Permaculture for the Rural African Environment – Oriented towards food security

Certified 72h Permaculture Design Course, Konso, Ethiopia: Permaculture for the Rural African Environment – Oriented towards food security development for rural communities lead by Tichafa Makovere Shumba, at Strawberry Fields Eco-Lodge: February 01 – 13; April 05 – 18, 2010.

Tichafa Makovere is a lead trainer for the re-SCOPE (Regional Permaculture in Schools and Colleges) initiative and the Fimbadzanai Permaculture Centre in Zimbabwe. He will lead 2 week residential PDCs for foreigners and well educated Ethiopians (English language medium) in Konso, South Ethiopia in February and April 2010. Our PDCs at Strawberry Fields Eco Lodge, are certified by Plan Africa, the newly established African Permaculture Secretariat (following IPC9 in Malawi). The PDC will have a special focus on the application of Permaculture to semi arid environments in rural Africa where the successful application of PC is more than a matter of lifestyle choice, but may mean the difference between survival and starvation.

We use SFEL’s model PC site as the primary example for demonstration, as well visiting our implementation sites on our Permaculture in Konso Schools Project for design examples. We look at Konso’s renowned indigenous agricultural system as to illustrate incorporating the IKS (Indigeous Knowledge Systems) methodology into Permaculture Design. We can also include day long field-trips to wet-highland Afro-montaine, wet-tropical lowland and dry agro-pastoral lowland agro-climactic zones, upon request, and can incorporate design examples from these environments into the PDC.)

Our PDC is of particular relevance to wanting to apply PC to rural development in indigenous communities in the rural developing world in general. We focus on appropriate technology, soil and water harvesting, indigenous knowledge systems and Permaculture in schools – a key focus point for the community, a chance to influence the coming generation to shift away from the mentality of dependence on aid towards self sufficiency and sustainable resource use.

Konso itself is a food in-secure area in southern Ethiopia sitting in the bowl of the Great Rift Valley. It has a semi-arid (k’olla) ecology, with sorghum, maize and sunflower as major crops. The people are well known for their hard work, complex social organisation and sophisticated agriculture, which makes extensive use of stone wall terracing for soil and water conservation.

Course Cost is $650 for the February PDC and for those registering with a $100 deposit before for the April PDC 01/03/2010, and $700 there-after. It includes 2 weeks accommodation with food in the lodge but excludes transport to Konso.

Course Curriculum: http://www.permalodge.org:9003/Configuration/Permalodge/Downloads/documents/STRAWBERRY%20FIELDS%20ECOLODGE%20PDC%20Curriculum.doc

Tichafa Maovere Shumba (Trianer’s) CV: http://www.permalodge.org/Configuration/Permalodge/Downloads/documents/Tichafa's%20CV.docx

For more information see: http://www.permalodge.org/what-is-permaculture/permaculture
Enquiries: info@permalodge.org