Domestic and sexual violence against women is a global scourge in every country and in places like Kenya, support networks can be difficult to find. Agatha Amani House is an NGO and Kenya’s first women and children’s safe house for those fleeing abuse. Their mission is to empower victims to heal from their trauma and help them become self-sufficient.
Permaculture is central to Agatha Amani House achieving that aim.
They were successful in applying for a $2000 grant from Permafund to present a 6-day workshop that included as a practical exercise, the beginnings of establishing a Food Forest. 18 participants were selected including 10 women from the shelter and 8 from the community.
Early preparation included getting local permaculture experts in to assess the site and come up with a spatial design. Soil samples taken revealed a lack of nitrogen, phosphorus and zinc with a low reading of organic matter. The main topics covered in the workshop included soil preparation, water harvesting and planting guilds.
This project was completed in 2023 and a more recent report outlining the ongoing progress of the Permaculture Farm was received.
Early learnings were the need for an increase in mulch materials to combat the severe dry periods for water retention and soil build-up. Also, small animals were included in the Food Forest system with their manure increasing the volume of compost that was able to be added.
The farm is not just a source of nutritious food, it embodies a sustainable healing space that helps women and children rebuild their lives, cultivating hope alongside the crops. The farm does more than nourish bodies….it nourishes souls.
At Agatha Amani House the wish is that the farm becomes a beacon of hope that spreads through Kenya and beyond. It’s another example of permaculture flourishing where the need is great.
Your donations to Permafund assist projects such as this and emphasise our 3rd Ethic of distributing surplus resources with a financial leg up to projects already operating and run by local people.
Permafund Grant Update Report from November 2024
Permafund Grant Update Report from December 2024
PROJECT STATUS UPDATE REPORT
PROJECT NAME: PERMACULTURE FOOD FOREST WORKSHOP & FOOD FOREST ESTABLISHMENT FOR AGATHA AMANI HOUSE-ABUSED WOMEN SHELTER-KENYA.
The project continues to progress and to yield day by day. For the last 2 months, we have been receiving a lot of rain and thus our vegetables and trees that we initially planted are blossoming well. Our farm officer together with the women hosted at Agatha Amani House has been taking care of the food forest; maintaining it, adding more plants and also being in charge of harvesting the yields. The food forest has been a great source of improved nutrition; vegetables and herbs for the hosted women and their children. It has also acted as a learning hub, as we have been using it for field visits. People visit to see the food forest and also to learn about permaculture. The workshop participants have reported great success on their farms too.
Before Establishment of GardenAfter Establishment of Garden
We have been selling the surplus vegetables to the neighbours and the nearby market. We normally make food baskets with all the varieties we have in the farm or sometimes we sell as per the customer’s orders.
Through the continued assessments done on the food forest, it has been noted that our farm; soil needs a lot of watering during the dry season, more than how we have been watering there before. This was noted through the planting of some red cabbage that took way more than the 3 months to mature. We are currently working on better watering schedules and water conservation activities in the farm.
For preservation of our surplus, we made this small solar drier. Preservation of our food forest produce is one of the central problems we have been facing as we would like to save the food for the dry seasons when food is scarce. Drying these products will help solve these problems, while also making an important contribution to improving the population’s income and supply situation.
Solar Drier made by the women of AGATHA AMANI HOUSE
Among the key learnings from the workshop, we have been very intense in practising what we learnt. The project has been keen on applying the principles of permaculture in the entire design and in both food forest phase I and phase II, Climate Change; Building resilience and mitigation, Water Harvesting and conservation, Soil Fertility Building and Care of Trees and seedlings among others.
Next Steps
There is a need for another workshop, as a follow-up on the previous one together with additional topics and activities such as the construction of a dam for water harvesting, more shed nets for the dry season plus Increased crops and trees including cover crops.
We also look forward to learning more on how to use the solar dryer and how to use and package the dried vegetables and fruits. This will also involve learning on how to do value addition to most of the products that we produce at our food forest. Hence making us more sustainable at the shelter.
Thanks to the generous contributions made to Permaculture Australia’s gift fund, Kitgum Permaculture Practitioners Association was one of the 20 organisations that received a Permafund grant in 2024. Their community is in the Alango ward, Pandwong division and Kitgum district of Northern Uganda.
Project manager Patrick Paul Kidega has sent us this reportabout their Grandmother Kitchen Gardens project. “It came about in response to the urgent need to solve the food crisis affecting elderly people, mostly widows & widowers, as a result of their grandchildren not caring for them by providing basic needs since most of them stay by themselves and as such, cannot keep up to speed with their daily needs.”
