I  have read a story of women’s emancipation in an online news paper and as such I am awe struck to write this article. The true story placed below is based on the phrase ‘’ Where there is a will, there is a way’’.

This unique experiment takes place in a barefoot college at a remote village, Tilonia in Rajasthan, India. This institution is started by a social entrepreneur, Sujit Bunker Roy in 1972. This college has broken all social stigmas wherein the poor women condemned to be restricted to the kitchen and discouraged to study by their husbands are encouraged  to learn and earn in an unique way. People are obsessed with the certificates. As such this college simply doesn’t give any certificate or degree after completion of the course, which is generally of six to nine months duration.

They prefer teaching older women rather than men who come from nearby villages, who have no patience and run away to find some job as soon as some certificate is given to them. So their students comprise poor illiterate grandmothers who had to face abusive drunken husbands throughout their lives. Some students come from far of Countries like Africa to learn the skills. The Government of India provides a scholarship to about 28 students per year to such foreign students for learning the various courses taught in this college. These poor students from Africa happily  learn and return to their Country and make use of their skills for their betterment.

The courses comprise on subjects such as Solar Engineering, Mechanics, Dentistry, Public Health etc. The finance is provided by the Government of India, Private and Corporate Foundations, International Agencies etc. Sometimes there is no common language of communication. The teachers use sign language and special codes for enabling the students to follow their lectures. The students are either made to sit on floor or on some old desks for learning the skills. This education is based on learning-by- doing practice rather than teaching theory only. This organization is also doing great service to the Nation by running 800 Night Schools across India.

An estimated 10,000 women students have successfully completed the courses so far and about 17 States have adopted this model. Even some foreign Countries in Asia, Africa and South America are said to be inspired by this particular model and setup their own institutes of this type.

In 2010,Times Magazine had named Mr.Roy among 100 most Influential People of the World. I salute this Great Man and People of his type for making the lives of the poor undoubtedly better. What a Way Forward!.