Field Story from Rongo...
Sending our earnest greetings from the permEzone-Rongo team! Although the first phase of the project has encountered both successes and challenges, permEzone has once again proven to have the capacity to consistently rise above all the turmoil and has worked hard towards giving the entire project team something to smile about; achievement of its set objectives. The weekly trainings have definitely paid off.
The first ever permEzone training is a done deal!
PermEzone hits another milestone again. The end of April marked the end of the 3 month permaculture design course training that started late last year. The team in Rongo kicked off this project by developing a permaculture curriculum that covered all the 12 thematic areas of permaculture study. The curriculum document has been used to train the farmers and give them an insight on holistic permaculture application. The curriculum document has been living all through this period, being modified and fine-tuned based on the feedback from the farmers. The farmers have had a chance to experience permaculture in action and are now more than ready to move forward to the next phase of the project- model farm development.
The first ever permEzone training is a done deal!
PermEzone hits another milestone again. The end of April marked the end of the 3 month permaculture design course training that started late last year. The team in Rongo kicked off this project by developing a permaculture curriculum that covered all the 12 thematic areas of permaculture study. The curriculum document has been used to train the farmers and give them an insight on holistic permaculture application. The curriculum document has been living all through this period, being modified and fine-tuned based on the feedback from the farmers. The farmers have had a chance to experience permaculture in action and are now more than ready to move forward to the next phase of the project- model farm development.
| Rongo farmers around a keyhole garden they made during the training practical. The farmers have successfully completed their permaculture design course. |
Positive Feedback
Besides the completion of the PDC training delivery, permEzone has more reasons to smile and forge ahead. The training has seen a positive reaction from farmers particularly those from the Asumbi area. 4 farmers from Asumbi have started a poultry project for meat, for their own consumption and for sale and and also importantly for manure, thanks to learning and embracing permaculture through the permEzone trainings. This is a strong motivation for the team. It is a sign that the good work that has been done is producing some fruit. The farmers have also started modifying their farms to catch rain water, manage grey water and to retain the water in the soil. It is great to see the farmers embracing this knowledge so that they can utilize more effectively all the resources they already possess.
Besides the completion of the PDC training delivery, permEzone has more reasons to smile and forge ahead. The training has seen a positive reaction from farmers particularly those from the Asumbi area. 4 farmers from Asumbi have started a poultry project for meat, for their own consumption and for sale and and also importantly for manure, thanks to learning and embracing permaculture through the permEzone trainings. This is a strong motivation for the team. It is a sign that the good work that has been done is producing some fruit. The farmers have also started modifying their farms to catch rain water, manage grey water and to retain the water in the soil. It is great to see the farmers embracing this knowledge so that they can utilize more effectively all the resources they already possess.
Challenges ahead...
The initial phase of this project has been quite smooth despite the extreme political turmoil that was experienced at the beginning. We now face all the challenges of supporting the farmers as they create the designs for their demonstration farms, and work to put those designs into practice in the next stage of the program. There is no special funding for farm inputs, for example planting seedlings, because these farms have to be models that the whole community can emulate without relying on external funding. Every effort will be made to support the farmers in solving all the practical problems involved in achieving the long-term sustainability that they're aiming for.
The initial phase of this project has been quite smooth despite the extreme political turmoil that was experienced at the beginning. We now face all the challenges of supporting the farmers as they create the designs for their demonstration farms, and work to put those designs into practice in the next stage of the program. There is no special funding for farm inputs, for example planting seedlings, because these farms have to be models that the whole community can emulate without relying on external funding. Every effort will be made to support the farmers in solving all the practical problems involved in achieving the long-term sustainability that they're aiming for.
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