Roberto Pérez Rivero (sponsored in full)
Cuba

Organisation I'm involved with: Antonio Núñez Jiménez Foundation for Nature and Humanity (FANJ), as Environmental Education and Biodiverisity Conservation Program manager

PC-work I am doing: Lecturing, teaching, designing School garden and greening projects, use PC as an effective tool for environmental education, writing articles, implementing cooperation projects and produce educational video materials.

Did my PDC where with whom?: 1996, Cuba, PDC sponsored and imparted by Australian Green Team and PGAN. Advanced courses with David Holmgren, Robyn Francis, Michel & Jude Fanton, Sky & Robin Clayfield, Linda Wodrow, Pamela Morgan and several others.

Attended an IPC already (where?): Yes, IPC8 in Brazil

Was supported from whom?: By IPC8 organizing committee, invited as keynote speaker and Convergence participant (Ali Shariff).

Why do I think it is important for me or for my association / community to go to Jordan this year?: Cuba is bidding to host an IPC since Brazil and has a strong proposal for the next one. Apart of being the national PC Cuban node, FANJ have been very active in PC converging processes in the LA region and applying PC approaches to important global issues as climate change, desertification, urban and sustainable Agriculture, peak oil and energy, biodiversity and sustainability in general. Due to lack of funding, we weren´t able to be in Africa and lost the possibility to bid and share our experiences there. Going to Jordan is essential for the bidding process.

See Roberto's vision for a Cuban IPC11.

Joseph Lentenyoi (sponsored in full)
Kenya

Organisation I'm involved with: Nyumbani Eco-village, Kitui District, Kenya and Permaculture Research Institute of Kenya.

PC work I am doing: I graduated from the Kenyan Institute of Organic Farming (KIOF) and from the Faculty of Agriculture of the Uganda Martyrs University. Currently I am managing a 1,000 acres farm using Permaculture design and principles in a reclaimed dry land. The farm provides food and income for almost 1,000 children affected/infected by HIV/AIDS and 100 grandmothers who are supporting the households. Nyumbani eco-village hosted the PDC course run by Warren Brush in December 2010 and two new PDC courses are coming up in 2011. I am the treasurer of the newly upcoming Permaculture Research Institute of Kenya (PRI-K) and I have been practising Permaculture
since 2007.

Did my PDC where and with whom?: with Geoff Lawton in Musoma, Tanzania (2007)

Attended an IPC already (where)?: Not yet, but looking forward to Jordan

Why do I think it is important for me or for my association / community to go to Jordan this year?:

• The Permaculture Research Institute of Kenya is making its first steps and we would benefit from networking with other organizations/Permaculturalists in and outside Africa. We are also looking forward to strengthening the connection with the Permaculture Research Institute of Australia and exchange expertise and materials and as in warren Brush advice for me to attend the IPC 10.
• We would like to organize a training of trainers in order to build a pool of local qualified Permaculturalists
• Share experiences and successful lessons learned from the Permaculture sites in Jordan
• Introduce PRI-K to the wider Permaculture Community.

Nicholas Mutuku Syano (sponsored in full)
Kenya

Organisation I'm involved with:

PC-work I am doing: Hosting annual permaculture trainings with Warren Brush. Running permaculture demonstration farm in the Village. Chairman of the upcoming permaculture Research Institute, Kenya (PRI, Kenya).

Did my PDC where with whom?: With Prof. Victor and Mai Phillips in the USA.

Attended an IPC already (where?): Not yet.

Why do I think it is important for me or for my association / community to go to Jordan this year:

• Together with others and under the guidance of Warren Brush, we are in the process of registering Permaculture Research Institute-Kenya (PRI-Kenya) and being the chairman of the group want to meet face to face, learn and network with the world known permaculturists.
• To provide abundant food and income to self-sustain an orphanage of 1000 orphans and 100 grandparents in 1000 acres in a dryland area using permaculture methods is a challenging goal. I therefore want to see during the field visits working examples and share with others success stories which could be duplicated in our situation.
• Warren-brush had hosted a PDC course at Nyumbani Village and he is mentoring us to be future PDC teachers and he highly recommended me to attend.

Maraji Muganda (sponsored in full)
Tanzania

Organization I'm involved with: Kili Kids is an orphanage located at Kindi village in Moshi Rural District at Kilimanjaro region. It is a new orphanage with orphans from the entire region.

