Permaculture education tours are a fabulous way to show what is possible and help people to imagine other ways of doing things – to help create alternate narratives – new stories – that can shape our future towards a more regenerative* way of being. Seeing how others are applying permaculture into their lives is inspiring. Opening your own garden and sharing your own experience is a valuable gift.

The famous Ubuntu Choir from Africa visits our permaculture garden

On Saturday we were so absolutely delighted to welcome the amazing young people from the Ubuntu Choir from Uganda to our home and garden for a permaculture tour. This was a group of young people aged 18-20 who had been part of the extraordinary African Children’s Choir since they were 7 or 8 years old. Their involvement in the choir has given them a chance to receive an education and travel the world. The’s singers have sung for the Queen, American Presidents and celebrities like Bono, Annie Lennox, Bob Geldof – and here they are singing in our permaculture garden. They return home tomorrow after 3 months touring in Australia.

Permaculture tour

Evan and the kids showed them through our permaculture garden and home  – the permaculture tour including our toilet and water systems we’ve created here, as well as a walk through the permaculture village.  Our 12 yo daughter introduced them to our animal systems too.  There was so much interest in our composting toilet systems and the zone 1 permaculture gardens surrounding our house. These things, they said, would be so great to apply back in their own homes.

As thanks for the tour, they shared a gorgeous song in our garden that is so beautiful – it lifts my soul each time I hear it – what a gift!

Support the children

Please support the Ubuntu Choir. Check out their website and see what great work they do in supporting Ugandan children and youth. You can sponsor a child for USD50/month to receive an education and be involved in this life-changing program. 100% of funds go to the children.

We went today to listen the their last Australian performance in Maleny on Sunday and hope we may meet them again in Uganda sometime soon.

The Permaculture Education Institute offers support for local permaculture initiatives in Africa

The Permaculture Education Institute offers scholarships to women and young people in countries such as Uganda. Every time someone purchases a Permaculture Education Institute course we donate a sponsored place to someone who has no other means of doing a permaculture design certificate and permaculture teacher certificate. I am also planning to travel with my family to Uganda and Kenya to work with local permaculture teachers and local women’s self-help groups.

*  For many years we’ve talked about sustainability and sustainable development, however our understanding has grown and it’s evident now that it’s not enough to just think about being sustainable. We cannot simply sustain what we have now because so much damage has been done. What we need are regenerative systems – systems that restore environments, habitats, soils, food systems, water systems, social systems, languages, cultural practices …