John Nzira's work in Soweto, Johannesburg

The small beginnings of permaculture in Zambia are likely to be in schools.   There are perhaps three people who have done PDCs - one with Bill in Zimbabwe years ago and the others in the region.

They are highly motivated and so it is with the Kasisi Organic Agricultural Training Centre who decided to develop permaculture on one field, and then did a short 5-day Intro course with teachers that it is likely to take off.

Mr Tambo from community school in the grounds he wants to permaculture

So what sort of schools?   The photos show one school, which until recently was an "outdoor" classroom under a tree until the parents and teachers built a community school which is now to be taken over and become a "Basic" School for years 1 to 9.   The teachers and community are very proud of this new building and the head teacher of four who work there, could not contain his excitement at the thought of permaculture for his school and grounds.   He had prepared a Site Analysis in particular detail.

Present School garden

Then we saw his school "Garden".   It looked healthy and well cared for.   The problem is that it sits on a slight bare rise and the  predominant easterly winds blow a hot dry steady stream of 35-40C airstream over the vegetables.   

We went into the classroom and he showed us how he wanted to develop his grounds.   The transformation will be immense but he also wants to use the school to turn around environmental degradation and food shortages in his village from the school grounds.

Teachers present in the classroom

And this will be the power of the permaculture school gardens in Zambia - to provide training for farmers and villagers and so the teacher, Mr Tambo, has asked to build a community centre and library with web facilities so he can extend learning outwards.  We hope this teacher will come to IPC9 with some of the KOATC staff who are investigating retrofitting their village into a permaculture village and learning centre.

Another exciting development was the building of a store to keep organic produce so farmers can maintain continuous and bulk supplies to the market and it is associated with an email and web centre - in a place where there is not even any electricity.   At present only 15 people a day use it but I was able to download my emails and talk to you from there yesterday.  It needs permaculture but what an initiative.

..... love from the backpacking permaculturist - because I walk and carry a backpack most place.

Ro Morrow