PC-work I am doing: Designing gardens and planting trees at Kili Kids. I have also volunteered to teach the surrounding community about permaculture. Permaculture is a still a new concept here, so i devote my time to educate as well as work closely with some member of community in their garden and farms. I have also been sharing permaculture knowledge with my fellow staff members who are farmers. Though faced with lots of challenges I am determined to help the community which is affected by climate change and poverty to change and use alternatively sustainable means in farming and gardening and at the same time encourage them to focus on conserving the environment.

Did my PDC where with whom? I have attended a Permaculture Design Course (PDC) at Musoma District in Mara region, Tanzania, which was taught by Geoff Lawton.

Attended an IPC already (where)? No, I have never attended an IPC.

Why do i think it is important for me or for my association/community to go to Jordan this year?

1. LEARN: I would like to attend the IPC 10 in Jordan because i will have the opportunity to learn, seek advice and gain knowledge from Permaculture teachers, experts, practitioners, visionaries and activists from all over the world.
2. GAIN EXPOSURE: IPC 10 will expose me to different experiences challenges/ideas and new environment. The exposure will enable me on behalf of my organization and the community that i work with, to gain new experiences, information and opportunities from all over the world.
3. NETWORKING: IPC 10 will also enable me to build new network from permaculture personals from all over the world that among other things we will be able to share our relative experiences, challenges and how to overcome them, seek advice from time to time and interact when possible.

Austin Chilala (sponsored in full)
Zambia

Organisation I'm involved with: Kasisi Agricultural training Centre (as Senior Agricultural Extension Officer)

Background: Kasisi Agricultural Training Centre (KATC) is a farmer- training institution that was started in 1974. KATC’s focus is organic and sustainable agriculture. The KATC mission is to empower rural communities to improve their livelihood through research, training, extension, cooperative development and market linkages.

I have been working with KATC for 15 years in the extension department promoting organic and sustainable agriculture among small scale farmers and other rural development projects in Chongwe District of Zambia. I have vast experience in extension and community based development.

I have been trained in integrated land use design (ILUD) and Permaculture Design Course (PDC) in Zambia and Malawi respectively which after training I have participated in developing permaculture training materials for teachers and youth. Since then I have trained participants in permaculture for basic school teachers and youth in the district. KATC has a Permaculture trial plot Zone 3 of 6 permaculture zones which we use for practical training during our course.

Why do I think it is important for me or for my association / Community to go to Jordan this year?: Attending IPC10 will support my work in Zambia by increasing my knowledge and networks and I can share the valuable work being undertaken in Zambia around organic farming and permaculture.

Nalukwago Fatuma (sponsored in full)
Uganda

Organisation I'm involved with: ICOD Action Network

PC-work I am doing: Immediately after my training in March 2011, I embarked on training communities about permaculture. I have so far trained 80 people from three villages in Uganda and worked on bringing Warren Brush to Uganda who also facilitated trainings for 2 days.

Did my PDC where and with whom?: At Badilisha Eco Village Kenya by Warren Brush

Attended an IPC already (where?): Never attended before.

Why do I think it is important for me or for my association / community to go to Jordan this year?: I want to lean more about permaculture especially about water preservation and learn more on how to deal with rural communities because my area lies in a dry belt that is always hit by long dry spells. And still, my community has been severely affected by HIV/AIDS leaving many families without enough food. I believe that getting more knowledge and skill from the PDC will be of beneficial to my community since I will train them in permaculture which will increase on the food availability in my community

Narsanna Koppula (sponsored in full)
India

Organisation I'm involved with: Aranya Agricultural Alternatives

P C work I am doing: I am developing nutrition gardens in the back yards of identified Nutrition Poor Families and designed Gangama Mandala Model for growing vegetables at household level. I am developing Permaculture Demonstrations on NGO's, individual and farmer's lands. I have undertaken massive tree planting on denuded lands by introducing fruit bearing plants and leguminous plants as well about 50000 saplings, as part of climate change implementing Energy Plantations in a large scale with the help of local communities. I am making community level composting in the field level as to avoid transportation and labour by involving women and school children. I am doing forest based farming by protecting local species along annuals of cereals, pulses and oil seeds. Introducing diversified farming systems with the integration animals on small holdings of poor families for ecological balance and income generation. Promotion of agri- forest based livelihoods thereby the increase employment generation. Greening the wasted lands with pioneer and appropriate species in order to conserve the water and arrest soil erosion from barren lands of poor and marginal tribal, non tribal farmers and communities. Seed exchange program among communities where the culture of seed exchange is ruining through women groups and other individuals as well. Seed saving and preserving of indigenous varieties and races for sustainable production with the help of women farmers. Conducting PC trainings to NGO volunteers and farmers on PC practices for promotion of PC concept and food security periodically.

