Barli Institute: The Story of
My Summer Trip to Barli, 2006

Michelle Fitch, a teacher at the Franconian International School, Herzogenaurach, Germany, volunteered at Barli this past summer through the Mona Foundation. This is the story of her experience of searching for volunteer posts, of finding the Mona Foundation, and finally of her summer in India.

On the way to the Institute

It’s a tough job, finding a place to volunteer for the summer. One might think that organizations everywhere would be looking for all the free help they can get—but it’s not as simple as that. I was hoping to work with women or children, and was primarily searching for NGOs in India or French-speaking Africa, but I kept my options open, as after weeks of internet searching and emailing potential institutions, I was having no success. First of all, just finding alternatives was difficult. I ran across the occasional database that listed NGOs, but then many of them did not have websites or current contact information. Too, many required stays of longer than three months, and others did not really have systems in place to be able to support or utilize volunteer help. I found plenty of organizations that arranged placements for a fee, but most of those seemed to me to be “volunteer holidays.” — “Pay us and we’ll take care of the rest—no worries, we’ll set you up in a clean, comfortable, easy experience, and we’ll even show you around on tourist excursions, for an additional fee.” I had the feeling that NGOs that worked with those organizations had a sort of conveyor-belt process of allowing in the volunteers for a glimpse of what life is like in their part of the world, in their organization. Somehow I didn’t expect a very fulfilling experience from those; I was hoping very much to go to a place where I would make positive connections and possibly even some friendships.

Then I found the Mona Foundation, whose purpose is to support NGOs, in the US and around the world, which promote women’s education and development. They offer a service where potential volunteer candidates can send them their resume and letter of intent, and they then make recommendations as to which of the organizations they sponsor that the volunteer might be of the most use. I wrote them that I was interested in a couple of the organizations they worked with, and they told me that one of them, the Barli Development Institute in Indore, India, fit my profile and time frame. They offered to forward a recommendation on my behalf. What an incredible service they provide—with their assistance, volunteers and NGOs alike have a professional, supportive advocate.

Janak McGilligan, the director of the Barli Institute, invited me to spend the summer there. She took the time to maintain an email dialogue with me all the way through until my arrival at the Institute, patiently answering all of my questions while we discussed what I would be doing there. We quickly developed a very pleasant relationship, though we had not yet even met in person. This personal contact with Janak made me feel wholly welcomed; and too, I was able to really get to know about where I could fit in to the Institute and how I could best prepare to have a productive experience.

Shortly after accepting Janak’s invitation, I mentioned to my Grade 5 Ethics class that I was going to spend the summer at a school in India. With just that simple statement the rest of the 45-minute lesson’s plan went into the bin, as well as a good part of the rest of the school year’s lessons! The students fired question after question at me regarding the Institute and the students there. They were extremely curious about the trainees and their backgrounds, why they are sent to the Institute, and what they learn there. When I told them, towards the end of the lesson, that the Indian government does not subsidize the Institute—that they rely primarily on donations to keep the school afloat, the students could barely contain their excitement; they wanted to organize a fundraiser!

They came up with a long list of possibilities for raising money. We agreed on those that were most feasible within the constraints of a three-month timeframe, and we spent the rest of the school year undertaking the task. Having a project that they could call their own, and knowing exactly where the funds were going, was all they needed for motivation. These students are all well aware that they do lead a more privileged life than much of the rest of the world, as learning about differing societal systems and cultures is an integral part of our school’s curriculum. Many of the students do take this to heart, and when they have the chance, are thoughtful about giving something of what they have to others. During the project they demonstrated, almost daily, their altruistic spirit and sheer happiness about working for a good cause.

We had three primary projects. The first was selling snacks during morning break time at school. We purchased healthy snacks and drinks and sold them to the middle and high school students for a period of about two and a half months. With a gain of about 10 euros per day, we ended up bringing in a nice sum. The second project was to make refreshments available during the school’s spring concert. During intermission and after the concert, we organized a table with drinks as well as homemade cakes and pretzels. We posted information about the fundraiser and about the Barli Institute, and had a basket out for donations. People were very generous in their donations, and we were able to advertise the purpose of our project to all of the families at our school.

Our final event was held during the school’s annual sports day. The students had two options for activities: the “Soccer Challenge” or the “Jumpathon.” Before the event, the students found sponsors to pledge money. On the day of the event, the students who chose to do the Soccer Challenge each juggled a soccer ball in the air for as long as possible, only letting it touch their legs and feet. We recorded their times, and their sponsors paid them a per-second amount, according to their pledges. For example, if a sponsor pledged one euro per second, and the student kept the ball in the air for 5 seconds, the sponsor then paid the student five euros. The students who participated in the Jumpathon jumped rope for as long as possible without stopping. We counted how many times they jumped, and their sponsors paid them for each jump they made. So, if a student jumped 100 times without stopping, and their sponsor pledged five cents per jump, the sponsor then paid the student five euros. It was a really exciting event, as again, the whole school and the students’ families were present, and we had a sizeable audience cheering the students on. Most students had many sponsors, making for another very successful day.

