Bholu 6 is a fabulous little building with a great deal of ventilation and light let in by the numerous window openings. Additionally it utilises a new roofing material which points toward a new direction in the Bholu designs. One of the challenges of working within the underprivileged communities is to provide low cost but appropriate and responsible solutions to everyday problems. When we first came to Ahmedabad we noticed that most of the buildings within the Tekra were being constructed from asbestos roof sheeting. We were eager to find an alternative to this as we were concerned about the long term health and safety of the users. At first we tried out corrugated aluminium sheeting, however this is a more costly material and needs a fair amount of treatment to ensure that the building does not overheat in the summer months. We knew we needed an alternative which like the asbestos sheeting would not transfer massive amounts of heat into the classrooms. By chance an associate in the United States passed on the information of a composite roof sheeting made from recycled material which is strong, low heat absorbing, fire retardent and water proof. Harry was then able to not only source this product (Daman Ganga Tuff Roof) within the state of Gujarat, but also secure a donation of sheeting to be tested out in Bholu 6. As you can see it looks great and is a fantastic solution to the roofing problem – it is environmentally friendly, long lasting and appropriate for the site – everything we could have asked for.

As you may be able to see, a new theme has emerged for the decorating of the Bholus which will now continue. There will be a consistency in the paiting of the exterior with the flower gardens (as was also done in Bholu 4 and 5) so that the buildings will be immediately identified as Anganwadis. Each one will be differentiated by the colour of the windows and doors and the variety of inspirational/education drawings on the interior. It was an honour and a pleasure to be there to inaugurate another Bholu whilst also being able say goodbye to the community in such a special way. As usual the event was attended by many the local children, who danced and sang and enjoyed the opportunity to celebrate and play together and with us all. I shall certainly miss being there as the program continues, but hope to return soon and will try to keep some updates on this page and things go on. For additional information regarding the continuing project don’t forget to check in with ‘The Anganwadi Project’. Keep in touch!

I hope the kids really enjoy their new ‘garden’ space. It is completely changed from the tiny, dark room that we encountered when we first came here. Now there is a higher ceiling, deepened floor plan, a lot more windows and ventilation – and of course loads of fun and colour!

I hope it keeps you all involved in this incredible journey.

After a pleasant hour bus ride from Jaipur followed by the bumpiest and most surreal richsaw ride of my time in India (through desert landscapes and marble quarries) I was unceremoniously dumped in the village of Tilonia. In reality I was unprepared for how small and remote this village would be – I had thought because of the college that it would be somewhat easy to find and navigate, but that was not to be the case. Not a sign exist to point to the powerful work being done at the Barefoot College and my extremely limited Hindi was not helping me to find out. In reality this was probably a good thing as it allowed me to explore and wander aimlessly around this most typical of indian villages before finally stumbling across someone who worked at the college and was able to accompany along the hot dusty trails to the campus.

The Barefoot College  in Tilonia was established in 1972 with a vision to bringing out the best in people whose native skills and wisdom are often ignored. There is a core belief in the abilities of rural communities to help themselves and meet their own needs if given the appropriate opportunities.  There are no paper degrees given and instead education is seen as a holistic, practical and continuous learning experience. Both adults and children learn by doing, by sharing and by collaborating.  The college works on awide range of issues from health to alternative energy to rural water supply to education but every one offers villagers the opportunity to solve their own local problems and reuse their skills to adapt and innovate to modern situations. The campus itself was built by a group of ‘barefoot’ architects in 1986 – people with no diplomas, but abilities to design and construct buildings which are responsive to their own environment, using low cost local materials and local knowledge of the area.

Understanding the realities of village life is key. They recognise for example that the children in many of these villages often help out their families tending to animals or general farm work which means that they often have no time to attend school. For this reason a night school was started to give a time and space for the children to learn new skills and basic education which will assist them in their future. Since 1975 over 5000 children have been through the night school and have used their skills to stay within the villages and develop a good life for themselves. As Gandhi believed the strength of India is in its villages, and we should have faith in the capacity of rural people to develop themselves.  He believed also that modern technology should be used in rural India but it should be in the hands and in the control of the poor communities so that they are not dependent or exploited by it. Barefoot College also acknowledges this and as such has developed a program to train solar engineers and mechanics to provide sustainable, free power to the remotest of villages. It also places these skills in the hands of those who traditionally have not had access to this knowledge – hundreds of women from India, but also Bhutan, Ethiopia and Afghanistan have been trained within the college and given the chance for a more secure future.

I could keep writing about the work that goes on here from waste recycling, rainwater harvesting, income generation, health services, , tradition communication and social activity, but I did just want to give a taste of what was happening. Please visit the website  to continue to learn more if you wish. You cannot help but be inspired by the quiet but powerful work which is happening in this small and remote village.

