Help Permaculture Changemakers in East Africa!
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Jambo! That’s hello in Swahili!
My name is Marie-Pierre but everybody calls me MP!
“If you eat you are involved in agriculture” This quote is what drives me to be a changemaker.
I searched my whole life for a way to “change the world” and I had pretty much given up that idealistic idea until I began urban farming 3 years ago.
Such a simple act with such a profound impact. The growing of food taught me that the eating of food is actually an extremely important social and political act and by just simply eating we can shape the world in which we want to live.
Food is connected to everything we do and is one of biggest industries in the world. It permeates every sector, every life, almost every moment. It connects us to people all over the world.
How can growing food not be the tool we use to change the current social and environmental paradigm the planet faces today?
Me and my amazing partners in Canada, Kenya and Uganda have started East Africa Permaculture Project which works to build permaculture farms and regenerative agricultural learning centres in rural and urban areas. You can look at all the work we've done recently in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania on our facebook page by clicking here .
We work with schools and local leaders to create long-term, regenerative agricultural solutions that empower people.
We have just returned from the successful implementation of two permaculture farms one at Kakamega School For Deaf Children in Kakamega, Kenya and the other at an NGO called Dream Farm Kykabunga in Uganda.
We are still completely involved in the progress of the projects after implementation, monitoring their long-term sustainability and helping in their day to day maintenance.
We are spreading the movement of regenerative agriculture all over East Africa and hope to do the same in the rest of the world! We are strategically setting up various demonstration farms at schools and NGOs where there is the greatest possibility of spreading the movement across communities and regions.
If you are not sure what Permaculture is, it is a form of organic agriculture which focuses on water harvesting techniques, biodiversity in the garden, generating healthy soils, building social cohesion and much more. You can watch this short video for more details.
We are asking for your generosity in helping us raise funds to continue our critical work.
These are the 4 next projects we need to implement to continue our work in late 2020:
1. A Permaculture Food Program at Kapuat Primary School
*Located in Iriri, Karamoja the school has 1163 children and in desperate need of a food program and vocational training for children especially girls who often are married off as young as 15. The region is prone to severe drought and a project here could really play a significant role in reversing the current disadvantaged condition of the children and the community as a whole.
You can see photos and read more about this story by clicking here: Kapuat Primary School Story
*Resources needed: $7000
For seeds, seedlings, labour, tools, install two underground rainwater catchements, fencing, food, accommodation and travel for PPIK team of 10.
2. A Chicken House for Kakamega School for Deaf Children
*To feed the children and also start a small business to help them run the school, which has very little resources. (The video is one I took during our last permaculture project there of the children singing and Monica talking about the impact of the project.)
*Resources needed: $1500
For materials to build the chicken house, 50 chickens, feed for the first month, labour for the contruction, 1 day training workshop for the farm manager John Katila, Edwin Kisato (PDC, Head Teacher) and Monica Mackenzie (Teacher).
3. A Small Permaculture Food Program Garden at Kitgum Girl’s Primary and Blind Children School
*This will also serve as a demonstration farm for the community. We are working with outstanding community leader Patrick Paul Kidega from Kitgum Minuicipality Deaf and Interpreters Association who participated on our projects this year to gain experience and knowledge in permaculture (please see videos below to get to know Patrick).
Here is a facebook post about my journery to northern Uganda: Kitgum Story
Resources needed: $4000
For seeds, seedlings, tools, labour, food, accommodation, wage for permaculture educator from PPIK to design the layout and manage the project .
4. An Urban Garden/Sack Garden Food Program at KICOSHEP Primary School in Kibera, Kenya.
*Kibera is the second largest slum in Africa with a population of almost 1 million people. KICOSHEP (Kibera Community Self-Help Program) Primary School has had a long successful track record of positively impacting the community with urban farming initiatives and supporting people and children living with HIV/AIDS. The school’s sack garden was destroyed some years back with the building of a railroad through Kibera. The school has 353 children, 65 of which are living with HIV/AIDS. They desperately deserve to be fed nutritious locally grown food and to learn about how to grow their own food. Please read more here: Anne's Story
*Resources needed: $3500
For sacks, seeds, seedlings, tree seedlings, soil, manure and to build a cement wall to replace iron sheets for garden protection.
Front Gate at Kicoshep
This is where the sack gardens will go (below). There is another space exactly like this on the other side. The steel sheets on the left will be replaced with a cement wall.
One of the children from the school
Thank you so much for taking the time to read about our goals, dreams and successes.
Global warming, food insecurity, water scarcity, social unrest and inequality are upon us and there is no more time to wait for things to change on their own.
Our model can be used all over the world and we need your help to continue our life-changing work!
Asante Sana! Merci! A million thank yous from the bottom of my heart!
Ps: Here is a video of Kykbunga Primary School in Uganda where we did a project in November 2019. I took it just after heavy rains had fallen and we could see our swale in action.
A swale is a water harvesting technique used in permaculture to capture and store water. We had just dug this one and it wasn't totally finished but the feedback given by the land was that we were on the right track! The garden is doing very well and looking healthy right now and the children will be able to enjoy a food program when they return to school in January after the 2 month long "summer" break.
