S39 Academy ready for take off
“S39 has focused on peer-to-peer education as a methodology for accelerating permaculture learning. This process was consciously set in motion in 2018, but it grew from the roots of many years of work.
I always had in mind that permaculture has a significant contribution to make in the possible evolution of Homo Sapiens into Homo Eco. If you want to work with us or can help in our ambitions, we would love to hear from you.”
- In this short video Steven Wilson discusses the need for a regenerative, restorative phase of human endeavor to address the climate crisis, while the world must stop polluting.
- “We are challenged to come together as a species, unified by the eco-system we share. A massive wave of change might to create a tipping point, creating new norms and ways of being that help us see the way forward.”
- There are many opportunities for permaculture projects growing from small farmer and refugee-led initiatives in East Africa.
- We seek collaboration to develop project ideas scaled at the United Nations to local partnerships with micro funding sources.
Academy members
- Sector39, UK. Permaculture education, training, project development
- PermoAfrica, Homa Bay, Kenya. Regional demonstration and training hub
- Rwandan Womens Permaculture, Mutual support network for permaculture
- Teso Advanced Permaculture Associaiton, Eastern Uganda
- Butambala Permaculture Learing Centre, Kampala, Uganda
- Subehude Tanzania www.subehude.or.tz Permaculture and sustainable bee keeping
- Refugee groups, Nakivale, Kakuma, Bidibidi
Not a definitive list, we are eveloping our core membership currently
Project menu
- Project one: Horticultural therapy at Treflach farm
- Project two: 5,000 village project, Homa Bay, Kenya
- Project three: Rwandan Women’s Permaculture
- Project 4: UNHCR Refugees United
- Project 5: Kumi Hospital
Project 1: Horticultural therapy at Treflach Farm
this is our ‘home’ project. Treflach farm is 8 miles away fomr the s39 base in Llanrhaeadr. Treflach is a farm in transition, a local food hub, and farm investing in organic, soil building, natural farming, and local distribution, whilst creating social spaces for learning, trade and celebration.
Treflach can be a gataeway into natural farming for very many people.
Ingredients:
- A long-term relationship between S39 and Treflach Farm since 2010
- Designed and planted ‘Mandala Garden 2021’
- The farm has good road access and accessible pathways
- The shower/toilet block is also fully accessible
- Visitor-friendly mixed farm
- Ecologically pioneering with organic methodology
- Permaculture
- Outbuildings converted to classroom and association areas
- Ongoing soil-building and food quality experiments
Human resource
- Stefanie Steele: Treflach farm CIC
Bee keeper, grower, horticultural therapy, forest schools - Steven Jones: Sector39 Academy of Permaculture
Teacher, grower, project developer, website editor, educational coordinator - A. N Other: People care, counselling, recovery. Workshop leader
- Sarah Snow: Education for Development
Project development partner
Project outline
This is a proposal to form a joint plan between Treflach CIC, Sector39, and an experienced care service provider. Treflach Farm has suitable infrastructure and ongoing tasks that would be ideal for people in some form of recovery. This could be from long-term illness, mental health challenges, or social exclusion.
The intention is to link engagement with access to farm-fresh produce and nutrient-dense foods produced as a by-product of the voluntary work done.
We are specifically interested in exploring the overlap between social care, food production through community gardening, and training focused on developing skills within this sector.
Requirements
4 part time positions/ functions
- Horticulture co-ordinator, farm liaison
- Training co-ordinator, project overview
- Workshop leader, training and support
- Funding and support
Class room/ association area
Project garden
Access to tools and resources
24 months, £24,000
Outputs
- Weekly horticulture session
- Training, experiential learning
- Confidence building and social connection
- Fresh produce
- Farm lunch
- Soil research data
- Reinforcement of other farm activities
- Community links
Project 2: 5,000 village project, Homa Bay Kenya
- In Kenya, there is a training center called PermoAfrica in Homa Bay County. It was formed in 2016 after the founder, Paul Ogola, attended an S39 PDC in Kamuli, Uganda, and decided he needed to bring permaculture to his community.
PermoAfrica joined the S39 Academy in 2020 and has developed a local network around a group of 12 villages. - They have trained over 3,600 people in permaculture since 2020 and partnered with S39 and the Arkleton Trust to achieve this. The founder and director, Paul Ogola, finished his own course with 40 people in June 2020. He has also created his teaching staff, who provide courses that are both practical and theoretical.
- PermoAfrica’s main goal is to create a network of help across all 5,000 villages in the area, promoting permaculture-based food and livelihood support. The idea is to share the model and ways of scaling up with others.
PermoAfrica has developed their own methodology on how to introduce permaculture into a new community. This might involve inviting a core group to visit the PermoAfrica demonstration center, followed by a visit to the community where a series of small practical demonstrations establish a growing hub from which the community can learn and replicate, according to their needs.
