Girls Education

A young Rajasthani girl attends the festival for International Women's Day.

Girls especially benefit from the Barefoot College's development programs. Nearly 70% of rural children in India do not have time to go to school during the day. They work collecting drinking water, fetching firewood, or tending animals and other essential domestic work for their families.

The Barefoot College began Night Schools for these children in 1975 to provide an education that draws on the knowledge of the community. Literate young men and women in the community were selected and trained for 6 months to become Barefoot Teachers.

By improving the learning environment of the night schools, by providing drinking water through rain water harvesting, or by providing solar lighting instead of kerosene lamps, and giving a sense of security, mothers started to send their girls to school for the first time.

Since 1975, over 50,000 children have studied at these Night Schools -- and the concept of the Night Schools has been replicated in other states in India.

Join the children at Night School >

The schools are administered by the Village Education Committees. Each Committee has an average membership of 15-30 villagers including 5-10 women. The Committees have their bank accounts at the nearest rural bank. Two of its members along with one member from the College staff operate bank accounts. The Committees are responsible for day-to-day administration of the 250 night schools, purchase of teaching/learning material, repairs and maintenance of night school buildings and disbursement of honorariums to night school teachers.

The Children's Parliament controls and supervises the night schools. It is based on the belief that giving power to the people who have a vested interest in the school is the best way of ensuring its success -- as well as making the children aware of political structure and processes.

The Children's Parliament since its inception in 1993, has had five terms of office. The Parliament has elected representatives from night schools, situated in four districts of Rajasthan, covering a geographical outspread of 700-800 square kilometres, from semi-arid to the desert regions.

Most of the Prime Ministers have been girls, simply because more girls attend the Night Schools than boys.


Meet Bhagchand Dev, one of the former Prime Ministers of the Children's Parliament >

Bhagchand Dev, Women of Tilonia
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Contribute

Friends of Tilonia

Friends of Tilonia, Inc. is a US-based, tax-exempt 501(c)3 non-profit organization which helps support the rural development programs of the Barefoot College and its charitable affiliates in India and around the world.

You may provide general support to Friends of Tilonia, Inc, or specify the type of program you would like to support by clicking on the "contribute" button for that program. 100% of your contribution goes directly to the support of these Barefoot development programs.

We appreciate your support for the sustainable development programs of the Barefoot College and its affiliates.


Artisans of Tilonia
Artisans of Tilonia


Your financial support will help Friends of Tilonia, Inc. to train and support staff of the Barefoot College to manage the Tilonia store via the Internet, and expand sales efforts in the U.S. through operation of the online store and other sales and marketing activities.
You will help support the rural artisans of Tilonia.



Artisans of Tilonia FOT_Artisans$100.00
Barefoot Solar Engineers
Barefoot Solar Engineers


The success of the "barefoot" approach is based on community commitment. Before solar electrification of the village, the whole village must agree to pay a monthly contribution for the repair and maintenance of the solar power, and to select the poorest, semi-literate, unemployable person who has roots in the village to be trained as a barefoot solar engineer.

You will help the Barefoot College to train barefoot solar engineers to solar-electrify their villages in India, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bolivia, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Sierra Leone and The Gambia.

Barefoot Solar Engineers BC_Solar$100.00
Children's Parliament
Children's Parliament


The Night Schools of the Barefoot College expose rural children to the concept of democracy and the importance of elections, citizenship and leadership. Every 3 years, 4000 night school children between the ages of 6 to 14 elect a Prime Minister and a Cabinet of Ministers. For over a decade, the 150 night schools have been jointly managed, supervised and administered by a children's parliament and the village education committee.

You will help support the Children's Parliament.

Children's Parliament BC_Parliament$100.00
Night School Teachers
Night School Teachers


The majority of rural children in India do not have the time to attend school in the morning. They help their families by tending farm animals, fetching drinking water, collecting firewood. The night schools were started in 1975 to provide a learning environment for these children. Since 1975, over 50,000 children have attended the Barefoot College's night schools.

You will help train barefoot teachers for the night schools.

Night School Teachers BC_Schools$100.00
Pre-School Education Centers
Pre-School Education Centers


Today, more than 70 Pre-School Education Centers are coordinated by the Barefoot College and attended by more than 7,500 children with the help of 130 women Barefoot Teachers. Children from the ages of 1 to 5 are involved in the process of "Learning Readiness" and those that attend the pre-school education centers are provided with supplementary nutrition including milk, cereal and vegetables.

Your contribution of $100 supports one child in pre-school for one year and covers the costs of teacher training, supplementary nutrition, health check-ups, learning activities and school supplies.

Pre-School Education Centers BC_PreSchool$100.00
Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting
Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting


In desert regions where wells have gone dry, the only long term cost-effective solution for providing water for drinking and sanitation, is to collect rainwater from the rooftops. Rain is funneled from school rooftops into water-proofed underground tanks. Rainwater can be collected at 10 cents per liter. For the cost of one drilling rig to futilely dig deeper and deeper wells, it is possible to collect 12 million liters of rainwater in 100 schools and give employment to 1000 people for 4 months.

You will help build rainwater harvesting systems in schools in rural areas.

Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting BC_Rainwater$100.00
Become a Friend of Tilonia
Become a Friend of Tilonia

Friends of Tilonia, Inc. is a US-based, tax-exempt, 501(c)3 non-profit organization helping to support the income-generating programs of the Barefoot College and its charitable affiliates in India.

Your contributions are tax deductible in the US and 100% of your contribution goes directly to the support of these Barefoot development programs. You may provide general support or select the type of program you would like to support.

Become a Friend of Tilonia FOT75$75.00
Become a Friend of Tilonia

Become a Friend of Tilonia FOT50$50.00
Become a Friend of Tilonia

Become a Friend of Tilonia FOT25$25.00