The Barefoot College is a place of learning and unlearning. It's a place where the teacher is the learner and the learner is the teacher. It's a place where NO degrees and certificates are given because in development there are no experts-only resource persons. It's a place where people are encouraged to make mistakes so that they can learn humility, curiosity, the courage to take risks, to innovate, to improvise and to constantly experiment. It's a place where all are treated as equals and there is no hierarchy.

So long as the process leads to the good and welfare of all; so long as problems of discrimination, injustice, exploitation and inequalities are addresssed directly or indirectly; so long as the poor, the deprived and the dispossessed feel its a place they can talk, be heard with dignity and respect, be trained and be given the tools and the skills to improve their own lives the immediate relevance of the Barefoot College to the global poor will always be there.

A few programs:

Solar Power

Solar power was first used in 1986 on a large scale, to completely energise the 80,000 square foot Barefoot College campus at Tilonia. The College campus now is totally self-sufficient with a 40 kilowatt solar energy unit meeting all its energy needs.

The College by training rural unemployed youth as well as semi-literate and literate rural women, as barefoot solar engineers, from different part of the country, have since 1986, installed solar home lighting systems in their villages. They also fabricate and produce solar lanterns. More than 200 kilowatt solar energy is being generated across the country thorough systems and lanterns.

Rain Water Harvesting

Since 1986, the College has focused on rain water harvesting and piped water systems as the emphasis has moved beyond providing clean drinking water to providing easy access to drinking water.

13 villages, 1200 connections and 15000 people now benefit from community piped water supply systems, designed, planned and implemented entirely by the village people. These communities pay Rs. 30/ month for two hours of water per day.

Modern Media 

A variety of modern media are also used by the barefoot communication team at the College. Barefoot printers run the College's silk screen printing presses. They produce posters on health, education and other social issues, announcements and pamphlets for Balmelas, Mahilamelas, and educational material for the night schools. The letterhead and envelopes of the SWRC are all printed by this unit.

Barefoot photographers and audiovisual technicians produce and manage slides and photographs, and over 600 audio and video cassettes.