Bholu 4 was opened on Tuesday in the midst of the growing heat and some wonderful community spirit. I feel so privileged to have been a part of this process and watch these small spaces transform. Seeing the children playing and enjoying their new school was a real treat. The whole community and those at Manav Sadhna all squeezed inside Bholu 4 and joined together in a blessing and ceremony before relaxing outside under a beautiful tent in the community square. Here we enjoyed dancing and performances from the children and some lovely speeches to commemorate the day.

This celebration unfortunately was one of my last events at Manav Sadhna and involved with this project. I will be back for a little bit in the next month or so to see how things are going and say my proper goodbyes, but officially, my time in the project is over.  The last four months involved with the AWF/Bholu Anganwadi project has been one of the most transformative periods of my life. I have learnt so much in this short time which has only inspired me to keep doing this work and attempting to spend my life in service of those in need. I am sure there will be many more adventures and stories down the line. For now, my time in Ahmedabad is ending, but I feel happy that I have made a small contriubution to so many new beginnings for the children in the slum communities and hope that I have been able to bring some of the life here into all of your lives.

I will continue to update the page as I travel around India a little with stories from this incredible country, updates from Ahmedabad as I get them and any other interesting projects/places which you might enjoy.

On the exterior there is a curving seat around the tree for the children to play on, a new raised washroom, new toilet and newly paved courtyard. We are just awaiting the final touches of the sari shelter over the courtyard, the connection of the electricity and then the painting to make it complete. Who knows, we may actually get two more Bholus inaugurated before I leave Ahmedabad on Thursday. Keep your fingers crossed for lots of activity!

Bholu 4 will be officially inaugurated in the next few days, so work has been going on to get it ready for presentation. The artists are doing an amazing job of brightening up the spaces and making them welcoming to the community and both interesting and educational for the children.

The building brings a touch of lightness and an gentle feeling of spring to the surrounding area, adding to the already beautiful open public space beyond it. Inside there are alphabets, numbers, lessons and just plain fun - it is a delight to be opening such a joyous space for this community. As always I’m  amazed at how much life a paintbrush and a few colours can bring – maybe we should all think of easy ways to brighten up our own spaces and the spaces of those we love today. Even simple things can bring big smiles and lasting memories.

I’m not sure if it was just because I had been in such a peaceful atmosphere, but the children and everyone present at the Community Centre seemed particularly excitable and hyper to celebrate and enjoy the day. After some prayers and dedications we were treated to the arrival of Shiva himself and some other helpers who kicked off the dancing and fun part of the programme.

Another exciting thing we were celebrating this day was the inauguration of a new model of pedal rickshaw. One of the founders of Manav Sadhna, Viren Joshi, is an engineer by profession and he specially designed a number of revamped, reinforced and user friendly pedal rickshaws that will be used by the Tekra community members. The modifications made to the frame, the addition of a sealed ball bearing (to prevent wear and tear in this extremely dusty environment) and the strengthening of the support mechanisms will make the job of the rickshaw drivers a little easier on these changing roads and also guarantee a longer life for the actual machine. Also, at present most men who use these rickshaws for their businesses only rent them as they cannot afford to buy one outright. This steep rent may carry on for years and result in the users paying many times over the cost price of the rickshaw. These new rickshaws will be given on interest free loans from Manav Sadhna and the users will pay the same amount they would have in rent per month, but will own the machine outright in a short time. This not only allows them freedom, but also gives a sense of ownership and guarantee of care for the rickshaws. The administration of the program and its ongoing supervision will be looked after by local people in the Tekra, thus also providing new employment opportunities in the community. These physical and logistical changes will make a big difference in the lives of the men who use the rickshaws to carry out their daily businesses and is just one more example of how a small amount of thought and attention can have big implications in peoples lives.
After a small presentation of the pedal rickshaws to the new owners the ‘gods’ and the children climbed aboard and we set off on a raucous and bumpy procession around the Tekra which provided amusement to all. By the time we made it back the heat was starting to kick in and a combination of this and the intensity of the morning had me completely exhausted. However tired and overwhelmed I was by this immediate return to ‘life’ I have to admit that it was wonderful to be back to my temporary home. Every day in this country seems to teach lessons and give new insights on the realities, the extremes and most essentially the possibilities of people and society. I hope I can report on much more of these things in the remaining two months I have here.

Hopefully progress on the Bholu buildings during this time will be steady and continuous. I look forward to being in touch with everyone as well as seeing how construction on our projects is going in 10 days.

Until then, take care and be well.

peace