Story by John Champagne, Permafund Committee, September 2015
The current Permafund committee has been together for a few years now and its main contribution has been to support community projects with the distribution of funds through the small grant program. At our annual gathering in Katoomba in January we agreed to add a second approach — targeting specific projects that we have built a relationship with.
Two projects were identified for targeted support:
- The Permaculture Guidebook from East Timor – the updating project
- Community development with AAE organisation on La Gonave Island in Haiti.
A Tropical Permaculture Guidebook – a gift from Timor Leste
The book was a success and the Department of Agriculture in Timor Leste issued copies to almost 500 extension officers and the Education Department used the guidebook as a reference to develop the social science and culture national curriculum.
It’s been a popular publication and often difficult to get copies of. Feedback regarding its usefulness has always being positive. Numerous copies have been photocopied and distributed throughout SE Asia to aid workers and used as the text book on many PDCs.
Authors, Lachlan McKenzie and Ego Lemos have been working on a new edition that will make the contents more generic to all tropical regions around the world. We understand it’s nearly done and was scheduled to be launched at the International Permaculture Convergence in London in September this year. It will be available as free download PDF chapters soon after. A printed version is planned for 2016.
Permafund recently supported publication with a $1000 grant.
Timor Leste coffee fundraiser
If you’re reading this and also drink coffee, then make the connection and help us raise funds to assist Permatil, the local Permaculture organisation in Timor Leste. The $1000 we gave the book-rewrite project all came from coffee sales.
Bernd Langer completed a PDC in January with Penny Pyett and myself at the Sydney Permaculture Institute near St Albans. He had recently started a business importing Certified Organic coffee from Timor Leste grown by farmers who had set up a co-operative.
Permafund negotiated a special deal with Bernd where the online purchase of a 1kg bag of coffee at $33 enables us to provide $6 to Permatil to continue their important work in one of the poorest countries in the world.
For Permaculture groups and PDC teachers, wherever coffee is served on courses or events, it’s also an opportunity to value-add your commitment to our Ethic of ‘Fair Share’ and purchase this coffee.
Berd Langer… we thank you for your social commitment.
Like the idea of your coffee choice supporting community development in Timor Leste?
[button_link url=”http://faircoffeeco.com.au/collections/online-shop/products/timor-permie-special-fundraiser-for-permafund” target=”blank” style=”blue” title=”” class=”” id=”” onclick=””]Click to order your batch[/button_link]
Your donation powers projects
By donating to Permafund your money supports Permaculture Australia’s targeted projects as well as the general Permafund grants. It’s a simple way to put your money where your morals are and to enact Permaculture’s Third Ethic of fair share and redistribution.
The PA website allows individuals to donate to these target projects as well as the general Permafund donation to build funds for our annual Grant Rounds.
