Two Week PDC in Makueni – Permaculture Research Institute Kenya

Two Week Permaculture Design Certification Course in Makueni
(in partnership with Drylands Natural Resource Centre)

When: 24th March – 2nd April

Where: Drylands Natural Resource Centre Makueni

Cost: 400 USD / 40,000 Ksh

Details: Permaculture integrates land, resources, people and the environment through mutually beneficial synergies – imitating the no waste, closed loop systems seen in diverse natural systems. Permaculture studies and applies holistic solutions that are applicable in rural and urban contexts at any scale. It is a multidisciplinary toolbox including agriculture, water harvesting and hydrology, energy, natural building, forestry, waste management, animal systems, aquaculture, appropriate technology, economics and community development.

This course takes place at PRI-Kenya partner organization, Drylands Natural Resources Centre in Makueni region. The site is run by PRI-Kenya chairman Nicholas Syano who works with 400+ farmers and DNRC have made a huge impact not only on farmers food security but also their well-being and the health of the environment. This design course also includes a special module on Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) — a simple but wonderfully effective technique for landscape regeneration which works beautifully together with permaculture and which is rapidly being recognized as an important tool for regenerating drought prone African landscapes. DNRC is an educational permaculture demonstration model in development so participants will get the opportunity to see this in action.

Course Facilitators:

Nicholas Syano

Nicholas is a PhD candidate at University of Nairobi undertaking Dryland Resource Management. He has a Masters in Science (MSc) degree in Natural Resources Management from the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point (UWSP); U.S.A.

He is a certified Permaculture teacher and a consultant and has been practicing and teaching permaculture since 2011 across Kenya and Tanzania where he taught the first ever Permaculture Design Course (PDC) in Kiswahili. After graduating in USA, Nicholas went back to his community where he set up a local NGO (Drylands Natural Resources Centre) to work with his people and currently is working with 450 families (approx. 2,700 people). He has also taken our Training of Trainers and Advanced Consultancy Courses facilitated by Warren Brush and PRI Kenya in 2014 and 2015.

Nicholas is also one of the co-founders of Permaculture Research Institute-Kenya (PRI-Kenya). Nicholas is adds value as an external research consultant to help develop our Research Programme. Nicholas has extensive experience of project management from his time at Kenya Institute of Organic Farming as well as Nyumbani Village, where he acted as Programme Manager for seven years.

Triza Mbinya (course assistant)

Triza coordinates the DNRC’s Education and Community Outreach Programmes, including weekly classes and home visits. In her own words: “I joined DNRC because my aspiration in life is always to see people and especially the most marginalized getting empowered, becoming more able to make decisions in their own life, in a positive way, to improve their livelihoods.”

She is currently studying for a BA in Community Development from Daystar University, and has been with the DNRC since 2008 and now assists Nicholas on trainings and farmer managed workshops after attending our PDC in 2016.

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