Bunker Roy
Bunker Roy: Barefoot College A social entrepreneur is a person that identifies and solves social problems on a large scale. Bunker Roy is a person who has achieved all that a social entrepreneur is asked to accomplish and then some more on top of that. Bunker Roy is the person who created Barefoot College located in India. Roy is an Indian social activist and an educator. He does not only do that but he is also one of the most decorated social entrepreneurs ever. He has received The Jamnala Baja Award in 1985, St. Andrews Prize for the Environment in 2003, the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship in 2003, and The Robert Hill Award in 2009. Bunker Roy went to school at The Doon School from 1956-1962 and he then attended Stephen’s College in Delhi from 1962-1967. Roy wasn’t only a scholar in the classroom but he was one of his nation’s best squash players at the time. Bunker Roy was the national runner up in 1964, and he also participated in three world squash championships representing India. Shortly after college, he married Aruna Roy in 1970 and then the real story of Bunker Roy begins. Bunker Roy founded Social Work and Research Centre, which later became Barefoot College, in 1972. Bunker’s work and lifestyle was very similar to Mahatma Gandhi. Barefoot college focuses very closely on demystification of technology and placing control and ownership in the hands of very poor rural communities. Its mission soon changed from a focus on water and irrigation to empowerment and sustainability. Barefoot College is not only one of the most prestige colleges in India but is the most environmentally friendly college because it is fully solar electrified. Bunker also goes around to several other countries where he recruits illiterate women and transforms them into solar engineers. An Example of Bunker’s accomplishments is that he would go around the Middle East and recruit these women. He went to Jordan and recruited a woman by the name of Rafea to