World Changing Post #2

The Barefoot College pg 359

Rebecca Tulis

I chose to read the article about the Barefoot College because it was something I simply never heard of before. From its name alone, I thought the Barefoot College was a society that educates impoverished people. I soon found out that the Barefoot College is just that. It is a community-centered organization that focuses on becoming more developed and environmentally conscious. The organization started in a small, poor village called Tilonia. Over 200 villages in India are becoming more sustainable and are gaining a new knowledge about their environment and how to protect it.

What I found the most interesting about the barefoot college was its completely sustainable campus. Solar power is the main source of electricity and they have special water systems that clean out the water. People are trained to specialize in a certain subject and from there they may become a solar power engineer, a wa­­­ter system mechanic or even a chemist. I never knew these programs existed and I was really interested in how people living in these poor areas have the opportunity to not only contribute to their community but gain an education that would help them designate a career for themselves.

These small villages are becoming efficient communities in which each person contributes through his or her job and at the same time he or she helping the environment. The Barefoot College hopes to make the lives of these villagers easier. We are constantly thriving to make our lives more enjoyable and learn as much as we can about the world. However, while we do this, we may not be as sustainable as we could be. The Barefoot College strives to become more developed just like we do but does it in a way that doesn't negatively affect our environment.

Steffen, Alex. World Changing: A User's Guider for the 21st Century. New York: Abrams, 2008