“Our association conducted a needs-based assessment which highlighted the need for this project. It was also backed & supported by the local council and the Lowest Administrative Units where the elderly people stay.”
“Using permaculture principles and ethics, especially that of care for others and incorporating zoning, we designed a very simple, effective and efficient kitchen garden system that is manageable by the elderly.”
“This Project was designed to benefit 30 elderly widows, single mothers and also a widower. It has a multiplier effect since these elderly have dependents, mostly grandchildren, who have been left behind by their children either as a result of HIV AIDS-related death or divorce. According to our survey of the 30 households we found that this project will directly support 134 people, which is something to be proud of.
Objectives of the project
1. To provide instant affordable food supplies to the elderly in need.
2. To use permaculture and its principles to help answer the community’s most pressing problems such as poor food security and bad agricultural practices such as chemical-related farming.
3. To help spread permaculture to the local community through demonstrations, since it is still a new concept.
4. To help enlighten the community that we can farm anywhere and that it doesn’t require much land to farm, using the different gardening styles;
Steps taken in project implementation
A.Identification of the beneficiaries was done by the field staff of the organisation with the support of the local council leaders. This was followed by the immediate selection of the 30 successful beneficiaries based on their needs and ability to contribute to the project by offering labour such as watering, weeding and daily care to the garden which can’t be done by our organisation. Those who were a little bit strong and had grandchildren stood a better chance of selection but also we included those whose neighbours promised to help them do the work.
B. After the selection we spent 3 days training the beneficiaries. We gave them background on the project and its benefits, We trained them in simple management skills like fencing their gardens to prevent animals from eating their produce. We taught them the basic principles of permaculture and the importance of using organic materials and not chemicals, the need to water the gardens and keep them mulched.
We also taught them about the types of veggies that they would need and useful tree seedlings to select. The meeting was well attended and was much appreciated by the beneficiaries.
After the inception meeting, as an organisation completed these steps
We visited the sites to assess the sizes of their land and help us with the designs of the gardens
After the visits we drew plans of the various gardens according to the available land and also put in some creativity while being fully aware that in designing we must make sure that water is the centre point and the flow of water and maintaining water in the system is key, so we designed from pattern to design.
After coming up with the designs we set out to work and every day we made two gardens. It is important to note that we break the soil first to loosen it before the actual design begins.
CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED:
The lack of tools and training manual is still very much affecting
Inadequate species of native trees and water problems as our sources of water are far apart and we live in a dry area that receives very little and unpredictable rainfall.
Shortage of airtime and data bundles for effective communication
Means of transport for rounding up & mobilising people for activities.
Community attitudes such as stealing and also destroying the gardens at night since the elderly cannot keep watch.
Problems of labour shortage after setting up the gardens as the grandmothers can not effectively handle management given their age.
Stray animals such as cows, goats, pigs and birds like chickens, and ducks encroaching on and destroying the gardens since it was not fenced.
The funds were limited
WAYS FORWARD AND RECOMMENDATIONS: We recommend that;
We need to do more community training on permaculture so that everybody can copy and try it in their homes
Provide local means to fence the small gardens.
Development of effective work plans and budget
There is a need to carry out constant community dialogue to help improve their mindsets and learn to coexist and help the needy
Provide water cans to help water the gardens during dry and days that rain did not come.
Lobby for more funds to enable us to do more.
Administrative unit, smartphones and laptops for easy reporting
Develop training manuals for references during and after training
Conclusively the Grandmother Kitchen Gardens project is a big success and an eye-opener as many people took an interest and copied the ideas, tried them in their homes and requested for more information to be extended to them. The little grant fund was timely and so much appreciated since it enabled us to realise our objectives and goals for this project.
In this report, there are photos of some of the kitchen gardens we developed. It is amazing to see how simple ideas of permaculture can greatly impact and transform the lives of the intended recipients.
With this illustration, I hope and believe that there is value for money in any permaculture project done honestly with a people-centred approach, and do encourage us all to embrace permaculture to help solve our current problems and I, therefore, call for more funds to be directed towards permaculture since it has proven to be the most pragmatic approach to problem-solving. In permaculture there are no wrong or right answers, everything we experience is a response that requires us to fully be in union with Mother Nature as the response to our actions tells us either or what to be done or not done.
Much appreciation to the Permafund team for the trust placed in us.”
Your donations make projects like this possible. Thank you for your support. Contributions to Permafund over $2 are tax deductible in Australia and can be made here.
