Recently I saw a BBC program about the Barefoot College and believe it’s worth posting about.

The program I saw showed women from different countries being trained to make solar panels so that they could take this know-how back home and improve their community’s daily life. Many of the women being trained were grandmothers.

Kamla, a pioneering solar engineer  helps install and maintain solar panels that keep the local villages supplied with electricity.  For another BBC related video, go HERE.

The Barefoot College was founded by Bunker Roy, an Indian social activist.  His main objective is that of helping rural communities become self-sufficient. So far he has trained over 3 million people and provided them with the skills to become solar engineers, teachers, architects, doctors, weavers and midwives.

On its website, the Barefoot College is described as ” a non-governmental organization that has been providing basic services and solutions to problems in rural communities for more than 40 years, with the objective of making them self-sufficient and sustainable.” The college also believes in Empowering Women as agents of sustainable change.

Other:

Victoria Gertenbach makes beautiful fabric quilted beads.  They are truly droolable and many examples of these beads can be found on her blog THE SILLY BOODILLY. 

Examples of Victoria’s beads.

Victoria also makes “reconstructed doilies“.

There are various fabric bead tutorials online including the one below.

fabric bead tutorial  at iHanna’s blog