Did my PDC where, with whom?: Attended PDC in 1987 conducted by Bill mollison and Robyn Francis in India. P D C certificate obtained in 1990 India with Roby Francis Australia.

Attended an IPC already?: Attended IPC 6th at Perth Australia 1996 and IPC 8th in 2007 at Brazil Latin America.

Was supported by who?: IPC 6 supported by Christian Aid London and IPC 8 by PAL and Marget and Ali Sharif.

Budget for your attendance of IPC 10: Estimated budget say INR 45000 or US$2086

Why do I think it is important for me or for my association / Community to go to Jordan this year?: This is very important for me/us/association/organization because the changes that are happening with environment and weather is unpredictable on unimaginary levels. The changes that are taking place are very rapidly and the production systems are threatened. Particularly the tropical arid and semi-arid agriculture is in danger by seeing the recent incidents across the world. These vulnerable conditions are prevalent in the agriculture sector due to not only weather but also the policies of government which are making production systems that are very unsustainable.

In this situation there must be some solution with Permaculture to tackle in cooperative manner and develop some coping mechanism to mitigate.

It is very useful for me/us/organization to attend IPC Jordan because I am working in a semi-arid area and deforested area which requires a lot of lessons from a desert country like Jordan. Also, the participants are attending from different countries every country participant has their own experience which are shared and will be learned.

Especially Jordan is first country who is hosting IPC 10 to develop desert PC designs. Certainly, we can learn more and apply some of them in our project area as per the local conditions which will be useful to the community who are looking and waiting for some alternatives in climate changed scenario.

Jordan conference going to be unique one because it is going to direct some principles to all practioners of Permaculture. For me it is useful since I can meet many PC practionaers who are working in same king of work and environment can be exchanged idea and implemented them some extent. My attendance will me to upscale my vision and work in future and can work with spirit.alsoit act as energizer for next conference. Therefore, I hope it is important at this juncture of threats to keep high our confidence levels for future practice.

Ven Fr Eston Dickson Pembamoyo (sponsored in full)
Malawi

Organisation I'm involved with: Permaculture Network in Malawi (PNM)

PC-work I am doing: Administrative Secretary of PNM, International

Trainer of Trainers with certificate from Rosemary Morrow from Blue Mountain Permaculture Institute

I have been assisting many young people as the Youth Chaplain of the Anglican Diocese Southern Malawi in numerous Permaculture—Around Home Activities. I am a qualified Primary school teacher with five years teaching experience, a qualified social worker—with Diploma in Social Youth Work and 12 years of working with various communities, currently serving as an Archdeacon—a priest in charge of other priests in Mangochi. I am the current Administrative Secretary of the Permaculture Network in Malawi. I am one of the organizers and Master of Ceremonies for IPC9.

Did my PDC where with whom? In Malawi at Balaka with Permaculture Network Malawi

Why do I think it is important for me or for my association / community to go to Jordan this year?: The experience that I will get will benefit many Malawians through the PNM Newsletter of which I am one of the Editors and also because I am an Admin Secretary and one of the organisers of IPC9, the trip will help me actually pass over the IPC9 to IPC10 organisers.

Julious Piti (sponsored in full)
Zimbabwe

Organisation I'm involved in: PORET Zimbabwe is a new grassroots organisation with a target group of 200 families at the moment and the permaculture project will influence 20,000 families and beyond. The project has not received funding but small donations. It was registered as a Trust in 2006 with volunteer staff.

