Charcoal biquettes or 'earth orbs' are balls of compressed flamable matter for starting and maintaining a fire. How to make them: Collect the remains from charcoal cooking fires. Mix the charcoal remains with corn cobs or other such material and Pyrethrum Plant (Dalmatian insect flower, Big Daisy). This plant improves the combustion (fire power) of the orb and its smoke chases away mosquitoes. If no pyrethrum is available, you can replace it with a local plant with similar properties. Mold the … Read more
Solutions
- Lifelong Education
- Diversity & Cohesion
- Trust & Communication
- Health & Healing
- Leadership & Governance
- Conflict Resolution
- Wisdom & Innovation
- Art & Celebration
- Vision & Purpose
- Nature Connection
- Mindfulness & Self Reflection
- Defend & Protect
- Leading from the Future
- Contextualised Design
- Whole Systems Thinking
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Intervention & Transformation
- Alliance Building
- Prototyping & Feedback
- Rank & Privilege
The Power of Community (in Bafut, Cameroon) Building ecovillages: connecting local solidarity, environmental conservation and fair trade
The below links direct to examples of how builing ecovillages with local communities integrate social and environmental solutions in a wholistic way. The building of an ecovillage fosters community building, integrates techniques of environmentally sustainable community living and integrates economic sustainability by setting up high-value activities and fair trade schemes. … Read more
Seed Bank Saving Seed
Seed Banks are cooperative constructs where local seeds are stored, saved and borrowed out. Our seeds is our heritage. They are used to local climates and they are thus adapted to locally harsh conditions. We need to empower our communities to go back to their roots and restore the culture of the use of indigenous seeds. Farmers can be empowered to come together and share seeds in different forums, but the most sustainable one is where farmer groups establish operational seed security systems … Read more
Lack of water in desert Wise use of water for agriculture
La fougara est un systeme d'irrigation de l'eau invente pour permettre de quantifier l'eau necessaire pour les differentes plantations dans le desert. C'est un systeme complexe et tres ingenieux qui remonte quelques centaines d'annees. C'est un systeme unique dans le Sahara que l'on trouve dans les Oasis du Gourara pres de Timumoun. Ce systeme d'irrigation est inspire des Qanats en Iran. … Read more
Social Accountability in Education System Youth taking responsibility for their education
One way is to form a cultural group within every school in our communities with 6 boys and 6 girls. Through cultural practices, festival and school events (tournaments, concerts), this group is to actively mobilise other students, the community, traditional authority, and policy makers to all be stakeholders in education by transferring the message through these activities that they are hosting. The school could give out official certificates for the positions of these 12 students, which would … Read more
Water Harvesting: Swale / Sagia Water Harvesting in Drylands
Water is very precious especially in arid and semi arid regions. Every single drop of rain must therefore be saved and not wasted, evaporation should be decreased, and fertile topsoil should be prevented from running off with the rain, therefore loosing nutrients and causing soil erosion. To prevent this, Sagias or Swales can be implemented to slow down water after a rain and to hold it for the longest period possible for it to sink in slowly and hydrate the landscape. Swales are ditches dug … Read more
Valueing sacred natural sites for integrated socio/bio-conservation Example: Healing crocodile pond in the Gambia
The creation of cultural/spiritual significance and/or rites and events around ecological sites help in their conservation, as well as help people connect with their surrounding natural wealth. An example: The Kartong Folonko crocodile pond is the oldest of three sacred crocodile pools in the Gambia and has been in the village for nearly 600 years. It has great cultural, spiritual and historical significance. It is believed that the pond was discovered by a great ' Marabout' named Sheikh Omar … Read more
Drying mechanism for rice Building drying box from local materials
This link features instructions on how to build a fixed batch heated air drying bin from local materials. The goal of this design was to create a dryer that could maintain rice quality at a low capital and operating cost yielding a reasonably high dry time while remaining accessible to small-scale processing. … Read more
Mushroom Permaculture Mushroom cultivation
Mushroom growing can be done very low-cost and low-input. Additionally, it needs relatively little space. As the process does not happen on fields but in bags or jars, it does not require much or high soil quality, nor nearly any external input apart from the initial compost. It can therefore create economic opportunities in areas where other agricultural activity is hard. The only important thing regarding mushroom cultivation is that it is done properly. Which means that the sterilisation … Read more
Creating a Home Graywater System Creating a Home Graywater System
This video is a nice example, if you want to recycle and reuse your grey water. Important information starting at 5:50 min. … Read more
