Morocco PDC Update (for April 17-30, 2010) – Let’s Get Behind This!
Editor’s Note: A couple of months ago we advertised (on the blog and in our course listings) the exciting opportunity to take a Permaculture Design Certificate course (PDC) in an amazing location, and with an excellent permaculture instructor, and where in doing so you’ll be supporting impoverished locals to begin to take charge of their future in a sustainable way. We bring this to your attention once more, and encourage all who can to support this very worthy endeavour by booking now! The climate, culture and instructional quality will make it the experience of a lifetime, and a major additional bonus is it’s all bundled up with that warm fuzzy feeling you get from helping make a difference.
As the time for our design certificate course in Morocco draws near, we have plenty of local people, and some from Warsangeli in Somalia. Warsangeli is a Sultante of peaceful people unfortunate enough to be surrounded by war. Supplies are difficult to get in and people are starving, and drinking dirty water. Permaculture could solve the food and water problems very well.
Current circumstances mean we could not open up courses in Somalia to international students, but a Warsangeli organization in london has secured funding and wants to work with us to spread permaculture there. Inviting a few people from Warsangeli to our course in Morocco would enable us to make much better progress over there.
We do not have enough paying students yet to make the course viable. We’ve been told that many people leave it until the last minute to book, so please, if you’re coming on this course, let us know as soon as possible so that we can confirm it with the African students.
Spring is an ideal time to be doing the course in Morocco, as the weather is fine and warm. This is a wonderful opportunity to get qualified and make a massive difference to the lives of many people by helping us promote permaculture in two areas where there is almost no knowledge of it. (Starting to sound like a missionary!) A lot hinges on the success of this course. As an incentive we will waive the price increase for late booking.
Being in Africa I immagine you dont need a lot of money to make this course viable. How much shortfall are we talking about here? I’m in Australia and cant make the course even though I’d love to but I might be able to help out.
Hi Jody – Since running this post, we have another taker. Looks like another two or three people will make it work.
Hi Jody.
It’s a nice idea, but it’s a lot of money. I’ve been asking around but don’t know many well-off people. I was asking for a loan, not a donation, but either or a combination would make the difference.
The main cost now is to get Dave over from Australia. You’re right, the actual costs there are very small, and with the bookings we have, our contacts over there say they can manage. The accommodation will be with local people, whom we’ll pay, and other than that it’s just food, transport and a nice big shelter from the sun, for the actual sit-down part of the coursework.
From what I can see online the flights would be about 1500 euros (it’s gone up now because it is closer in time). If anyone’s in a position to help out with that, it would be great. Failing that a loan. I could undertake to pay it back myself, before the end of this year. I’m owed quite a lot myself by someone, and I’ve already started the court process.
dear Andy
i would suggest that you contact the GEF Small Grants Programme which is active in morocco. here’s some contact info
https://sgp.undp.org/index.cfm?module=SGP&page=ContactCountry&CountryID=MOR
probably they would be interested in supporting either this course, or any other future activities you intent to hold. they give grants up to 50,000 USD, however eligible grantees are national NGOs and they need to have a project proposal. i don’t know if they still have funds and still accept applications. anyway it’s not bad idea to reach them.
wish you all the best
greetings from syria
Hi Jody,
sorry I had it set to notify me of follow-ups (I thought) but I didn’t get the email! Thanks a lot for the offer. We have the minimum number of students now, so we are going ahead, but if there is anything you could contribute, it would be great because as it is we’re not going to be able to pay the locals who are helping to organize. I was intending to give one (Said) 300 euros.
They will benefit from the course itself of course, but they’ll be working too so not able to take full advantage, and in a place like that, where they have little… he will lose money he could have earned with his stall. They are sound people, but it would increase our goodwill and credibility to be able to pay them. Labouring, if they work from dawn to dusk, they can get aobut 25 euros a day.
They have already done a lot of work, and made us really welcome when we have visited. It’s just a thought. Thanks
Andy (at tribalnetworks.org)