In the Eastern Highlands in the Chimanimani District of Zimbabwe, cyclone Aida came through several years ago and destroyed much of the cropping varieties along the swamp drainage lines feeding local villages.
One of these was the staple tuber known as ‘Madhumbe’ – Coloasia Esculenta. It’s eaten by villagers in the Chimanimani district for breakfast and lunch so forms an important aspect of their nutritional diet and culture.
The local Zimbabwean organisation PORET – Participatory Organic Research Extension Training – successfully applied to Permafund for a $1450 grant to save the seed of the madhumbe from the plant material left. PORET has long Permaculture roots that branched from the Chikukwa project in the early 1990s.
33 farmers, (22 female & 11 male) were selected to plant the saved seed and encouraged by PORET that, if successful, they were to share that seed the following season with 2 other farmers to increase the production.
Harvested madumbeColoasia Esculenta planted on high groundColoasia Esculenta
The main design strategy was to plant madhumbe on higher ground out of the swamp areas. The farmers were provided a training workshop that taught them how to construct swales on contour so that soil moisture could be maintained when rains came.
Not all the farmers constructed swales but the results indicated that those that did had a far greater success rate and that madhumbe does require good soil moisture to grow well. Another issue was that some farmers had feral pigs destroy the crop so security fencing was needed.
As well as the success of the project saving the seed of madhumbe other benefits became evident. The provision of food security was increased through the training of water and soil management as well as the important aspect of promoting unity among community members by sharing the seed they had grown.
Seed saving has always been a priority area for Permaculture from its beginning and Permafund are pleased to be able to continue that tradition through projects such as this one in Zimbabwe.
Your donations make this possible so thank you for that support. Contributions to Permafund over $2 are tax deductible in Australia and can be made here.
One of Permafund’s assessment criteria for small grant applications is “Bang for the Buck”.
Daniel Chibwe, a permie of great entrepreneurial spirit in Lilongwe, central Malawi, delivered 192 newly qualified farmers for the first stage of a newly funded project at Mlatho Agri Learning Hub. Next comes more training, more demonstration plots and a tree nursery for 150,000 endemic and fruit trees. He plans for another 800 students to complete the 5-day course Transforming Agriculture Using Permaculture Practices.
To squeeze every drop of impact from the $2000 Permafund grant Daniel also blitzed the local press, radio stations and social media with reports of the course and its associated projects which include supplying tools such as spades, wheelbarrows, and briquette-making.
Daniel said most farmers have experienced first-hand the diverse effects of climate change and poor soil fertility, which consequently cause low agriculture production. “The training was aimed at imparting permaculture knowledge among youth so that they should shift towards more sustainable farming practices by adopting permaculture farming. We have taught them how they can prepare manure, organic pesticides, Mbeya fertiliser and others, using materials which are locally available in our communities.”
The Mlatho project is one of 20 that Permafund has funded this year and will now monitor for progress, content and lessons learned.
Seed funding for their community projects is gratefully received by grant recipients such as Mlatho Farms and Agri-Learning Hub who’ve written to say “We are incredibly grateful for your support, which has made this program possible, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration to promote sustainable farming practices here in Malawi and Africa.”
Since 2012 the Permaculture Australia’s Permafund grants program has supported 93 community permaculture-oriented environmental and education projects in Australia and overseas thanks to gifts from donors, bequests and fundraisers.
For future applicants, the launch of the 2025 Permafund grant round will be announced on the Permaculture Australia website.
For more information and to share fundraising suggestions, please contact the Permafund committee at permafund@permacultureaustralia.org.au
Our thanks to Dominique Chen, Managing Director of Yuruwan for this report,
“Growing on Country is an online course for anyone in any field (from permaculture, regenerative agriculture, syntropics, horticulture and nursery work, to backyard pottering) who wants to be an ally when growing, gardening or engaging with Indigenous plants, people and communities on unceded land.
Specifically, it is for those wanting to explore how to effect social and environmental justice through growing and gardening.
The course will support learners to be informed, respectful, equitable, culturally safe and inclusive in their relationship with people and with Country.
Growing on Country has been written, designed and developed by a team of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people with contributions and feedback from Elders, knowledge holders, researchers and community members.
It is a very unique and much-needed resource in the space of reparative, land-based work. All profits from the course go to Yuruwan – an Aboriginal-run not-for-profit supporting First Nations urban food initiatives.
The five-module course includes interviews, current critical research, case studies, links to readings and resources, inquiry questions, and provocations for applying information within individual learning, teaching and growing contexts.
