Chikwa Eco Village Center

Global Ecovillage Network logo with Earth and eco-friendly design.
  • Communities

About the Communities

  • Forming
  • English
  • Ecological
  • Rural

Founding year

  • 2015

What we do

Our community, the Chikwa Ecovillage, is rooted in the heart of Chikwawa District, Malawi-a region once marked by severe environmental degradation, food insecurity, and poverty. Our origin story began in the early 2015 when Sustainable Rural Community Development Organisation bought a degraded farm owned by a chalcoal seller in Douglas Village in the Area of Traditional Authority Kasisi. Faced with barren soil, deforestation, and unreliable harvests, the Center embraced permaculture principles to restore the environment, improve food production, and build resilience against climate challenges.
Our guiding principles are grounded in sustainability, self-reliance, and community empowerment. We believe in working with nature rather than against it, using holistic farming methods that regenerate the soil, conserve water, and promote biodiversity. Equally important is our commitment to social cohesion-ensuring that education, health, gender equality, and conflict resolution are integral parts of our development journey. We foster inclusivity, valuing the voices and contributions of all community members, especially women and youth.
Our purpose is clear: to create a thriving, self-sufficient community where environmental health and human well-being go hand in hand. Through reforestation, sustainable agriculture, and community-led initiatives, we aim to break the cycle of poverty and food insecurity that has long affected our region.
Together, we aspire to be a model of sustainable rural development-not only improving our own lives but inspiring other communities across Malawi and beyond. We envision a future where our village is a beacon of hope, demonstrating that with determination, knowledge, and unity, it is possible to restore degraded landscapes, strengthen social bonds, and secure a prosperous, resilient future for generations to come.

  • Purpose
  • Ecological
  • Languages
  • English
  • Community type
  • Land-Based Communities
  • Spiritual Retreat Centers
  • Activities
  • Ecological Restoration
  • Permaculture

Commemorative dates

  • January 1, 2015
  • Started planning
  • January 1, 2028
  • Started living together
  • Open to new members
  • Open to visitors
Total
3

How to join

To join the Chikwa Ecovillage community, begin by understanding its core values of environmental stewardship, social empowerment, and collective growth.
1. Learn About Our Vision: Familiarize yourself with our principles of permaculture, sustainable agriculture, and community enhancement to align with our goals.
2. Reach Out: Contact us through email, social media, or our website to express your interest, ask questions, and engage in dialogue.
3. Visit the Ecovillage: Experience our lifestyle firsthand by participating in workshops, farming, and community meetings during your visit.
4. Participate in Training: Attend orientation sessions focused on permaculture techniques, environmental conservation, and community protocols.
5. Commit to Involvement: Actively participate in community projects like reforestation and education programs, contributing your skills and time.
6. Respect Community Culture: Engage respectfully and adhere to our values of inclusivity, transparency, and shared decision-making.
For international volunteers, coordinate with our partners for accommodation and cultural orientation. Joining Chikwa is a transformative experience that promotes sustainable living and positive change.

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Location

  • Malawi

Promoted Needs and Offers

  • Events
10 years ago

Yo Mujer, Yo Ecologico, Yo Gaia

Taller Vivencial de Ecologia Profunda para Mujeres Un fin de semana para Reconectarnos con nuestro Poder, la Naturaleza y la Red de la Vida Vivimos en tiempos desafiantes, con crisis en nuestros ecosistemas, economias y sociedades que están afectando a toda la vida del planeta. Para muchas personas esto puede ser angustioso y abrumador; tal vez no sepan como reaccionar. En este taller vamos a explorar como son nuestras respuestas al estado actual en que se encuentra el mundo; de un modo que nos ayude a despertar y acceder a la motivación, creatividad, fuerza y solidaridad necesarias para la transición a una cultura humana sostenible. Juntas haremos un recorrido que nos llevará a espacios en los que podamos reconocer en que maneras, nosotras como mujeres, sentimos los peligros que hay en estas crisis, experimientando sus efectos y visualizando y co-creando nuestro futuro. El sonido nos acompañara en este viaje y jugaremos con nuestras voces y tambores, para expresar nuestros sentires, nuestros deseos y nuestras esperanzas. Estas prácticas pueden reconectarnos con nuestro poder, el poder CON la Tierra, en lugar de Sobre la Tierra, lo cual es algo que las mujeres desde la antigüedad han sabido y entendido. Vivir en plenitud es conectar con nosotras mismas como partes activas de la Red de la Vida. Las mujeres siempre han sido activas en los movimientos sociales y medioambientales: en la Guerra Civil española, las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo en Argentina, en el Reino Unido ha existido un campamento antinuclear con unicamente mujeres por 20 años. Y más recientemente oimos las voces emergentes del Sur como Vandana Shiva y Wangari Maathai en campañas por la soberania alimentaria y los derechos de acceso a los recursos locales para la población local. Estas prácticas que realizaremos, han sido desarrolladas y utilizadas desde hace más de 40 años y están basadas en el trabajo de Joanna Macy, ecofilósofa, activista, estudiosa y profesora de la teoria de sistem
  • Events
5 years ago

