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.

Accreditation

The Permaculture Design Certificate course is an internationally recognized, seventy-two hour course. This course provides an introduction to permaculture design and is accredited by the Blue Mountains Permaculture Institute. Successful completion of the course entitles students to graduate with a Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC). The PDC qualification serves as foundation for further permaculture work and study and is a prerequisite for the Diploma in Permaculture Design, offered through The Permaculture Institute.

Course Curriculum

The Permaculture Design Certificate course covers a broad range of subjects to provide a comprehensive overview of permaculture approaches, from basic principles to applied design.

Topics include:

1. Ethics/principles
2. Climates
3. Water
4. Soils
5. Plants
6. Earthworks
7. Windbreaks
8. Aquaculture
9. Patterns in Nature
10. Zones
11. Integrated Pest Management
12. Design for Disaster
13. Village and Community Design

Demonstrations, hands-on activities and site visits

The course has a strong practical work component and will include activities such as plant propagation, seed saving, soil structure and pH analysis, composting, pelleting, contour marking, swale construction, compost toilet construction. Participants will also get to visit local sites utilising permaculture principles including St Jude’s Organic Training Centre in Masaka.

Resources

• A nightly program of permaculture films will be screened throughout the course. A copy of Rosemary’s publication ‘The Earth User’s Guide to Permaculture’ will be distributed to international participants at the beginning of the course.
  
• Comprehensive hand-outs (in Buganda and English) will be distributed throughout.
  
• A DVD (in Buganda and English) outlining key concepts from the PDC will be produced at the course and remain as a permanent resource for local communities.
  
• Technology for participatory community video (PCV) workshops will be available for course attendees to create short videos demonstrating skills and techniques for their local communities
  

Who is this course for?

Permaculture principles can be applied at any scale to any site (rural or urban) in any climate. Since its inception in the 1970’s, thousands of people from every continent, with every level of education and working in every profession, have graduated from the course creating a dynamic worldwide network of permaculture practitioners, educators, and activists. As permaculture seeks to create links between disciplines, everyone can benefit from undertaking the PDC, from accountants to artists, teachers to tradespeople. The main criteria for participation is a passion to use permaculture’s core ethics and practices to create a more sustainable world, and applying this knowledge to one’s community whether it be urban, suburban, regional or rural. There are no prior qualifications required to take the course, although reading some of the major texts is recommended.

On this course, attendees will be a mix of paying participants from developed countries wishing to become accredited and gain experience interning on a tropical demonstration site and Ugandan participants subsidized by the fully-paying participants.

Permaculture Design Course Graduates

Upon satisfactory completion of this course a Certificate of Permaculture Design is issued. Graduates are then eligible to use Permaculture in the promotion of designs, teaching and landscaping and to attend the IPC9 convergence.

Opportunities for post-course permaculture experience

There are also opportunities for participants to stay on-site at the completion of the course and work on the implementation of a whole-site permaculture design at Sabina Boarding Primary School with the school and local community under the guidance of permaculture-accredited Project Managers. Volunteers pay US$100/month to cover accommodation and basic food at Sabina. Other voluntary permaculture internships in the East African region can be arranged by emailing ugandapermaculture@gmail.com prior to the course with an indication of dates and areas of interest.

Course Instructors

Rosemary Morrow

Rosemary Morrow, author of 'The Earth User's Guide to Permaculture' is a world-renowned permaculture teacher, practitioner, activist and writer. She has worked overseas teaching permaculture in many countries including Vietnam and Africa. In 2008 Rowe (as Rosemary prefers to be known) and Dan Palmer (New Zealander permaculture teacher) spent a number of months introducing permaculture and teaching two Permaculture Design Courses in the remote Konso region of Southern Ethiopia. They then travelled to Uganda where, through the support of Children of Uganda, they taught introductory permaculture workshops attended by Sabina Home staff as well District Agriculture and Veterinary officials. The response was overwhelming. One District Agricultural Officer pleaded to keep Rowe and her knowledge in the country indefinitely. Rowe is returning to Africa in 2009 to run the full Permaculture Design Certificate Course in Uganda, to continue recording local knowledge with the community in Konso, Ethiopia, and to be a part of IPC9 in Southern Africa. To learn more about Rowe’s approaches to teaching permaculture in the developing world, read this ABC interview

Guest Teachers

A number of local and overseas permaculture teachers (including Dan Palmer, Amanda Cuyler, Kim Glasgow, and Eve Archbold) will also assist in facilitating the course.