This emphasis on practical application empowers learners to make a real difference in their own communities. The self-paced course is accessible for one year from the purchase date. At the end of the course, learners will receive a certificate of completion.
We are grateful to have received support from Permaculture Australia’s Permafund, and are happy that the course is now live and ready to do some good work in the broader community.
Thanks, Dominique Chen & congratulations Yuruwan on the course launch.
Permaculture Australia’s gift fund, Permafund, contributes to permaculture education and environmental projects in Australia and overseas. Gifts to the fund can be madehere. All gifts over $2 are tax deductible in Australia and are greatly appreciated.
The Permafund 2024 grant round attracted a large number of applications from community organisations around the world including from Australia & seven other countries.
After the assessment process, these 15 applicants have been selected to receive seed funding of up to $,2000. They are listed in alphabetical order.
Farm Sahel Inc. Manga, Burkina Faso
To train smallholder women farmers on climate-smart agricultural practices
Farming and Health Education (FHE). Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya
To create a model agricultural site to educate and empower refugee farmers on sustainable farming methods
Faulu Productions. Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya
To offer refugees training in composting, water conservation and soil improvement resources to create and maintain food gardens. .
Fraternity Kivutian. South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo.
To encourage the use of permaculture practices to restore degraded landscapes and plant native and food-producing trees.
Yuruwan Ltd To establishGrowing on Country, an online course for anyone, of any age, in any field (from permaculture, regenerative agriculture, syntropics, horticulture, nursery work, to backyard pottering), who wants to be a better ally when growing, gardening, or engaging with Indigenous plants, people and communities on unceded Aboriginal land.
Hope for Rural Women– HORUWO. Kasese District, Uganda
To train women farmers as Permaculture Community Knowledge Transfer Workers. (PCKTWs) to promote permaculture principles and practices in the local community.
Kitgum Permaculture Practitioners Association. Kitgum, Uganda, A project to create kitchen gardens for the benefit of grandmothers in the community plus to offer training in planting windbreaks and fruit trees in food forests.
Matungu Community Development Charity (MCDC). Mumias, Kenya.
For education on soil biota and earthworms and the uses of vermicompost to enhance soil structure and water retention for increased fertility for healthy food production.
Mlatho Farms and Agri-learning Hub.Central District, Malawi
To provide youth training programs, which not only teach the principles of permaculture but
also provide hands-on experience in implementing these practices. Their goal is to instil a deep understanding of regenerative agriculture methods that prioritise environmental stewardship, biodiversity conservation, and resilience in the face of changing climates.
Nanhkudwe Community Based Organisation (NCBO). Mwanza District, Malawi.
incentives for Climate-Resilient, Regenerative Agriculture (CRRA; iii) provide training and support for farmers; and iv) implement robust monitoring and knowledge-sharing initiatives to support learning and adaptive implementation of CRRA. This project is aimed at having 4,000 beneficiaries.
Organic Technology Extension and Promotion of Initiative Centre (OTEPIC) . Kenya
Provide training that enhances beekeeping skills and knowledge. And provide guidelines to the communities against threats to beekeeping like deforestation, varroa mite and other serious bee diseases.
Plethora Social Initiative. Nakivale Refugee Settlement, Uganda
This project aims to provide permaculture training to refugees, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to establish sustainable livelihoods, enhance food security, and foster community resilience. By empowering refugees to cultivate their own food, regenerate soil, and create self-reliant ecosystems, they seek to alleviate poverty, mitigate environmental degradation, and promote social integration.
Rainbow Region Community Farms Inc (Lismore Community Garden). Lismore, Post-flood re-establishment of an Australian Bush Food Garden. Creating a native bush food garden in the Northern Rivers to promote and share learning about Indigenous/permaculture-informed and climate-resilient design.
Up with Community. Zanzibar, Tanzania
Up with Community will train 1000 youth on mangrove tree planting and start two permaculture clubs in Cheju secondary and primary schools..The project will address a cause of mangrove destruction by the community, through cutting and burning the trees for sale as charcoal, and instead will help them to develop permaculture activities for sustainable sources of income.
Youth Empowerment for Development Initiative (YEDI). Zambia
This project is aimed at training young farmers based in rural communities in climate-smart agriculture in order for them to improve land, become more resilient and produce food sustainably. As well as the training they will set up a demonstration plot.
Permaculture Australia’s Permafund would like to thank all of the organisations that submitted applications to this grant round and the many supporters who raise funds, make donations and regularly tithe to support the Permafund grants program. News of the next grant round will appear on the Permaculture Australia website.
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