Afristar info-posters: companion planting, water harvesting, composting and more!

Afristar Foundation is a public benefit organization that develops projects and strategies promoting Green Futures centered on a nature-based economy. We do this by advocating for, and creating, ‘green’ sustainable projects and developing multimedia educational resources.

Our underlying ethos is that there is a wealth of untapped natural heritage and social capital that can be mobilized to facilitate sustainable livelihoods. This notion can be embraced to educate and empower local people with traditional and appropriate knowledge, so as to utilize their natural resource base for sustainable economic upliftment.

Afristar Foundation utilizes Permaculture design systems as the primary methodology of our community development strategy. Permaculture is an optimistic, action-oriented approach to the environmental, energy, food, water and climate crisis the world is currently facing. Its adaptibility and emphasis on meeting human needs means that it can be utilized in every climatic and cultural zone.

They produce a number of great educational posters for purchase or download. Here is an example of a few of them:

A great video on their energy projects. You can see more here.

Cool! I love the cartoon lady with the big basket of vegetables.

Power to the people. The video is a great piece. Not only is it informative, but factual and hopeful.

We are looking for the most appropriate and sustainable type of PIPEWORK to use in a Kenyan eco-community.
Currently the plumbing is rudimentary and piecemeal.
We're plumbers from UK and have the skills to change this working in collaboration with the local people... BUT we need advice o the best materials to use.

Please help if you can either with advice or signposts

Thank you
x

Mica - what types of plumbing projects are you planning? What is already in place and what do you want to change?

They have a rainwater harvesting system that leaks all over the place, they want that to work properly.
!Grey water from kitchens/bathrooms: buildings; eco-lodge place (eco-huts and eco-dorms) for all buildings and kitchen. Water in to eco-houses
Water heating system Solar.
Plumbing for eco-huts/dorms under construction: Have sent links below for these.
Eco-dorms pipework – for : Water - plumbing works inside.
Fix rainwater harvesting system pipework - YES - into eco-buildings.

!This is the sort of eco-toilets we want to install at the ecolodge. See this link:
www.tamera.org- compost-toilet
!See the ecolodge here: http://www.alpineinitiatives.org/blog/2012/05/ cottage-project
!And here for more photos: https://www.facebook.com/IPITiriji

A lot of the problem is that people are being helpful but often from a place of little knowledge - those who live there don't understand plumbing and people donating things don't understand Africa!

Mica May wrote:They have a rainwater harvesting system that leaks all over the place, they want that to work properly.
Grey water from kitchens/bathrooms: buildings; eco-lodge place (eco-huts and eco-dorms) for all buildings and kitchen. Water in to eco-houses
Water heating system Solar.
Plumbing for eco-huts/dorms under construction: Have sent links below for these.
Eco-dorms pipework – for ??: Water - plumbing works inside.
Fix rainwater harvesting system pipework - YES - into eco-buildings.

I would contact the Permaculture Institute of Kenya: http://www.pri-kenya.org/ and the Strawberry Fields Ecolodge in Ethiopia: http://www.permalodge.org/ Both of these organizations have done work similar to what you're doing and they are both certified by the Permaculture Research Institute out of Australia - the main governing body. Both can probably help with translation if you need it too.

Other resources include:
Watershed Management Group: http://watershedmg.org/ who trains people to install all types of water harvesting technology. They also have done work in various parts of Africa and India.
Water Harvesting International: http://www.waterharvestingint.com/about.html was started by a graduate of Watershed Management Group's Water Harvesting Certification course (Mark Ragel). He regularly installs water harvesting features with his church group in West Africa (Ghana, can't remember where else).
I personally know the folks at Watershed Management Group and Mark Ragel - both are a wealth of knowledge.

Mica May wrote:This is the sort of eco-toilets we want to install at the ecolodge. See this link: www.tamera.org- compost-toilet

Nice. I just had the pleasure of using the composting toilets that Watershed Management Group is in the process of getting certified for city use by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. You can see the video here: http://watershedmg.org/soil-stewards

Mica May wrote:A lot of the problem is that people are being helpful but often from a place of little knowledge - those who live there don't understand plumbing and people donating things don't understand Africa!

I hear you! I grew up on USAID projects, mostly in Africa, including Mombasa Kenya. My dad is a civil engineer and worked on various types of water projects. One of his big projects was the pipeline that goes from the high country in Kenya to the coast - the longest gravity run pipeline in the world (at least it was at that time). Problem was, various AID orgs from all over the world had worked on this pipeline over it's lifetime. There were both metric and English measurement pipes used and it was a hot mess to fix! Plus there were other challenges like the pipeline went through Tsavo game reserve and elephants kept knocking down pumphouses...

Jennifer, That is brilliant!
Thank you so much for your help and your speed of response.

Shall I keep you informed how we get on?

Mica

Mica May wrote:Jennifer, That is brilliant!
Thank you so much for your help and your speed of response.

Shall I keep you informed how we get on?

Mica

Please do keep me informed and the very best of luck with your projects. Post some pictures here if you get a chance. When will you begin this install?

we hope, July

Thanks so much