Permaculture work I am doing: I am doing volunteer work with the Global Resource Alliance in Tanzania, at a place called Kinesi in a small town called Musoma. Kinesi is a very densely populated rural area where the African lifestyle and firewood and other natural resources are a problem. Permaculture is in its early stage here, empowering the community towards sustainable livelihoods. We are planting 38,000 trees this season and we are also working on 4 hectares of intensive food production for the orphans. We implement by giving them demonstrations and lectures in permaculture. We are sponsoring an initial 30 families to establish family projects of their choice in the process of training. I will later leave Tanzania to go back to Zimbabwe where I m a board member of PORET Zimbabwe. Here we are going to build a permaculture centre and we have lots of challenges. This is why I should go to Jordan; I believe some of these challenges can be solved by sharing views, contacts and expertise.

I did my PDC with John Wilson who was Bil Mollison's direct student. I took my permaculture diploma after five years of practice with lots of community work demonstration and proper examination.

I attended the Brazil and Malawi IPCs. I do not know who supported me for Brazil but I think Ali Sharif had enormous contributions including my famous Permaculture teacher who came to ask me to attend IPC8 in Brazil. The IPC9 in Malawi I attended with the support of permaculture people from Austria, Switzerland and Germany.

Luxon Mudzimiri
Zimbabwe

Organisation I'm involved with: Green Talk Environmental Trust

PC-work I am doing: I'm currently a Permaculture facilitator, I have as well set a permaculture model site where schools, colleges and communities come to look and learn lessons.

Did my PDC where with whom?: I did an Integrated land use design course and the Training of Trainers Permaculture course with Schools, Colleges Permaculture Program, Zimbabwe

Why do I think it is important for me or for my association / community to go to Jordan this year: IPC 10 could be an eye opener for our organisation because Zimbabwe is seriously being affected by global warming and it is becoming more and more dry of which taking the desert water conservation projects trying and applying them in Zimbabwe can impact to real life changing water conservation models.

Patrick Leckie
South Africa

Organisation I'm involved with: Food & Trees For Africa (FTFA)

PC-work I am doing: As field manager at FTFA I assist trainers in their work to develop permaculture-based projects at schools and communities across the country. Last year we facilitated over 100 projects with varying levels of support. I am working, together with several partner organisations, on the development of an integrated permaculture model for schools combining sanitation, water, energy and food to create a sustainable school environment and to develop a model that is replicable at other schools. This includes grey and black water treatment, biogas digesters, curriculum integration, solid waste recycling and other aspects of permaculture and alternative energy. We are already seeing brilliant results at one school where this is being piloted.

Did my PDC where with whom?: In February 2006 in Brownsea Island in the south of England. Aranya and Hannah Thoroughgood were the teacher and assistant teacher.

Attended an IPC already (where?): Not yet.

Why do I think it is important for me or for my association / community to go to Jordan this year?: I would like to attend this event because I know that in many ways permaculture provides the solutions to today’s most pressing concerns of climate change, peak oil, widening gaps between rich and poor, rapid urbanisation and so on. I have attended several regional permaculture ‘get-togethers’ including the 2008 British Permaculture Convergence, but I have never had the opportunity to attend an IPC.

This IPC in Jordan is especially relevant to my interests. Water conservation is one of the focus areas that we work on in our permaculture and food garden projects in FTFA, due to the lack of access to clean and affordable water in South Africa. Indeed, my interest in water issues is highlighted by the second prize achieved at the 2011 ‘Moola For Amanzi’ Competition for sustainable water/sanitation business proposals. In that competition I proposed an integrated approach to holistic water/sanitation management and permaculture that would re-use grey water and urine in a permaculture garden as well as capture rain water. Indeed, we are already developing this concept at a flagship project in Sincobile School – see this website for more details.

I feel that I would be able to deepen my understanding of permaculture responses to water problems by attending the IPC and that this benefit many projects that we at FTFA are working on, where we help to develop Permaculture-based food gardens across South Africa. Jordan is a severely water stressed country and I feel the solutions being developed there would be able to be adapted and replicated in a sub-Saharan African context where water stress is also great. I would also hope to be able to contribute, even in a small way, some views about water saving in South Africa based on my experience.

Bornface Matimba
Zimbabwe

Organisation I'm involved with: Fambidzanai Permaculture Training Centre

PC work I am doing: I have been working for Fambidzanai Permaculture Training Centre as the Training Officer since 2002. My duties involve training farmers and extension field officers on permaculture related courses. The courses that I teach include: PDCs, Agro forestry, Small livestock management, nutrition gardening, conservation farming and more. I also do monitoring and evaluation of permaculture projects. I'm also involved in project planning and setting up project models for the communities that we work with.

