People’s Coast Ecovillage Network

The People’s Coast Ecovillage network provides a new initiative to promote a totally new form of development of the coastal zone from Kafountine (Senegal) to Kachumeh (Gambia) which will put communities at the heart of the development process. It seeks to reverse the current ecological challenges of the zone, create new social and economic opportunities for the coastal peoples, create long term wealth and employment, and foster regional co-operation. It has the added advantage of making Gambia a world leader in implementing SDG commitments

Between 2014 and 2015 fifty-five representatives from nine coastal villages completed Ecovillage and Permaculture Design Education courses. An important outcome of the latest course is that the alumni unanimously  agreed to form themselves into the People’s Coast Ecovillage Network (PECEN).

Since then, an excellent start has been made to introduce ecovillage principles and practices into the eleven villages.  However, the villages are of varying size – ranging from 1,500 to 14,000 people.  Effecting change is a slow business, especially where resources are thinly spread.  In order to achieve the successful implementation of ecovillage status and its more widespread adoption the project intends to do the following :

• Sensitise and train a critical mass of “ecovillage champions” that includes the Alkalos, Village Development Committee (VDC) members, local councillors and other decision making village citizens so that they understand and embrace eco-village principles and practices..
• Sensitise and train partner NGO and private sector organisations in order to obtain their assistance in the transformation of villages into ecovillages.
• Engage with Government Departments and their Ministers in order to address the policy requirements that enable ecovillages to be formed and to flourish.