Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) Courses
Learn the concepts of sustainable living and improved self-reliance through foodwatershelter’s Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) courses. Courses are hosted throughout the year in English and Kiswahili.
While gaining this internationally recognised certification, you will have the opportunity to visit projects and other NGOs in the Arusha area, gain hands-on experience designing and working on the farms of Kesho Leo, and meet a diverse group of the international community; from farmers to NGO workers, teachers to lodge managers.
Permaculture is a design system to improve sustainability and self-reliance. It incorporates solutions for agricultural production, self-reliance, income generation and environmental protection. You will gain valuable knowledge and skills to apply to your own livelihood, and share with your community or through your organisation. Ecological principles are used to integrate food and energy production, structures, and community. Its aim is the creation of sustainable human settlements that are harmoniously woven into the environment and that have the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems.
Principles of Permaculture underpin the Kesho Leo systems that are working to not only meet the food, water, shelter and energy needs of the Kesho Leo residents, but also to provide community educational opportunities and create income. Through our PDCs you’ll learn hands-on from our livestock, organic vegetable gardens and aquaculture ponds, food forests and poultry systems, compost toilets and rainwater systems; all while supporting the promotion of self reliance within Africa.
Learn from the experts. Our PDCs are led by International and East African experts:
Steve Whitman is a professional planner and educator focussed largely on community planning and sustainability issues. As a university lecturer and a certified Permaculture teacher, Steve has taught permaculture in the USA, Australia, Costa Rica, Haiti, Iceland, India, Tanzania, Scotland, and Sweden.
The Kenyan Permaculture Research Institute (PRI) lead our Kiswahili PDCs through native Kiswahli speakers Joseph Ntunyoi and Nicholas Syano. Having grown up in Kenya, Joseph and Nic are the Sustainability Director and Program Manager of Nyumbani Village; a bio-friendly and self-sustaining community serving orphans and elders affected by HIV/AIDS in Kenya.
Steve and the Kenyan PRI team are joined by a local team of presenters that includes representatives from one of Tanzania’s foremost agricultural institutes, staff of local NGOs and businesses, and foodwatershelter’s own staff and farm workers.
Our PDCs are as equally useful for homeowners, design professionals and development workers as it is for farmers and gardeners. It is relevant whether you are based in the city, or working the fields. Throughout the course each student will be working on a design project for their own property.
Topics covered through our PDCs include:
· Sustainable farming and household gardening for self-reliance and excess
· Soil management using composting, swale design and other simple techniques
· Surface water management and rainwater harvesting
· Aquaculture, livestock and poultry care
· Natural forest regeneration and biodiverse food forests
· Income generation solutions like mushroom and honey production
· Sanitation solutions such as compost toilets and biodigesters
· Permaculture ethics and principles of site design and integrated systems
· Village design, natural building and appropriate technologies including rocket stoves
For further information and with any questions, contact pdc@foodwatershelter.org.au, or see the information for our upcoming Kiswahili and English PDCs. To pay for your place at the course by PayPal or credit card, please Proceed to checkout >.
For Sponsors
In addition to the provision of educational opportunities, PDCs are organised by fws as part of long-term income generation goals. Opportunities exist for course sponsorship to assist student attendance and support ongoing Kesho Leo projects.
To make a tax-free donation for a scholarship to support East African based students please make a general donation and enter "PDC course" in the "donation in the name of" box.