I1stvisited Tilonia, a
small village in the desert regions of Rajasthan, India, in 1982once Iwas a US diplomat based inIndian capital. This wasthe ageof the “Cold War”oncePresident Reaganwas President of theUnited Statesandstatesmanwas Prime Minister ofRepublic of India. TheUnited StateswasmarketingF16 fighter jets toWest Pakistanand also theindependent agencywasequippingtheTalibanto fight theUSSRwhentheir invasion ofAfghanistan.IvisitedTiloniato go toa corporationcalledthe Barefootfaculty.in a verydesert regionwherevermost of theindividualsarea unitsubsistence farmersUnited Nations agencycreatebut$1every day, the Barefootfacultyworksto enhancethe standardof life bycoachingsemi-literate and
illiterategirlsand men from these
rural communitiesto supplybasic needs: cleanpotablefromraingatheringsystems,solar powerforhomelighting systemsput inand maintained bynativegirlstrained asstarengineers, pre-schools
and nightfacultiespassrural communitiesto teachtheirkids, health services through rural clinics and opportunities to
earnfinancial gain.Tiloniamay be aplace thatconjures upand empowers people:
it changes mindsets, and you see thatit'spotentialto alterthe planet.whenacome backvisit to Tiloniawithin thelate 90′s, I became a
virtual volunteerserving toto support the
College’s development programs. IbasedFriends of Tilonia, Inc., a
New York-based non-profit organization in 2000.Workingtogetherwith the Barefootfaculty,we've gotdevelopedthe netenterprise,
Tilonia.comto promotethe Tilonia®line of
merchandiseoftrained workercreated home textiles,
women’s accessories and giftson tointernationalpatrons. Theon-linestore is managed by a
team of Barefoot business managers from the villages of Rajasthan and the sale
of Tilonia®merchandisecreates livelihoods in
these remote, rural communities of India.Block printingmay be acenturies-old tradition still practiced inRepublic of
TILONIA
Indianowadays.virtuosoartisans use handcarvenpicketblocks to print cottonmaterialby handvictimizationtotally differentblocksfor everylayer of color. Tilonia® home textilesarea unitcreatedvictimizationcottonmaterialshandwrittenvictimizationtheseancienttechniques.overfour hundredrural artisans, most
of themgirls, earn supplementalfinancial
gainthroughstitching, needlework,
embroidery, tie-dying, block printing and weaving.stylesand productionwaysdraw on Indian craft
traditions thatarea unitcenturiesprevious–howeverproducefashionableopportunities for these illiterate and semi-literategirls.Tilonia® home textilesarea unitstitchedby hand bygirlsartisansvictimizationblock printmaterialswrittenby block printers in Bagru in rural Rajastan. Block prints can
range froma straightforward,
single-color print toadvanced, multiple color prints.
Each color is printed from a separate wooden block carved to print that specific
pattern and color.The women of Tilonia tell their stories of breaking withancientpractices of purdah andkidmarriages. Theyarea unit“open” and do notcowltheir face with a veilwhereasoperatingon thefacultyfield. They send their daughters,similarlyas their sons, to
school. Kailesh Kanwar smileswith prideonceshe tells of traveling
to major Indian cities, like Delhi,metropolisormetropolis, for Tilonia Bazaars to sell Tilonia®merchandiseto urban markets. Thebraveryof thesegirlsin the face of initial opposition from their families has
created economic opportunities for themselves and thegirlsin their villagesUnited Nations agencyworkalong,despitecaste.Brooklyn-based
design firm, DH Studio partnered with Tilonia®to forma line of pillows that fuseup to datestylewithancientaccomplishment.the
gatheringof pillows usesmaterialremnants of hand blockwrittenmaterialfrom the Tilonia® Homeassortment.implikefashionablepillows created through use of scrap material complement the
Tilonia bedding line.Business managers for Tilonia.comarea unitall “graduates” of the nightfacultiesthe Barefootfacultyoperates forthe
youngstersUnited Nations agencyworkthroughoutthe day tending
animals,takingwater or managingalternativehomechores.Pokhar Mal
comes froma smallhamlettenkilometers fromthe mostroad. His father herds
goats. Pokhar manages theon-linesales andclientservice for Tilonia.com. He learned English and to use computerswhereasfunctioning atthe Barefootfaculty.Badriis that thebusiness manager forthe agriculturalindustries section ofthe faculty. He manages a
production team, warehouseworkersand field center productiongroupsthatmanufacturethe Tilonia® line of home furnishings, gift and décorthings,consumer goodsand accessories. He
too, is a “graduate” of thefaculty’s nightfacultiesUnited Nations agencyis proud of the work and opportunities that the Collegepermits.None of the business
management team for Tilonia.com have ever been to a government school, andsonone of them havethe collegecertificate necessary
for a government job. Theyreturnfrom rural communities of shepherds and subsistence farmers in
Rajasthanwhereverthesolelychoiceforlivingthroughoutyears of drought would be to migrate to the slums in overcrowded
citiestryingfor work as common
laborers.In Tilonia, their life and workarecompletely different.
It has been one of learning, opportunity — and more importantly, alifetime ofdignity and mutual respect.
Almost everythingyou are doingcanappearinsignificant,howeverit'svitalthat you simplyget laid.
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