Permaculture Design Certificate course in Ethiopia – February 1-13, 2010
Certified 72 hour Permaculture Design Course, Konso, Ethiopia: Permaculture for the Rural African Environment – Oriented towards food security development for rural communities lead by Mr Tichafa Makovere Shumba, at Strawberry Fields Eco-Lodge: February 01 – 13, 2010.
Mr Tichafa Makovere, formerly a lead trainer for the SCOPE initiative and the Fimbadzanai Permaculture Centre in Zimbabwe, more latterly a trainer for the regional Re-SCOPE initiative, Tichafa has trained participants in Malawi, Zambia, South Africa and Uganda. He has lead the development of the PC demonstration site at Strawberry Fields Eco Lodge (SFEL), in Konso, Southern Ethiopia (Ethiopia’s first) over the last 12 months and has lead the Permaculture in Konso Schools Project run by SFEL in partnership with Save the Children Finland.
In February of 2010 Tichafa will lead a 2 week residential PDC for foreigners and well educated Ethiopians (English language medium) at SFEL, certified by 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. Using SFEL’s models on its own site as well as in the local schools as design examples and looking at Konso’s renowned indigenous agricultural system, our PDC is of particular relevance to wanting to applying PC to rural development in dry-lands, indigenous communities, or 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 $500 for those registering before 01/01/2010 (with $100 down-payment) and $650 there-after. It includes 2 weeks room and board in the lodge but excludes transport to Konso.
Resources:
- Course Curriculum (Word)
Enquiries: info (at) permalodge.org
