 persons from 3 villages in 2 field –centers and sub-centres.

The initiatives were focused on the Transparency and Accountability efforts taken up by Barefoot College to prepare proposals and implement them.

This year Rainwater by the institution as per the demand of the population for drinking water torage and Recharging Basin problematic villages built in the 7 villages.

Rainwater storage capacity (in liters) - 372 000

Number of households benefiting from employment - 159

Number of beneficiaries from drinking water - 3435

Number of villages benefited - 150

Detailed description of the program:

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“How are rural women mobilised to use sanitary napkins.”

A visitor to Barefoot College

COMMUNITY HEALTH

Barefoot College (BC) has been making efforts to mobilise the rural women in using sanitary napkins for menstrual hygiene. Through the network of rural midwives and balsevikas (teachers at the rural crèches) BC has been mobilising rural women and adolescents in using Sanitary Napkins. Santokba Durlabji Memorial Hospital is also helping BC in marketing the sanitary Napkins. Rural women and physically challenged women are trained in producing the sanitary napkins.

BC has the facility of 10 beds in the Medical Section at its new campus which provides diagnosis facilities and runs indoor programme to treat rural patients. The indoor programme refers emergency cases to the nearby government hospital in Kishangarh and Ajmer.

Please find below the preventive health initiatives taken up by BC during 2013-14.

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“Where do the children go after attending the rural Creche?”

A visitor to Tilonia

PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION

Barefoot College co-ordinates 64 rural creches which are run by 128 barefoot teachers and attended by 1791 children including 952 girls. During 2013-2014 there were 611 Children including 308 girls who joined the mainstream education in class 1. The balsevikas or barefoot teachers kept an on-going rapport with 550 mothers of the children attending the rural crèches.

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SHIKSHA NIKETAN

Barefoot College Co-ordinates an Upper Primary School, Shiksha Niketan uptil class 8 in Tilonia. It is an experimental school which was established in 1988.

The teachers of Shiksha niketan decided to utilise their summer vacation time to take part in seminars and training sessions held by the Azim Premji Foundation.

Shishka Niketan School SWRC., Tilonia

Sports Day Event (14 Year’s old Boy’s and Girls)

List of selected children at State level

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“How do the illiterate tribal women be able to solar electrify the villages. ”

A visitor to Tilonia

SOLAR ENERGY

With the help of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India Barefoot College was able to conduct a pilot project in the Manoharpur block of West Singhbhum District. 40 women from 20 villages were selected to undergo training to be solar engineers and electrify their villages. A meeting was held between Barefoot College, Ravindra Batra (Deputy Secretary, Jharkhand), Asok Kumar (JREDA Director) and Praveen Toppo (Tribal Commissioner). Meetings were held with each of the heads of the villages and also meetings with the communities. In these community meetings, they were asked to select a woman from their village to undergo training and for it to be someone who deserved this opportunity.

Important conclusions from meetings:

40 women from 20 villages of Manoharpur Block to be selected and sent to Tilonia to be trained to become Barefoot Solar Engineers. Solar lanterns and charge controllers will be sent back with these women.

With the support of JREDA, solar modules, batteries and wiring kit will be delivered to these 20 villages.

In September, 19 women from 10 villages came to Tilonia with members of ALOK to take part in this training program.

WBSE MNRE Project Sept. to March 2013