LARI BAREFOOT ACADEMY (LBA)

Yasmeen Lari has set up LBA in Pono Markaz, Pono Village Cluster, Mirpur Khas to formalize ongoing training efforts and to systematically impart large scale trainings and capacity building programmes. The trainees are largely non skilled, non literate villagers who are bereft of belongings and resources.

The LBA is poised to play a key role in developing humanistic humanitarianism based on the slogan “Development for communities, by communities themselves.”

Trainings are designed to prepare entire brigades consisting of Barefoot Eco Entrepreneurs (BEEs), who have begun to fan out in surrounding destitute villages under a structured programme to provide assistance. They are trained to provide not only particular knowledge and skills, they also provide empathy and a road map for communities to transform their lives through their own efforts.  

BEE Brigades are spearheading different projects devised by Architect Lari for the rehabilitation of families displaced by Pakistan Flood 2023 as part of her programme: ‘Sustainable Communities: One million at a Time!’

OBJECTIVES

• Promote Humanistic Humanitarianism –driven by humanity and humanistic ideals of benevolence, compassion, and solidarity.

• Replace Dependency with Culture of Self Reliance.

• Empower marginalized and displaced communities with special focus on women.

• Provision of knowledge and skill training for improved technical competence.

• Promote green methodologies, food security, disaster preparedness, livelihoods.

• Make up social, physical and economic deficits through community effort.

• Enrich others among disenfranchised communities through knowledge exchange at a small fee.

• Achieve an egalitarian harmonious community, through a reciprocity of gift of knowledge and expertise.

• Help build up moral, social and cultural reserves of the community.

• Allay inequalities and injustices by toppling oppression and age-old control systems.

• Even though non-literate, foster pride in own capabilities, traditional and new barefoot skills.

MANAGEMENT

The following local barefoot icons have been appointed to administer and organize trainings: 

1.    Mr. Kanji Chief Administrator with Ms. Champa as Chief Instructor.

2.    Ms. Dhani and Mr. Komoo as Hospitality Managers.

The training programmes are being devised and monitored by Heritage Foundation Team headed by Mr. Naheem Shah with studio support by Architect Ashfaq Ahmad.