Permaculturist Wanted - for Uganda
Aid Projects, Project Positions — by Craig Mackintosh
A great opportunity for growing food and teaching permaculture alongside about 300 children’s big smiles, songs and dances in south-western Uganda
Are you planning to travel to Africa? And do you like a challenge? If so, then we would welcome you for six to twelve months as ‘permie in residence’ at our Sabina Children’s Home.
Here’s a taste of what we offer:
Rakai Primary School and Home for Children has just completed a ‘toe-in-the-water’ four day intro permaculture course (facilitated by Rosemary Morrow and Dan Palmer) with local officials, primary school teachers, and staff from the home.
We wanted to see if there was enough interest to commit to permaculture and go forward with a full PDC and site development.
Comments (0)Posted on: July 19, 2008
The Permaculture Research Institute Signs MoU with Muslim Aid Australia
Aid Projects — by Craig Mackintosh
 Geoff Lawton and Iman S.I. Partoredjo
signing the MoU at the historically
significant location of Botany Bay |
As yet another sign of the growing recognition of permaculture’s crucial role in helping restore health and sustainability to both land and communities, the Permaculture Research Institute is pleased to announce we have just signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Muslim Aid Australia, with the intention of pooling resources and knowledge to further the shared goals and commitment of each organisation - to reach the broad ideal of a peaceful and sustainable world.
The full MoU can be downloaded here (PDF). This was signed at the historically significant location of Sydney’s Botany Bay on June 23, 2008.
We look forward to working with Muslim Aid Australia in bringing long term solutions to people within their network.
Comments (2)Posted on: July 9, 2008
The Permaculture Master Plan - Permaculture Centres Worldwide
Aid Projects, Community Projects, Courses/Workshops, Demonstration Sites, Education Centres — by Craig Mackintosh
Imagine a world of peace, health and low-carbon prosperity. Well, we’re going beyond imagination, and are working on full implementation. It’s our aim. Watch (and share) the clip below to get an idea of what we mean.
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Posted on: June 26, 2008
Permaculture Design Course In Liberia - a Resounding Success
Aid Projects, Courses/Workshops, News — by Warren Brush
by Warren Brush, Co-Founder of Quail Springs Learning Oasis
The first graduates of a Permaculture Design Course in Liberia’s history. This momentous moment was attended by a representative of the President of Liberia to mark the occasion |
Back in March we celebrated the first graduating class of a Permaculture Design Course in Liberia’s history. Liberia had been in the throws of a brutal civil war since the late 80’s when the Permaculture movement was making its way around the world and was unable to get into Liberia until now, four years after the cease fire and peace building ensued.
We had 19 official graduates of the course which took nearly a month to complete as we had to translate into the local Lorma language. There were six other attendees who completed 3/4 of the course and who will complete it at a later date which will bring the graduating class to a total of 25. Many of the graduates shared how this was a historical moment for Liberia as Permaculture is seeding new ways of agriculture and living into their part of the world and deeply into their world-views.
Comments (0)Posted on: June 21, 2008
Journeys To Africa With Warren Brush
Aid Projects — by Geoff Lawton
Warren Brush, a Permaculture designer and educator and the co-founder of Quail Springs Learning Oasis and Permaculture Farm has a blog about the work he is doing in Africa. Click for more…
Comments (2)Posted on: April 14, 2008
Appropriate solutions to the challenge of Tanzania
Aid Projects — Tags: africa, aid, Tanzania — by Geoff Lawton
When we arrived in Tanzania, just as when we arrive in most third world countries to do this kind of work, the most serious issues to deal with initially are firstly sanitation, toilet systems, then drinking water, then fire wood systems or sustainable fuel systems, then diverse interactive food production designs.
Tanzania was the same. We stayed in the same town of Musoma where we taught the course regularly visiting the main proposed project site in a village called Kinesi which is 45 minutes by taxi boat across Lake Victoria. This is where the NGO Global Resource Alliance main work focus is situated.
The PDC course was conducted in Swahili which has a lot of Arabic in it and so I could understand some of the Arabic words that were spoken. 40% of the Tanzanian population is Muslim and having worked in a lot of Muslim countries, understanding the culture was therefore easy for me. This helped me relate to the students and the local people in the area.
