PDC Details Update

Teaching Team:
Rosemary Morrow has invited two designer/teachers to share teaching and workshop responsibilities with her. After decades of working within this field, Rowe needs no introductions! Rowe is co-director of the Blue Mountains Permaculture Institute.
Amanda Cuyler brings experience teaching permaculture in Timor L’este with Rowe, and has also recently worked with Pacific Community Partnerships and the Fui Geli Asi Women’s Group in the Malaita Province of the Solomon Islands establishing gardens and introducing permaculture concepts. Amanda currently works as a teacher and garden educator in Australia, and has recently established Permaculture Education Australia, a consultancy that works with community sectors, through permaculture education, design and media services.
Dan Palmer is a permaculture designer and teacher based in Melbourne. He co-directs Very Edible Gardens, is part of the Permablitz network, and has taught permaculture in Australia, India, Ethiopia and Uganda. Dan is passionate about water flow and healthy soil. Most recently, Dan and Amanda put 800 trees in the ground at a future permaculture demonstration site and learning centre in the north island of Aotearoa (New Zealand) where they’re looking forward to hosting visitors in the years to come!
In addition, workshops and evening sessions will be taught by local and international teachers with subject expertise.


Course Payments:
To avoid the costs of bank transfers, we are happy for East African participants to pay their course fees directly to the Children of Uganda office in Kampala or to pay in cash on arrival at the course. Internationals are asked to use the COU website for secure deposit of course payments.

Natural Building Workshops Announced!
We are excited to invite participants to stay on for an additional 3 days (25 – 27 January) at a cost of US$75, to get some hands-on experience building with bamboo and other natural materials in a workshop facilitated by Nripal Adhikary ( head to http://abari.org/ for more information); or to spend time on another aspect of the Food and Water Security program, working alongside the PDC teachers and FWS staff.

Travel information:
We recommend that course participants arrive no later than January 6 so that one night can be spent in Kampala (recovering from long flights or bus trips for some!) before catching an early morning bus south on January 7. Friendly members of the permaculture team will be there to meet you in Kampala and escort you to Sabina. Remember the 3-day workshop option (25 – 27 Jan) when considering your return journey. For international participants, visas can be easily purchased for $50 at the Entebbe airport. We ask that you budget for this, as well as for accommodation and travel within Kampala pre-and -post PDC.

Updated Course Details

Course dates:
8 - 24 January 2010 with the possibility of staying and volunteering on site on completion of course.

Accommodation:
As the course will be held during school holidays, most students will be away and only those with no known relatives (approximately 25 children) will remain. The dormitories, shared with these students, are basic yet clean.

Course fees:
Internationals: US$950
East African participants: US$350
All payments to be made by 1 November 2009
$US50 discount for full payment made by 31 August 2009
This fee does not cover transport to and from Sabina Home.

Payment methods:
Course fees can be paid with credit card through the secure Paypal account on the Children of Uganda website. Please nominate 'PDC Payment' in the 'Gift Information' entry.
Notification of payment should also be emailed to ugandapermaculture@gmail.com

Teachers:
Rosemary Morrow has chosen not to be the principal teacher. Rowe will be present and will oversee the course however a lot of content will be delivered by Dan Palmer (tbc), Amanda Cuyler and other guest teachers.

Class Size:
We are hoping to have a maximum class size of 25 students. We have received quite a lot of interest from international participants, and as priority will go to East African students, positions are limited.

PDC date change! Course now running January 2010

The PDC with Rosemary Morrow will not be held 14 – 29 September 2009 (as previously advertised), and instead has been rescheduled to run in January 2010.
This decision has been made so that costs can be kept to a minimum for participants with the course being held exclusively at Sabina Home and Boarding School in Southern Uganda, a functioning permaculture demonstration site, with participants accommodated in the newly completes ‘bandas’ (circular huts).
For further information, please contact Amanda Cuyler at ugandapermaculture@gmail.com

This site contains information about the two week residential permaculture design certificate course being taught by Australian teacher Rosemary Morrow (Blue Mountains Permaculture Institute) in Uganda in early 2010. Confirmed dates to be advised asap.

This course will be delivered to both local community members and international participants, and course fees paid by international students will subsidise locals, directly contributing to the promotion of permaculture in East Africa and affording a cross-cultural experience for all.