The initial goal was to raise 500 euros. When the students reached that goal, their interest in the project did not wane, but grew even stronger, as they wanted to see how high they could go before the end of the school year. Their final collection was 950 euros—a great job for a three-month project of twenty-five 10 and 11-year-olds! The interest in surpassing the goal was undoubtedly strengthened by an unexpected event. It just happened that Janak and her husband Jimmy, the Institute’s manager, were going to be in Germany in June, and were able to stop at our school for a visit in between conferences and other events. The students were amazed that they would actually be able to meet the people in charge of the Institute, and were excited to be able to give them their collections in person.

We held a middle and high school assembly, where the students told the McGilligans and the rest of the school about their fundraising events. They welcomed the McGilligans, and happily, yet shyly, handed over the check. Janak and Jimmy then went on to give the school a presentation about the Barli Institute. The event was an exciting conclusion to the whole process, as was apparent in the reception the students gave Janak and Jimmy—eagerly curious, proud, but bashful—and content in Janak and Jimmy’s warm and friendly demeanor. And not only was it a great experience for the students, but it also gave me the chance to meet Janak and Jimmy—to be able to get to know them better in person before going on to experience life at the Institute.

I really did not know in the beginning how the students would respond to news of my trip—they could have shown just a little interest, asked a few questions; but no, they unhesitatingly took it as a welcomed opportunity to do something good. It was a great success, as the students were able to see their own ideas and endeavors come to fruition.

At the Institute

Before leaving for Indore, I was enchanted with what the Mona Foundation's website stated happened at Barli. I thought it was spot-on—teach some basic skills and see how quickly the students progress and take off on their own motivation. No matter how good it all sounds on paper and in theory, though, you just don't know until you see it happen. What I saw during my stay really was true to the claim; the education that the Institute provides prepares young women to have control over their own lives, to be able to bring in extra income, to keep themselves and their families healthy.

The Barli Institute'’s objective is to facilitate the process of sustainable community development through training young rural and indigenous women. Most of these young women come to the Institute from remote areas with little or no ability to read or write. Their communities exist well below the poverty line, and generally lack transportation, communication, and health care systems. As Secretary General of the UN, Kofi Anan, stated in his 2004 message for World Literacy Day, “ . . . No other policy is as likely to raise economic productivity, lower infant and maternal mortality, improve nutrition, promote health—including the prevention of HIV/AIDS—and increase the chances of education for the next generation . . . [than the education of girls and women].“ The Institute, then, bases its philosophy on the notion that educating women is the key not just to increasing that individual’s quality of life, but also that of her family and community.

After six months at the Institute, the trainees can read and write Hindi. They have qualifications to work as a seamstress, a batik artisan, or a Hindi and English typist. They learn about basic health care practices, including treatment for diarrhea and snakebites, as well as pre- and post-natal care procedures. They learn about their basic rights as women and as individuals, and are also trained in leadership, assertiveness, and business negotiating skills. The trainees determine themselves the issues that need to be addressed within their communities, but in so doing, they also discuss the positive aspects of their cultures that need to be preserved. And through all of this, those who hold negative views of their peers learn to respect each other as equals, as coming from so many different areas, they bring with them a range of ingrained caste and tribal prejudices. Having to eat with each other and work together on tasks, they quickly find that they have much more in common than they had initially acknowledged. Within only a month of their arrival, they are really living and working together as a community—complete with singing, dancing, and studying together. They take home what they have learned, and many of the trainees spread their education to others through women’s groups that they set up on their own initiative.

A Volunteer’s Experience at the Institute

Before beginning, each volunteer discusses with Janak the Institute’s needs and the areas in which they might be of service. Everyone who volunteers has a different work experience, ranging from office work to metal workshop assistance to fieldwork. As far as my own projects at the Institute were concerned, I, like other volunteers, had a variety of tasks that suited my background and experience. I wanted to work as closely with the trainees as possible, without getting in the way of their lessons, so I spent mornings before breakfast alternating between gardening with some students and doing handcraft work with others. I was encouraged to bring with me my own ideas for handcraft work, and ended up teaching some of the students some different ideas for making marketable crafts. In the evenings I taught English lessons to those who were interested in attending. Otherwise, there were plenty of opportunities to get to know the students during meal and free time. Regarding daily office work, I spent some of my time organizing data regarding the students’ pre- and post-training knowledge, and writing related reports. I also edited the English versions of various documents and prepared some of these to send to press. Too, I put together a sequence of lesson plans for teaching English that future volunteers might like to use at the Institute. And finally, I developed and delivered to the teaching staff a workshop relating to teaching strategies for working with students of differing learning styles.

In all, it was a wonderful experience that has driven me to learn more about such institutions and continue in working with them. The Barli Institute so effectively empowers young women; in the span of six months the students learn so much in so many facets that they can bring to their families and communities to facilitate positive development and a healthier lifestyle. And for those who volunteer there, no matter what one’s daily tasks are, it’s the interaction with the trainees—getting to know each other personally, enjoying each other’s company, that in the end serve to be the best experiences and the greatest memories.

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