PDC training: I did my PDC training here at Fambidzanai in 1998 and was trained by John Wilson and John Tunner, who are both founders of the Fambidzanai Permaculture Centre.

Why do I think it is important for me or for my association / Community to go to Jordan this year?: From my previous experience with IPC 9, I learnt a lot of things and there were a lot of insights. When I came back from the function, I used the information to solve project related problems using the information I got and I networked with a lot of people from all works of life who are continuing to pour information on permaculture for the benefit of my workmates and the communities that I serve.

Therefore I feel going to Jordan will bring positive results for the organisation and the communities that we help. Through training, information-sharing and getting latest information from permaculture researchers.

Kelvin Kennedy Elias Guta
Malawi, Central Africa

PC-work I am doing: Facilitating Permaculture site establishment (designing) & Permaculture Awareness course.

Did my PDC where and with whom?: At Thuchila Estate Lodge, Lilongwe, Malawi from 30th June to 11th July, 2009, coordinated by GTZ & WFP, Stacia Nordin and team facilitated the training.

Attended an IPC already (where)?: Yes, IPC9 at Kumbali Lodge, Lilongwe the capital city of Malawi in 2009.

Was supported by: GTZ through Permaculture Network in Malawi, coordinated by Stacia Nordin (GTZ Quick win school Feeding Programme Advisor to Ministry of Education, Science & Technology(MoEST).

With how much money?: N/A, Information can be obtained from Stacia Nordin who coordinated my involvement.

Why do I think it is important for me to go to Jordan this year?: This trip will be an opportunity to widen my knowledge and skills as I will interact with permaculture experts all over the world, and Jordan being a half desert region, facing many environmental challenges ie Climate change, I will be able to develop a creative skill to enable me operate and assist communities, either in urban, semi urban or rural areas all over the world in reducing challenges of climate change, global food governance and the use of natural habitat's relationships to rebuild the lost diverse environment.

Ardhendu S. Chatterjee
Chandannagar, near Kolkata, India

Background: I was trained by Ms Rosemary Morrow (Australia) and Mr Chris Evans (UK) in Auroville, South India in the early 90s, and have worked in South East Asian countries promoting Eco Farming.

I want to attend IPC 10, but cannot afford the travel and participation costs. I can present my work in India, especially among home gardeners and small peasants both in dry and wet (monsoon flood-prone) areas. I also train farmers as trainers through a non profit association.

I am confident that for the purpose of selection, if i am selected, that you will approve of my candidature.

The reason for attending IPC is to meet face to face with many trainers working to promote permaculture in different parts of the world and learn from them, share with them, and seek support for our work. India, to the world, is making lots of progress, but the beneficiaries are limited, and there are many people, most of them rural, who are still malnourished, hungry and deprived of basic services. I work with these poor and empower them, and my PDC course has already helped me a lot.

Thank You
Ardhendu Sekhar Chatterjee

Eston Mgala
Malawi, Africa

Background: I have a teaching background in private schools. Community development is my passion. I have been involved with community development programs run by our government and international and local NGOs. I started thinking about sustainability when I was in secondary school. After resigning from teaching I have worked on a number of programs with community-based organizations, youth organizations, women groups, local NGOs, schools, and international volunteers.

After being introduced to permaculture I saw that real sustainable community development is possible through permaculture.

I am a PDC holder and was trained in Introduction to Permaculture and Permaculture Design by Kristof Nordin. I attended another PDC and Training of Trainers with Rosemary Morrow. I have also assisted in facilitating a PDC with Kristof and Alex Kruger as well as other courses at the centre. I was the first staff to move to Nature's Gift Permaculture Centre. After the Introduction to Permaculture course I began implementation at the centre. That was what people saw at IPC9 at the centre. I was one of the organizing members for IPC9, which was held where I stay now. I helped in different capacities.

IPC9 brought inspiration and motivation to us and the centre was officially established as Nature’s Gift Permaculture Centre in December 2009. I am now living and working there with my family.