Follow-up visits and exchanges then develop and add to this initial start, allowing it to evolve as shaped by the community themselves.
PermoAfrica also offer their own full PDc designed for community leaders and innovators.
The proposal is to use this existing netowrk to implement a bio-regional organisational model
Support core team members
Bioregional support network, developed from PermoAfrica team and reach out across existing network
Peer to peer education
Plan in place to replicate the bio-regional model, and evaluate and track outcomes
The long term vision of a complex interconneceted web between the 5,000 member villages of the Homa Bay county. To eliminate food poverty htrough a vibrabt local community growing network, utilizing permaculture ethics and principles.
Project 3: Rwandan Women's Permaculture
Established so far
- 2020-2022 Develop permaculture forest garden and rain water harvesting system at Save High School, Gisagara, Southern Rwanda.
- Establishment of Rwandan Womens Permaculture Group
- Formally convened and registered
- 2022 Held PDC training at Save School for 24 person member group
- First public local government event
- Joined GRFFN network, food and soil quality research
Next Steps
- Demonstratoion and training focus has so far been developed at Save School
- Key next to step is to have own land as nursery, demonstrationa and local food hub
- Support team of 3 to maintain core of group
- Need $18,000 for capital project. Land purchase
- $9,000 revenue costs, first three years
- There is a fee of £250 to renew the RWP registration
60 minute clip from recent PDC chat, images from a permaculture gardenin Eastern Rwanda plus a verbal report from Stella Amuge who was mvisiting there last week. The impact of the project is spreading into surrounding communities and shows how effective this approach can be.
Project 4: UNHCR Refugee led training food a livelihood support hub
The World Food Program is slashing the budget for emergency food for refugees by 50% to a level way below what is required. There is significant need to boost food production and related services, processing, drying etc. we are told it is posible to rent land at Nakivale, if the costs can be met.
Steven Wilson proposed creating a group called Refugees United that would be part of the Sector39 Academy of Permaculture. The objective of Refugees United would be defined by the refugees and the wider group would help deliver those objectives, with the possibility of applying for funding from the UNHCR.
Refugee led project:
- Training and demonstration hubs in Nakivale and Kakuma, linking to existing local networks and inititatives
- Key people/ team in each location
- Permaculture clubs and other initiatives are in place
- Link Nakivale to Uganda Permaculture – Butambala and TAPA
- Link from Kakuma to PermoAfrica
- Facilitating role – S39 and Education for Development
The core of this idea is to link together a chain of stakeholder-led groups that can collectively deliver mutual support and training for permaculture teachers, leaders, and community pioneers.
The needs and goals will be deffined by refugee led alliances, specifically on in Nakivale, uganda and one in Kakuma, Kenya.
Ugandan and Kenyan led permaculture teams will link with regugee hubs to develop training, demonstration and support program.
Sector39 and Education for Development will hold an over view of the work providing educational, organisatonal support as required. Also oversee feedback and evaluation.
The opportunities for women in the nakivale refugee camps were
1.shampoo/liquid soaps
2.bar/bathsoap
3.baking bread
4.mawese/oil press
5.peanut butter
6.juice making
7.milk products/milk powder
8.mushroom production
These came from the women themselves but l would also add drying foodstuffs so there are no post harvest losses . Carolyn
Carolyne Olang 18:04
Others are production of avocado oil which can be done manually using a cloth….so no more vaseline😅
and essential oils which are medicinal and cost an arm an a leg or simple stuff like hibiscus,lemon grass,chamomile powder for herbal teas etc.
.
In kakuma people need first training about permaculture
Andre
Founder members
- Caroline Olang. training co-ordinator
- January Theresly Sml (Sumaili ngabunga)
- Andre Lutula Lefils. Kakuma
- Abale Robinson. Bidibidi
- Leonce Bakego. Nakivale
- HelenStokes Nakivale/ Australia refugee support
- Clovis Ntafakabiri. Congo. Trainer
- Joshua Mushoko Og (Humanitarian African Smile group)
Project 5: Kumi Hospital
Elements
- 100 year old rural hospital outside of Kumi
- Owned and managed by Dutch charituy/ Enterprise
- 500 H of land surrounding, used to stock 1,000 head dairy herd
- Very degraded and dried out now
- In 2022 S39 team invited to visit and shre ideas for permaculture approach
The vision is to create a coalition of partners that might allow the hospital to become a permaculture training and demonstration hub.
To use a set of permaculture and agro ecology strategies to regenerate the soils and improve water catchment and rentention.
Improve soil quality and nutrient density of crops and pasture.
Site visit in 2022
A vision for Permaculture regeneration for Kumi Hospital farm land.
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