On 15th of May 2009
Barli Development Institute for Rural Women holds Graduation
Ceremony for the Trainees of it's 96th training Programme
Barli Development Institute for Rural Women held the Graduation Ceremony for its 96th training course of Community Volunteers of six months
duration. 86 Women from 41 villages of Dhar, Jhabua, Alirajpur, Khargone, and Burhanpur districts of Madhya Pradesh, and from Bihar, Tripura
and Chhattisgarh received their certificates.
In her welcome address the Director of the Institute Dr. (Mrs.) Janak Palta McGilligan, having welcomed the guests said “Barli Development Institute
for Rural Women is a Bahá’í-inspired NGO working since 1st June, 1985 .In bhilali dialect the word ‘barli’ means the central pillar that holds the
whole house. This is the concept behind the name of the Institute that the woman is a barli on which rests the family and the whole society. If the
woman is empowered then the whole society will be empowered. The residential training programmes of the Institute in Indore are free of cost. The
Institute has three Extension Centres in Chattsigarh run by trainers who are also Barli graduates.
The main objective of the Institute is to empower young rural and tribal, socially and economically
disadvantaged women who never had an opportunity to go to school or a few of them who dropped out of
school. The Institute has been focused on its programmes of facilitating the process that each trainee can
become ‘barli’ of her family and community.
This is done by using a holistic curriculum  systematically developed by interweaving literacy, health and
hygiene, personal and community development, vocational skills such as cutting and tailoring, tribal
handicrafts, batik and block printing, typing and computers, environmental education and kitchen gardening.
The Institute does not consider the trainees merely as beneficiaries, therefore trains them as Community
Volunteers and Grassroot Trainers who return to their villages as social change agents
The Guests were welcomed with gift of colourful mobiles made from
reused waste material from cutting and tailoring training.
The Chief Guest  was
Padamshree Abhay
Chajlani, Chairman of
Editorial board of Nai
Duniya newspaper group.
and
Dr. Sunanda Jain, an
eminent gynecologist and
social worker.
Miss Keru Sastia told those
gathered that she came as an
illiterate, and is now leaving with the
ability to read and write.
Hindu Tomar,
from Alirajpur
district, showed
the  audiance
some of the
items of clothing
she learned to
make in the
cutting and
tailoring training
Mrs. Mamta Rawal from
Chattisgarh shared her
experience about the training
at the Institute.
Binu Kumari from Bihar shared her
experiance while studying ‘Learning to
develop myself and my community'
Uma Solanki shared
her learning about
Environment and
Cleanliness, how she
learned to make fuel
briquettes from waste
paper and leaves of
trees, and making batik
brushes from hair fallen
after combing
Miss Kari Jamare
talked about the
importance of
childrens education
Miss Yashoda  Alawa
from Dhar district
spoke about the use
and importance of
solar energy
Miss Reena and a group from Khargone sang
a song about the use of solar cookers in thir
villages
Program Officer, Miss Vijayshree shared
her experiences of preparing the trainees
for the ‘Cutting and Tailoring’ exam
under National Institute of Open
Schooling’. She said that during the first
three months of the training the trainees
learn literacy and they are then prepared
for the exam in the remaining three
months.
Mrs. Manna
Sharma from
Tripura said that all
at the Institute are
like a family. Just
as a mother holds
the hand of her
child to teach
walking, in the
similar way the
trainees are taught
at the Barli Institute
Trainees are
encouraged to
develop their
capacities
Radha Chouhan of
District Khargone
shared her
experience of
training other
trainees and said
that when she came
she wondered how
she would be able
to teach others, but
then she gradually
gained confidence.
Along with training
others she learned
a great deal herself
A volunteer at the
Institute, dressed up in
a Sari, Ms. Maya
Rose Chouhan from
Australia, spoke in
Hindi that she had
learnt Hindi, Indian
food, Indian dress
Indian culture & she
enjoyed a lot at the
Institute during her
period of service and
she conveyed her best
wishes to the trainees
for their future
progress.
Miss Noori, trainer for
‘Cutting and Tailoring’
shared her experience of
teaching tailoring to the
newly literate trainees..
Ajma and a group from Alirajpur sang a song about literacy
During the ceremony Padamshree Abhay Chajlani released the Literacy
Book “Aao Padhna Likhna Sikhe Aur Sikhayen”. This book is published
by Macmillan Publishers India Ltd,  with the financial contribution from
Two Wings Foundation, Linz Austria.
The Deputy Director of the Institute, Ms. Anjum Sood, while introducing the Literacy
Book ‘Aao Padhna Likhna Sikhen aur Sikhayen’ and the process of its development, said
“it is an achievement of the Institute that this book is being released today. This book is the
documentation of the experience of the last over 24 years in teaching literacy that includes
exercises for the participants as well as instructions for the facilitator, it is written in such a
simple language that anyone can use it for conducting literacy classes in the villages.
Literacy is fundamental to the development of intellectual and social empowerment."

Shri Abhay Chajlani, while addressing the trainees said, “You are very fortunate to have
been trained very systematically at Barli Institute. You will be able to pay your respects to
the Institute only when you use and practice all these skills and knowledge.” He further
said that three things are very important to show respect to one’s Nation – use of your
own language, attire (dress), and food. You are the light of the country, maintain your
cultural values, be determined, awaken the spirit of understanding in each other and make
your families strong.
Dr. Sunanda Jain, an eminent gynecologist and social worker presiding over the
function said that ‘When we loose wealth, it can be regained, if looses health, it is
a big loss & the biggest lost is if we have lost our character.
As women you should take good care of your health as you are the holding force
of their families and if you are weak the families could break apart. She also
emphasised that if one looses one’s character then everything is lost. You have
learnt about all three at Barli Institute; take all these three messages to help your
self and your communities.
Share with others on your return to your villages.”
Dhedi Bagdhare conducted the programme,
and Vijay Shree gave a vote of thanks.
On this important occasion, a number of the trainees, several who had never gone to school, recalled their
experiences of learning at Barli in the presence of the guests, beaming with confidence.
Page by Jimmy McGilligan
webmaster www.barli.org