Jimmy McGilligan Memorial Sustainable Development Week begins with Solar Cooking Food Festival
There is only one couple in the world who, due to their incredible work ,Jimmy awarded the Order of British Empire by Britain's Queen Elizabeth and his wife has been honored with Padma Shri by the President of India.
Indore
Padmashri Janak Palta McGilligan, has organized weeklong ( April 15-21, 2024) Sustainable Development programs to celebrate the life of her husband late James (Jimmy)McGilligan on his 13th anniversary of his passing away. Northern Irish Jimmy,a British citizen, served Manager of Barli Development Institute for Rural Women, Indore from 1988 to 2011 .His profession was land reclamation and Drainage and mountaineer, Ham radio by Hobby , left , everything at the Call of Bahá'í World Centre as a Bahá'í Pioneer to India at the Baha'i House of worship Delhi , A school in Gwalior and mostly in Indore. For 25 years, he worked with l body, mind and soul at Barli Development Institute training 6000 poor, illiterate tribal girls from 500 villages for holistic It is worth mentioning that both Janak & Jimmy , loved by tribal communities as Didi Jeejaji
Jimmy developed the 6 acres campus of the Institute as a model of sustainable development at the international level and made it organic, waste-free, self-sufficient with solar energy.
Jimmy will always be remembered as the pioneer in building and installing the largest solar kitchen in Central India in 1998 at this campus ,still solar cooking food 300 days in a year 150 people saving 900 kg wood and 9 gas cylinders every month! After this, he also built and installed large solar kitchens in 3 school hostels of Jhabua and Dhar districts as well as in Shraddhanand Ashram of the orphanage in Indore Kothari Market. Due to his tireless efforts, solar cookers installed in their homes by the women who learned from him are working successfully in various rural and 500 tribal communities of the country. Zero waste lifestyle, water conservation farming techniques.
Janak and Jimmy built a house in village Sanawadiya before handing over the institute to their successors on April 16, 2011, but before its completion, in Dec 2010 ,Jimmy built and installed a solar and wind power station continues street lights free of cost to 50 tribal families. Unfortunately, after his tragic demise on 21st April 2011 following a road accident, Janak Palta McGilligan survived the accident and picked herself up and retired from Barli Institute and came to Sanawadiya to live in her home "Giridarshan".Very soon ,she started trained youths, students about Cleanliness and sustainable development every day without any fee. Dedicating her work to her husband, she named it Jimmy McGilligan Center for Sustainable Development, for which ,she does not take financial support from anyone.
There is only one couple in the world who, due to their incredible work,Jimmy awarded the Order of British Empire by Britain's Queen Elizabeth and his wife has been honored with Padma Shri by the President of India.
From 2011 till date, 1 lakh 76,645 people have been trained and made aware about cleanliness and sustainable development. Throughout the year, weeks are organized and taught on topics like environmental protection, cleanliness, chemical-free living, sustainable living, water saving, chemical-free living and farming, food, climate.
The main objective of this week-long program is to empower people of all ages in environmental protection and sustainable living, Organic food ,both of them have been passionately dedicated as pioneers in this field towards sustainable Future. World renowned solar engineer Deepak Gadhia from Gujarat, Solar food industrialist Ghanshyam lukhi and Solar Engineer Dr. Ajay Chandak from Maharashtra will be special keynote speakers at : IIT Indore Campus, Manav Chetna Kendra Pivdayi, Acropolis Institute, Oriental University, Serum Nursing College.
(Solar Food Festival April 15, 2024 ) + (Prayer Meeting April 21,2024 ) and Janak Didi's residence Giridarshan in Sanawadiya.