Reasons for Attending:

• I want to present a history from IPC9 and results in Malawi as a country.
• I want, if I can, to arrive early as a part of the organizing committee and help set up for IPC10 and share some ideas on what we did here.
• I want to take permaculture to schools, colleges, non-governmental organizations, government ministries, and involve policy and decision makers.
• I want to learn from other permaculturalists who have done this in their countries how to involve the above stakeholders.
• This also will be my first exposure outside my country. Permaculture is my lifetime career so I want to learn from others and share ideas in my country. I am planning to present permaculture to members of parliament in 2013.

References:

Please visit www.naturesgiftpermaculture.org or email hope@naturesgiftpermaculture.org to learn more about my work.

Other contacts include:

• Rosemary Morrow: rowemorrow@gmail.com.au
• Kristof Nordin: nordin@eomw.net
• IPC9 organizer Mugove Walter Nyika: zipscope@yahoo.co.uk or www.rescopeprogramme.org

Kudzo Agbeve
Ghana

Organisation I'm involved with: Forces of Light & Non-violent Communication

PC-work I am doing: We are initiating permaculture demonstration sites for our basic schools and rural illiterate farmers with a very great difficulty in finance.

Did my PDC where with whom?: Yet to be taken, in Jordan.

Attended an IPC already (where?): No

Why do I think it is important for me or for my association / community to go to Jordan this year?: To take and deepen of PDC so as to become a Trainer-of-Trainees and
train people change their negative ways of farming to a sustainable one and also to crusade against the use of agrochemicals which is very prevalent among the farming communities. To do this, the one who leads must be certified in this field so as to put confidence into those that are led. Hence my desire to attend this conference and also to make new friends who are already on the ground in this field to assist us in our work.

Admire Gwatidzo
Zimbabwe

Organisation I'm involved with: Kufunda Learning Village, Zimbabwe

PC-work I am doing: Permaculture garden at Kufunda and conducting trainings in community villages in five areas of Zimbabwe.

I did my PDC in South Africa with Dell Willard.

I attended the IPC in Malawi. Chris Rici supported me to do so, providing accommodation, transport, and funds for the Training for Trainers Course, Conference and Convergence.

I want to go to IPC10 in Jordan to share the story of permaculture at Kufunda - how we turned a barren and sandy piece of land into a rich and productive land for growing vegetables.

Aaron Kalala Karumba
DR Congo

Organisation I'm involved with: Association Paysanne pour l’Autosuffisance Alimentaire, APAA Congo

PC-work I am doing: We are working in DRC, especially in Uvira (western region of DRC) where armies have made the life of the populace very bad. People have been forced to leave their homes and are suffering drought and hunger. People are fleeing conflict areas. We are implementing pilot and demonstrative fields in Kamongola village as a Permaculture Principles Demonstration Field (PPDF) where we produce and multiply seeds to distribute to very poor, and where we host students and youth to learn about permaculture. Farmers also are coming to visit our work and they like to practice PC. We are producing legumes for local markets in Kalundu as the way to reduce malnutrition.

Did my PDC where with whom?: I did my PDC in Musoma, Tanzania on October 2007 with Geoff Lawton.

Attended an IPC already (where?): I participated in IPC9 in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Was supported by whom?: Permaculture International, London (High Suzi), with US$1200.

Why do I think it is important for me or for my association/community to go to Jordan this year?: I think that after IPC 10 I will be able to inform my community about what we learnt and it will be the occasion to be in contact with other organizations or persons who we can share experience, help to have sponsors and to build my capacity on food security and environment.

How much will I need to attend IPC10, and what for?: US$2800, for Transportation (ticket), Accommodation and Hotel fees.

Patterson Majonanga
Malawi

Organisation I'm involved with: Mangochi Orphans Education and Training

PC-work I am doing: Intergrated land use design and establishment of school gardens with MOET children multipurpose tree programme and kitchen gardens in 5 villages with guardians.

Did my PDC where and with whom?: At MOET in Malawi by Justice Betha and June Walker (Malawians).

Attended an IPC already (where?): Yes IPC8 Brazil

Was supported from whom?: The British Permaculture Association supported me with $1,142 for transport.