My name is Marie-Pierre but everybody calls me MP!
“If you eat you are involved in agriculture” This quote is what drives me to be a changemaker.
I searched my whole life for a way to “change the world” and I had pretty much given up that idealistic idea until I began urban farming 3 years ago.
Such a simple act with such a profound impact. The growing of food taught me that the eating of food is actually an extremely important social and political act and by just simply eating we can shape the world in which we want to live.
Food is connected to everything we do and is one of biggest industries in the world. It permeates every sector, every life, almost every moment. It connects us to people all over the world.
How can growing food not be the tool we use to change the current social and environmental paradigm the planet faces today?
Me and my amazing partners in Canada, Kenya and Uganda have started East Africa Permaculture Project which works to build permaculture farms and regenerative agricultural learning centres in rural and urban areas. You can look at all the work we've done recently in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania on our facebook page by clicking here .
We work with schools and local leaders to create long-term, regenerative agricultural solutions that empower people.
We have just returned from the successful implementation of two permaculture farms one at Kakamega School For Deaf Children in Kakamega, Kenya and the other at an NGO called Dream Farm Kykabunga in Uganda.
We are still completely involved in the progress of the projects after implementation, monitoring their long-term sustainability and helping in their day to day maintenance.
We are spreading the movement of regenerative agriculture all over East Africa and hope to do the same in the rest of the world! We are strategically setting up various demonstration farms at schools and NGOs where there is the greatest possibility of spreading the movement across communities and regions.
If you are not sure what Permaculture is, it is a form of organic agriculture which focuses on water harvesting techniques, biodiversity in the garden, generating healthy soils, building social cohesion and much more. You can watch this short video for more details.
We are asking for your generosity in helping us raise funds to continue our critical work.
These are the 4 next projects we need to implement to continue our work in late 2020:
1. A Permaculture Food Program at Kapuat Primary School
*Located in Iriri, Karamoja the school has 1163 children and in desperate need of a food program and vocational training for children especially girls who often are married off as young as 15. The region is prone to severe drought and a project here could really play a significant role in reversing the current disadvantaged condition of the children and the community as a whole.
You can see photos and read more about this story by clicking here: Kapuat Primary School Story
*Resources needed: $7000
For seeds, seedlings, labour, tools, install two underground rainwater catchements, fencing, food, accommodation and travel for PPIK team of 10.
2. A Chicken House for Kakamega School for Deaf Children
*To feed the children and also start a small business to help them run the school, which has very little resources. (The video is one I took during our last permaculture project there of the children singing and Monica talking about the impact of the project.)
*Resources needed: $1500
For materials to build the chicken house, 50 chickens, feed for the first month, labour for the contruction, 1 day training workshop for the farm manager John Katila, Edwin Kisato (PDC, Head Teacher) and Monica Mackenzie (Teacher).
3. A Small Permaculture Food Program Garden at Kitgum Girl’s Primary and Blind Children School
*This will also serve as a demonstration farm for the community. We are working with outstanding community leader Patrick Paul Kidega from Kitgum Minuicipality Deaf and Interpreters Association who participated on our projects this year to gain experience and knowledge in permaculture (please see videos below to get to know Patrick).
Here is a facebook post about my journery to northern Uganda: Kitgum Story
Resources needed: $4000
For seeds, seedlings, tools, labour, food, accommodation, wage for permaculture educator from PPIK to design the layout and manage the project .
4. An Urban Garden/Sack Garden Food Program at KICOSHEP Primary School in Kibera, Kenya.
*Kibera is the second largest slum in Africa with a population of almost 1 million people. KICOSHEP (Kibera Community Self-Help Program) Primary School has had a long successful track record of positively impacting the community with urban farming initiatives and supporting people and children living with HIV/AIDS. The school’s sack garden was destroyed some years back with the building of a railroad through Kibera. The school has 353 children, 65 of which are living with HIV/AIDS. They desperately deserve to be fed nutritious locally grown food and to learn about how to grow their own food. Please read more here: Anne's Story
*Resources needed: $3500
For sacks, seeds, seedlings, tree seedlings, soil, manure and to build a cement wall to replace iron sheets for garden protection.
Front Gate at Kicoshep
This is where the sack gardens will go (below). There is another space exactly like this on the other side. The steel sheets on the left will be replaced with a cement wall.
One of the children from the school
Thank you so much for taking the time to read about our goals, dreams and successes.
Global warming, food insecurity, water scarcity, social unrest and inequality are upon us and there is no more time to wait for things to change on their own.
Our model can be used all over the world and we need your help to continue our life-changing work!
Asante Sana! Merci! A million thank yous from the bottom of my heart!
Ps: Here is a video of Kykbunga Primary School in Uganda where we did a project in November 2019. I took it just after heavy rains had fallen and we could see our swale in action.
A swale is a water harvesting technique used in permaculture to capture and store water. We had just dug this one and it wasn't totally finished but the feedback given by the land was that we were on the right track! The garden is doing very well and looking healthy right now and the children will be able to enjoy a food program when they return to school in January after the 2 month long "summer" break.
Organiser
Leona Brown
Organiser
Vancouver, BC
