Refugee Camp Demonstration Site Design, Implementation, & Training | 2021-2023

CLIENT

Preemptive Love Coalition (Search for Common Ground as of 2024) INGO

CHALLENGE

Preemptive Love Coalition (PLC) sought to establish a Permaculture demonstration and education site within a UNHCR camp to address food security within the camp and region, while demonstrating resilient agricultural practices in a region heavily impacted by decades of industrial agriculture, climate change, and conflict. The long-term plan included local ownership and knowledge sharing as an outflow of education and locally replicable methods.

APPROACH

The Maramia team performed remote and on-site ecological assessment, engaged local stakeholders and camp residents for particapotry design of the 2 ha site, organized sub-contractors, managed implementation and maintenance for 2.5 years, managed handover to a secondary NGO, and led Participatory Learning and Action (PLA)  micro-methods courses and comprehensive ecological design certification courses on climate resilience, food security, water access, energy sources, and waste management. Trainer of Trainers (ToT) courses were integrated within the training of local staff for ownership and management of the site long-term. Alongside the local farm staff, a nursery and seed bank were established, and seed trials were performed on site.

OUTCOME

The farm ran for 2.5 years under PLC via the management of the Maramia Team, with trainings held for over 100 camp residents of all ages, and thousands of kilos of produce were distributed to food-insecure families within the camp and 11 Permaculture Design Certification recipients that later took on positions of leadership in local and regional ministries of agriculture. 

DELIVERABLE(S)

The client was provided a design, implementation plan, implementation, curriculum, over 15 training implementations, continued site maintenance, re-assessment for further resilience, and detailed impact, ecological, and social impact tracking.