Why do I think it is important for me or for my association/community to go to Jordan this year?: To learn more about water management (Malawi has abundant water but do not have enough food for all throughout the year), to share our success story in permaculture, to acquire more techniques through meeting people from all over the world and be able to diffuse the concept of permaculture to different environmental institutions where MOET is a member, thereby reaching a wide range of professional Malawians, to take the permaculture concept further to villages, schools and colleges in Malawi. I want to share with others at IPC 10 how MOET as a centre established by local Malawians can grow and benefit more Malawians through the practice of permaculture.

How much will I need to attend IPC10, and what for?: Transport=$1293, conference =$286, convergence= $440, and tours=$260 total=$2279.

Peter Murage
Kenya

I am a trained agriculturist from Kenya and I have been working with rural based small-scale farmers for many years. I have worked for the Ministry of Agriculture in the Republic of Kenya as a Field Extension Officer, for 12 years. I resigned from government services to bring a different approach to agricultural smallholders in Kenya through sustainability.

I trained in Permaculture at Ragmans Lane Farm of Matt Dunwell in Herefordshire, near the Forest of Dean, where I studied a course in Sustainable Land use with Patrick Whitefield. I returned to Kenya and established Mount Kenya Organic Farming (MOOF. AFRICA) as a local NGO as a training center for permaculture and organic agriculture.

I used MOOF Permaculture project towards my Permaculture Design Diploma, which I presented to the Permaculture Academy of Great Britain after two (2) years and I was awarded a Permaculture Diploma Certificate in Year 2001.

Achievements /involvements:

1. Permaculture trainer – small scale farmers, school pupils, college students, community based organisation members, women groups, self- help groups. I was also a permaculture trainer to United States of America Peace corps volunteers and officials from the Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture
2. Represented Kenya in IPC8 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, with a presentation and I was among other Africans who lobbied hard to have IPC9 in Africa
3. Participated in IPC9 in Malawi
4. Currently writing a permaculture handbook on Africa and Kenyan perspectives
5. I also participate in IPC support group forums online
6. Founder of MOOF Permacultue Centre.

Reasons for Participating in IPC10:

1. To compare water harvesting strategies in Jordan with our methods in Kenya in View of gaining more knowledge to come back and use and Teach in Kenya
2. To meet and exchange water harvesting ideas with other participants from other countries
3. To help contribute in permaculture discussion towards criteria for future IPC venues
4. To publicize MOOF Permaculture Center to participants, face to face and presentations since we do not have a website. To let the International community understand what MOOF Permaculture is up to.
5. To seek answers on how permaculture can feed and address poverty in communities with semi and arid lands
6. To share experiences on permaculture development and networking in Kenya
7. To learn how permaculture can be used as an adaptation strategy to climate change.

Edwin Mazhawidza
Zimbabwe

Organisation I'm involved with: Organic Network Forum

PC-work I am doing: My current work involves working with five hundred and twenty farmers in the Manicaland province of Zimbabwe with a local Organization called Organic Network Forum on a project of eliminating Persistent Organic Pollutants through permaculture and organic farming. The project embraces holistic production management systems, which enhances agro-ecosystem committed and focused on maximizing environmental services, establishing sustainable livelihoods, reduce costs of external inputs and strengthening agricultural diversity. This will provides the opportunity to effective way of reversing the current dramatic desertification process and adaptation to climate change. The project is integrating a number of enterprise such organic gardening and dry land farming with apiculture, aquaculture and small livestock development. The project also focuses on organic certification of farmers and market access of their organic products. My chance to attend IPC10 in Jordan will go a long way in sharpening my permaculture skills and gaining new information, which could add value to many projects and benefit farmers.

Did my PDC where with whom?: I did my Permaculture Design Course in March 2009 at Fambidzanai Permaculture Centre, Harare, Zimbabwe and it was facilitated by Kudzanai Lewis Mashingaidze and Boniface Matimba. The course duration was 72 hours.

Why do I think it is important for me or for my association / community to go to Jordan this year? My attending IPC9 in Malawi was an eye opener both to myself and the community I am working with. IPC9 was a platform for information and skills sharing. I gained valuable information and experiences which I shared with the communities I am working with for the betterment of their livelihoods and environment. Hence my attending IPC10 will be important for information and experiences sharing and will benefit our beneficiaries back home. The theme for IPC10 is really inspirational. We also in the same predicament of water shortages and attending the convergence would see me acquiring some innovative ways of combating the problem.