Comments (1)Posted on: November 19, 2007
The challenge of Tanzania
Aid Projects — Tags: africa, aid, Tanzania — by Geoff Lawton
Westerners don’t realise how big the problems are in most third world countries. To a large extent they are created by the promise of modernism. Greatest of these problems however in third world countries include
- a need for good diversity of food production of an eco systemic style
- good waste system design for grey water
- appropriate toilets
- garbage disposal methods
- good drinking water systems
- a sustainable fuel system.
To first world countries these things are important not just because of the momentary guilt we feel when we see those pretty little starving children on tv commercials asking us for donations, but because the most important promises of “modernism” can provide solutions that will save millions of lives (mostly chilren) and millions of dollars in aid.
Third world people need to fully understand their own problems and the problems of their own lands, and then how they can deal with it themselves without any outside help.
It comes down to a few basic but important things and when these are understood, Third World Populations can actually design their own solutions to their own problems.
Comments (0)Posted on: November 9, 2007
IDEP emergency response to flash floods in Aceh & North Sumatra
Aid Projects, News — by Geoff Lawton
Dear Friends of IDEP, Two years after the Indian Ocean tsunami devastated the province, Aceh is struggling with a new disaster. Torrential rains over the past week have triggered flash floods and landslides which have forced around 300,000 to flee their homes on the island of Sumatra, with Aceh and North Sumatra provinces the worst hit.
As of yesterday reports showed that about 100,000 people were stranded by floods which have claimed at least 110 lives. Water levels, which rose to as high as five meters in some places, have been receding, but today the sky was dark again with clouds. We pray that the rains will not start again.
Officials say a combination of heavy rains and widespread unregulated deforestation are to blame for the flash flooding. By removing dense vegetation the ground is less able to absorb heavy rainfall, creating torrents of water that quickly overwhelm river systems. Click for more…
Comments (0)Posted on: January 3, 2007
IDEP Yogyakarta Earthquake Response Update No 2
Aid Projects — by Administrator
About the situation on the ground around Yogya at this time
The latest reports put the death toll from the Java quake at over 5,800 and sources estimate that some 647,000 people have been displaced and are in need of basic food and shelter.
As night falls over Java, international news services and eyewitness reports from our partners in the field inform us that while more aid appears to be arriving at the now open airport in Yogyakarta. Yet many people whose homes have been destroyed are facing their fifth night without food, shelter, water or even basic medical aid. Assessments from our partners in the field suggest than many thousands more people will spend further nights with out their basic needs met.
Our partners are coordinating with local organizations to identify places where many of the larger NGOs have yet to arrive and are focusing their efforts of delivering emergency aid to areas.
About IDEP’s Emergency Response Activities happening now
Drawing on relationships established during the Aceh disaster, IDEP started working immediately with partners on the ground in Yogya. When the banks opened on Monday, IDEP emptied out its emergency reserve funds (US$10,000) and started wiring money to the partner groups.
Rp 30,000,000 (US$ 3,200) was sent to Kelompok Peduli Bencana / KAPPALA for purchasing emergency supplies of food, shelter and basic medical supplies. This group is running a 24 hour mobile clinic program which is reaching the most remote areas that have little or no other aid whatsoever.
This excellent initiative is in desperate need for vehicles and medical supplies to be able to expand their mobile clinics outreach. Any kind of vehicle that is rugged and can be modified into a mobile clinic such as Kijangs or Panthers would be wonderful. Ideally 4 wheel drives so that the team can continue to access hard to reach isolated places. The team says they are able to increase their current fleet of 2 vehicles up to a maximum of 8 vehicles, should support be available. If you are able to help with this
PLEASE CONTACT US IMMEDIATELY if you are able to donate funds to purchase medicines and other supplies please go to our website: www.idepfoundation.org/idep_donate.php
Comments (0)Posted on: June 2, 2006
Simacai, North Vietnam
Aid Projects — by Administrator
Just a quick one. Here’s our project site in North Vietnam at Simacai near the Chinese border working with Mong people!
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Posted on: April 23, 2006
Permaculture support needed in Jalaidh River, Nepal
Aid Projects — by Administrator
This just in, from Jakob Jespersen:
I am working in the Jalaidh River watershed in the Siwalik Range of Nepal. The upper watershed is in a bad stage and flashfloods are frequent and fields and houses downstream are frequently flooded. The Siwalik in our watershed i primarily sand and gravel though there are also clay areas.