Schedule

The 72 hour residential course will be held over 16 full days in early 2010. Any Sundays will be days off to give everyone time to enjoy an African day of rest!

About the site

Kiwanga Children’s Home (Mukono District) and Sabina Boarding Primary School, (Rakai District) are both sites funded by a U.S. based charity, Children of Uganda (COU). COU works on the ground with local non-governmental organizations and community groups to address the needs of Uganda’s most vulnerable population. For more information on the organisation’s programs, please go to their website .

Kiwanga Children’s Home, Mukono District

Kiwanga Home is currently home to a small number of young people undertaking vocational training and employment in Kampala. Originally home to many more vulnerable and orphaned children, lack of funding has meant that the site now has fewer residents. Children of Uganda also supports 10 people with disabilities at the Philip's House facility on the grounds of Kiwanga.

Sabina Boarding Primary School, Rakai District

Sabina Home and Boarding School has a population of approximately 300 staff, teachers, and primary (elementary) student from very vulnerable homes within the community, many of whom are orphans. COU sponsors a further 300 children who have graduated from Sabina Primary School at secondary academic-vocational boarding schools close by. These secondary school students return to Sabina Home for part of their school holidays for life-skills training.

Sabina Home and Boarding School is one of three sites owned by Daughters of Charity (DOC) a registered Ugandan Community-Based Organization. DOC was founded in the 1970's by a Ugandan woman, Sister Rose Muyinza, who started taking in children orphaned and separated from their families during civil wars. COU has financially supported and administered the Home under a formal Memorandum of Understanding for more than ten years.

Accommodation

Kiwanga Children’s Home, Mukono District

Accommodation is very simple but clean and secure in the home’s shared rooms and dormitories. Ablutions are very basic with hot bucket water available for bathing at designated times and composting toilets/pit latrines. Power and tap water is accessible here.
Kiwanga is located on the outskirts of the capital and there will be opportunities for participants to explore the city using local minibus taxis (an experience in itself) accessible to the home. There are also small night markets in the nearby vicinity.

Sabina Boarding Primary School, Rakai District

Part of the course will be delivered at Sabina Boarding Primary School, where as a rural site, facilities are much more limited. Water is pumped from the school pump-house and boiled for consumption, and power is generated through a solar system. Confirmed accommodation at the site (or nearby) will be advised shortly.

Meals

Three daily meals are included in the cost for the duration of the course, however participants will need to cover any meals outside the course period and any snacks. (Street vendors close to both sites whip up tasty Ugandan snacks that are definitely worth trying for a nominal cost). Participants with specific dietary needs will need to notify the course organisers prior to course commencement and may need to bring any additional food items that they require.
Meals will be cooked onsite and will be predominantly local fare sourced from the onsite gardens and markets. You’ll have the opportunity to learn how to cook and savour the nation’s staples – matoke (cooked plantain bananas), posho (cooked maize meal), bijanjalo (beans) and g-nut sauce (peanut sauce). Participants will be required to assist with cooking during the course on a rostered basis.

What to bring

• Travel/evacuation and health insurance are mandatory
  
• Torch/ headlamp
  
• Cool weather gear (it can get relatively chilly in the evenings and the bi-annual rainy season is now erratic and may visit during part of the course.)
  
• Comfortable clothing in which you’ll be able to undertake practical garden-based activities (women are encouraged to bring sleeved shirts and below-knee trousers/skirts so as not to be disrespectful to the local culture)
  
• Sun Hat, sunscreen and sunglasses
  
• Good walking or working shoes
  
• Ample supply of any needed medications and a personal first aid kit
  
• Sandals
  
• Personal toiletries (please no harsh chemicals and detergents!)
  
• Camera
  
• Any additional design materials you may wish to use on the course (paints, sketchbook, pens)