The aim of the courses is to upskill permaculture trainers who will go on to be active in community development, so participating in this course is about far more than getting PD certified!

As local participants are prioritised, places for international guests will be limited. Book now to confirm your place in this unique learning experience.

Why register for the course?

* Learn vital practical knowledge and skills for leading a self-reliant and community-resilient lifestyle
* Qualify as an accredited permaculture designer and gain experience on a tropical demonstration site
* In an era of increasing uncertainty, become part of a global network effecting positive change and creating designs for sustainable living and land use
* Develop cross-cultural awareness and discover the warmth and cultural richness of Africa’s “pearl”, Uganda
* Learn firsthand how permaculture can be used a powerful tool to empower and address the real issues confronting communities in the developing world
* Contribute to the dissemination of permaculture knowledge and skills in Central Africa by directly subsidizing the participation of a local person

International Participant Places Limited - Register Now!

To keep a small class size and ensure that positions are prioritised for local East African participants, positions for international participants are limited. This course is a rare opportunity to gain qualifications on-site in a tropical location, knowing that you are directly subsidising the participation of a local person and ensuring the dissemination of vital knowledge in East Africa. Register today!

What is permaculture? Why should I study permaculture in Uganda?

Permaculture is a method for designing sustainable, human-supporting landscapes that mimic the operation of natural ecosystems. By linking the different parts of each system in ecologically sensible ways, permaculture achieves high yields, reduces inputs, and actually builds fertility over successive seasons. Based on three core ethics and a set of design principles, permaculture can be applied in any climate and at any scale.

The term "Permaculture" combines "permanent" and "agriculture" as well as "permanent" and "culture." Permaculture is a philosophy that allows us to use the resources that we have around us to their fullest potential. By observing and learning from our environment (such as how does nature replenish its soil, how does nature protect and conserve its water resources, how has nature adapted to the specific climate of an area, etc.), we can learn how to imitate these natural processes in our daily living. The more closely that we can work with nature, the more likely we are to establish a balance which will provide us with the things that we need without damaging the environment.

Permaculture is rooted in the fact that no single problem or solution stands on its own. In recognition of this balance, it embraces four basic principles:
1. Working with nature rather than against it
2. Thoughtful observation rather than thoughtless labour
3. Each element should perform many functions rather than one
4. Everything is connected to everything else

Like so many other countries in Africa, Uganda is enmeshed within a web of complex, interrelated social and environmental issues. Poverty levels are high, particularly because so many families have been affected by the HIV+/AIDS pandemic; post-primary education levels are low; and these factors, combined with decades of civil conflict, have left the country with more than 2.4 million orphans.

Uganda's population is predominantly rural. Families need to subsist on their own small plots of land, with few income-producing jobs available in the small townships where the majority of the population farm and live. Access to academic or practical agriculture classes is minimal. Although local District Agriculture Officers have some awareness of sustainable agriculture concepts, and are very keen to know more, very little training is available to them and consequently they are unable to pass on knowledge to the community.

We are at a pivotal point in history. The developing world is disproportionately affected by climate change and food insecurity, and the great majority of Ugandans are struggling to meet the skyrocketing costs of food and non-food items. Therefore, the need for communities and individuals to achieve food, water and power sovereignty is increasingly more critical. Permaculture provides communities with vital skills and knowledge to provide for their needs in socially just and ecologically sustainable ways.

This two-week residential will be delivered to both local community members and international participants. The course fees paid by international participants will subsidise local participants, , directly contributing to the promotion of permaculture in East Africa and affording a cross-cultural experience for all concerned. (The course will be taught in both English and Luganda). The aim of the courses is to train trainers who will go on to be active in community development, so participating in these courses is about far more than getting PD certified! As local participants are prioritised, places for international guests will be limited. Book now to confirm your place in this unique learning experience.

The course is scheduled to run prior to the 9th International Permaculture Convergence (IPC9) being held in Malawi, South Africa and Zimbabwe in October 2009. Ugandan and East African graduates from the course will be eligible for scholarships to attend IPC9, so that they gain a broader and deeper knowledge of permaculture, establish an active East African permaculture movement, and build mentor relationships with members of the international permaculture community.