EDE France 2021 | Écovillage Sainte Camelle

We had to wait 2021, against all odds, to see the very first French EDE. How come it was only the 1st? Why never before? Well, we know why. FHF. This is why making an EDE in France was a tough challenge to take on. And yes, we did it! The group of participants we had for this EDE was so diverse that no clan emerged. It is quite usual that people gather by affinity in small groups but here, the entire group stuck together no matter what. The glue was really strong. Some personalities were more extraverted of course, but with a real care for other’s presence and voice. To the extent to become a real counter-power: if we made any facilitation mistake, if we failed to propose in the most careful way and if it felt like we were imposing anything, we would be immediately in trouble. We knew it came from a childhood school trauma for these people, who were very open about it. It was an amazing journey to navigate the facilitation process with such awareness. This context led to something incredible during week two: a very quiet voice, Pauline, protested against the fact that they had agreed to community agreements on the first day but now, she said, they had to review them by themselves and check if it reflects who they really are. We, as EDE crew members, opened a space in the program for them to take the time to do it. They used Sociometry, a tool taught to them before, to assess the agreements. They counted in percentage who agreed or not for each topic. They even discussed about the structure of the program and finally approved it. It was a very beautiful real-life example of self-empowerment. One of the most iconic moment of this EDE was the Derdian roleplay in which they completely immersed themselves for three hours. The participants playing the indigenous Derdians went in the forest and created another set of social rules to add to the existing 10 social rules, making it even harder for the engineers to understand them. Howeve
  • Events
11 years ago

Liderar la TransiciĂłn

Lo femenino del mundo, de las personas. De Mujeres y Hombres. La TransiciĂłn que nuestro mundo sueña, necesita de una reformulaciĂłn clara de los liderazgos. Reinventarse el liderazgo devolviĂ©ndolo a su lugar: ser una funciĂłn de la eficiencia de los procesos colectivos; y dejando de lado los liderazgos basados en la acumulaciĂłn de privilegios, en la desigualdad y en la dominaciĂłn. Cuando lo Femenino ocupa el espacio de lo publico, trae consigo la realidad no visible; coloca en lo social los interrogantes necesarios para que lo social deje de estar fraccionado entre Publico/Privado, y pueda ser acogido como el Todo que es. Lo femenino en su esencia, despojado de los condicionamientos impuestos, libre de ser y expresar su potencial en un mundo que busca caminos hacia la inclusiĂłn, la escucha, la equivalencia, el empoderamiento de los seres y colectividades que cuidan de la Vida. Traer al espacio de lo Publico , lo invisibilizado: las mujeres, los pueblos olvidados, la propia Tierra, la parte oprimida de la humanidad; es una forma de integrar las necesidades de las personas , del planeta, de la humanidad como identidad . Esta propuesta quiere ser un espacio para abrir las puertas e indagar juntas sobre el papel de estos liderazgos en los procesos de cambio. Como son esos nuevos liderazgos? Como es encarnar estas posiciones en colectividades y organizaciones? Como viven el proceso las mujeres que están desarrollando estos nuevos liderazgos? Y las que no. Como se sienten los hombres ante los liderazgos de las mujeres? Y los que encarnan estos nuevos modelos de liderazgo. Buscar respuestas….temporales tal vez. Ofrecernos espacios para el debate, la indagaciĂłn, profundizar, explorar. El Programa: (Provisional, sujeto a cambios) Viernes 9 por la tarde: Llegadas, instalarnos, visitar Arterra. 20.00: Cena y Presentaciones. 21.30: Cine y Debate. Sábado 10 : 9.00: Desayuno 10.00- 13.30 Taller: Liderazgo y Poder. 13.45:

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