William Nathan Mwaisumo
Tanzania

Organisation I'm involved with: Mtipe Agricultural Secondary School

Background: I was trained as an Agricultural Extensionist and a Teacher for secondary schools and later trained as an Adult Educator and Community Development practitioner. I became interested with organic farming and Permaculture in late 1990s when I worked with the Environmental Conservation Society (ECSO), a local NGO. Apart from being a secondary school teacher, I am involved in doing community development programs as a volunteer and currently I am working with the Anglican Church Development Department-Sumbawanga (as a Program Monitoring and Evaluation Officer), Family Health International-Sumbawanga (as a Community Health Facilitator).

PC work I am doing: Establishment of an agro-forestry tree programme in 2003 at Mtipe secondary school, with the development department we are running an organic vegetable garden planted with tomatoes, lettuce, and French bean. Other horticultural crops of medicinal value are planted; these include garlic, blacknight shade, and aloe vera. Also the department has 12acres of maize farm. Both, a garden and a maize farm were established intentionally to provide nutritional food for people living with HIV/AIDS and for orphaned children under five years old.

Did my PDC where with whom?: Due to financial difficulties I faced, I did not afford to attend any PDC training yet.

Attended an IPC already (where?):: Never attended before.

Why do I think it is important for me or for my association / community to go to Jordan this year: Since there is no person in Sumbawanga who holds a PDC, It is very important for me to attend IPC10-PDC in Jordan as the event will help me to build Permaculture enthusiasms among Tanzanians who are residing in Sumbawanga. Also the IPC10 will provide a room for me to be trained as Permaculturist and the gained knowledge be used to serve the Tanzanian community particularly in schools as an entry point to the community. Any financial support will be appreciated and I will be able to work voluntarily with any supporter for the training in the field of permaculture.

Dismas Weminah Marango
Kenya

Organisation I'm involved with: SMART Initiative (Sustainable Mobilization of Agricultural Resource Technologies)

PC work I am doing: We are training/empowering community youth groups and schools agricultural clubs to design systems for creating sustainable human environment and redesigning their land to to demonstrate sustainable land management.We are doing these through appropriate and sustainable farming methodologies.

Did my PDC where and with whom?: The PDC was held in Kulika,Lutusi, Uganda (27Sep to 2 Oct 2009) and again in St. Judes Family Project (3 to 9 Oct 2009) in Masaka, Uganda. The workshop participants came from Kenya-5, Uganda-7 and Ethiopia 1. Participants were either field or program officer in charge of schools in their organisation.It was facilitated by Walter Mugove, RESCOPE Coordinator-Malawi, Tichafa Mugovere, senior permaculture consultant -Ethiopia, Judith Nakayiza of Kulika, Uganda and Josephine of St Judes Family Project.

Attended an IPC already (where)?: Not yet.

How much money will you need to attend IPC10?: 2,000 British Pounds

Why do I think it is important for me or for my association / community to go to Jordan this year?: Giving/seeking out knowledge, skills and experience with other permaculturist from all over the world. Gaining the essence of permaculture. To gain skills and knowledge on facilitation and consultancy. To be IPC10 Workshop participants. To make friends, collaboration and partnership.

Bubacarr Njie
The Gambia

Organisation I'm involved with: National agricultural research institute (NARI)

PC-work I am doing: I am working with afro forestry program of NARI, to help interested young people in our intervention villages to establish permanent home farms on their own land in their villages, to provide permanent access to plentiful, nutritious food to the people of the village.
To support other artisans and tradesmen within the village. To give more prestige to traditional skills and practices, portraying them as valuable assets within a sustainable community. To train young people in skills needed for a self-reliant lifestyle.

Did my PDC where with whom?: I have never taken a PDC. I was only introduced to Bill Mollison's book and we are using his principles.

Attended an IPC already (where?): No

Why do I think it is important for me or for my association / community to go to Jordan this year?: To learn more about permaculture and try to engage the young men who wish to live and work in their home village and would like to run their own home farm or business that will stop them from travelling by boat (illegal migration). There are lots of potentials in the Gambia as the land is fertile enough and we will encourage the young men and women to go in for organic farming as organic farming is very well popular now especially in our hotel industry. We will market our produce to NGOs as well as hoteliers. The idea gained from the conference will help me to implement this more effectively.