“Whereas most aid projects try to relieve poverty by helping people to make a cash income, this project’s primary focus is to help people to produce food for their own households.”
The Chikukwa project was initiated in 1991 when the spring which had served about 50 households in Chitekete village for their water supply dried up. This was the culmination of a growing crisis, caused by clearing of the original forest vegetation, combined with over grazing and cropping. Six neighbours tried digging for water. But with further rains, the spring silted up again. So they organized a one week permaculture design workshop. They invited five householders from each village, traditional leaders and representatives of youth and went on to set up a “permaculture club”.
With their newfound skills, the club began collecting seeds, establishing legume trees, orchards and vegetable plots, starting nurseries for fruit trees. Getting the help of other community members, they initiated working parties to fence off the springs and plant indigenous species, to plant woodlots and fence them, to put in contour bunds and swales.
Their successes led to the formation of similar permaculture clubs in all the six villages.
Much more in the pdf below, and at thechikukwaproject.com
chikukwa project (pdf)
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