The area is uplifted by approx 10 mm per year. the whole upper catchment area is around 38 km2. The area is carved up by streams and in most of the area the slopes are too steep to walk and climb on. The bottom of the steam beds are cooler and wetter and especially the east west running ones have a markedly different micro climate form the area in general. Click for more…
Comments (1)Posted on: April 16, 2006
Greetings from New Orleans
Aid Projects, News — by Andrew Jones
I’m beginning this en route to work, in the traffic jam that now characterises New Orleans morning traffic flows between 7-9am, seems that half the daily population is currently living outside the city limits and commuting by pickup….
The city is a busy hive of worker bees, or a disrupted ant colony, with a lot of energy going into the process of reconstructing what was, at least in more prosperous parts of the city. Other areas such as the lower 9th ward remain largely unrepaired, with spraypainted messages from rescuers still on the houses (’dangerous pit bull’, ‘no pets’, etc) and questions still remaining for residents regarding levels of compensation for the uninsured.
For a good overview of the issues and a grass roots response, see the Common Ground website. Kevin mentioned this group to me before I left and they are doing great work here on a broad range of social, political, economic, and environmental fronts, including the use of effective microorganisms (EM) in dealing with mold affected houses, and bioremediation of soils affected by lead and arsenic and some persistant organic pollutants (POPs). Click for more…
Comments (0)Posted on: April 1, 2006
IDEP newsletter - One year after the Tsunami
Aid Projects — by Administrator
It has been just over one year since the devastating Asian Tsunami changed the region forever. Since then there have been so many other tragedies in the region and worldwide. IDEP extends its heartfelt sympathies to all those that have suffered so greatly. We also extend our best wishes to the thousands of people all over the world that like us continue to work tirelessly to try and bring some relief and education for sustainable development to the areas most effected by the events.
Here at IDEP we have been very busy with the ongoing implementation of our recovery programs in Aceh, in addition to focusing on revitalizing our programs here in Bali and nationwide in Indonesia. Our programs are progressing well thanks to supporters worldwide and our outstanding Indonesian and expatriate team members who have been supported by many local & international volunteers.
Initial meeting with Lamsujin community - Demonstration of organic compost - Seed saving activityPosted on: February 1, 2006
James in India
Aid Projects, Seeds — by Administrator
I am now into the second leg of my trip to India - I have been with Beth for the last 10 days which is great and we are both back in Jamkhed, Maharashtra teaching on a primary healthcare course (same as the one earlier this year).
My six weeks with the GREEN Foundation was fantastic. The organisation is what I expected and more. Their programs have worked very hard in trying to hang on to, and build on, traditional and indigenous knowledge particularly in terms of agricultural practices and crops grown. They have collaborated with small scale farmers to construct 45 community seed banks which the local farmers (predominantly women) manage and use as the means through which they discuss (usually on a weekly basis) their plans and activities for the weeks and months ahead. This is participation at its best. These ’sanghas’ (meetings) are not usually peaceful events - one never knows if there is an argument taking place - the noise reaches a crescendo and then finishes with raucous laughter (ahhh, it’s all good). Click for more…
Comments (0)Posted on: October 22, 2005
Use of permaculture under salinity and drought conditions
Aid Projects, Plant Systems, Rehabilitation, Salination, Swales, Water Harvesting — by Administrator
Jordan is an arid country with limited water resources. The available renewable fresh water resources dropped drastically to an annual per capita share of 155 m3 in recent years compared to 3400 m3/cap/year in 1946. It is considered also as one of the 10 poorest countries worldwide in water resources (Countries with less than 500 m3/capita/year are regarded as having “absolute scarcity”).
In 2004, the total water use in Jordan was 866 million cubic meters (MCM) at the total population of about 5 million people. The total renewable resources in Jordan is estimated at 780 MCM include ground water at 275 MCM/year and surface water at 505 MCM/year of which only 70% is of economic use. An additional 143 MCM/year is estimated to be available from fossil aquifers. Brackish aquifers are not yet fully explored but at least 25 MCM/year is expected to be accessible for urban uses after desalination.
The demand on water use has been increased with increasing the socioeconomic development in the country. Agriculture consumes the major parts of water resources of about 62.5% of the available resources, domestic use consumes about 32.5% while industry about 4.3% and rural uses is 0.8% of the available water resources. Click for more…
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