Badilisha Ecovillage Foundation Trust

Location: Kenya in Rusinga Island in Lake Victoria
Project Start Date: January 2008
Expected Completion Date: 2012

Project Concept:

Badilisha Ecovillage foundation trust, is founded on the principle of permaculture and sustainable development. It is intended to draw a road map to sustainability for the Rusinga Island and the neighboring islands.

The permaculture principles are here in this context domesticated to develop integrated systems to provide human needs such as food, water, shelter and energy among others to the community in a way that is healthy, sufficient and sustainable.

The project is located in Kenya, in a rural setup with poor infrastructural development (no electricity, poor roading, etc.), an area with many social issues like the prevalence of HIV/AIDS leading to many orphans and domestic violence and lack of food. Environmental issues like use of persistent organic pollutants in farming, poor waste management of sewerage and plastic bags, and are just some of the activities which leads to loss of Biodiversity and fragile aquatic ecosystems.

The focal point of the Badilisha Ecovillage Foundation initiative includes activities geared towards the mitigation of the socio economic impacts of the above mentioned activities. The major objectives are creating a holistic environment where everything is interconnected - human settlement is interwoven with nature and farming activities, trees are planted with crops; trees produce fruits, timber, firewood, medicinal uses and mulch, wind, protection for plants. One species provides support to another, pests and predators are kept in balance; beneficial connections.

Detailed Project Description:

The major project components include:

Permaculture; This involves domestication of permaculture ethical principles and values.

• Earth care-enabling life systems to continue and thrive
• People care-enabling access to the resources people need for a good and quality livelihoods.
• Limits of population and consumption to share resources and promote both earth care and people care initiatives.

Specific activities:

• To conduct permaculture design courses
• Develop and promote outreaches. i.e. establishment of model farms and demonstration sites.
• Development of Ecotourism
• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle 3 Rs principle in waste management.
• Promotion of Integrated pest management to replace use of pesticides and use of persistent organic pollutants in order to enhance natural ecosystem (functional diversity, stability, cycles and recycling, microclimate, energy, living soil, and succession).

People care initiatives:

Non violent communication, this is a precursor towards reduction of violence in the area and in families, through this, there are well organized trainings facilitated by certified NVC trainers.

There are also NVC projects for children in schools for teachers, this is part of the Global peace work which we are involved in. Badilisha Ecovillage foundation Library contains materials of which some are produced by Marshall Rosenberge the founder of NVC himself.

HIV/AIDS:

Majorly focusing on preventive therapy with major focus on Abstinence for unmarried youths and use of protection like condoms. There is a project for youths which is use of audio visual for information provision. We also provide condoms donated to us by the Kenyan Ministry of Health.

Family sponsorship project:

This involves linking needy families who normally go without food to be able get some willing sponsors to make a commitment to help the families for an agreed period of time. The funds or resources provided are used transparently and accountability is enhanced, personal and direct contact with the beneficiaries is possible and even visitation to check the situation of the families here in Kenya. For anyone willing to contribute you can visit our website www.badlisha.org under sponsorship projects, and select any one of the listed photos of any child you would want to support. And then contact us through the contact details of the nearby coordinators in the countries listed.

Women empowerment:

Also Badilisha is involved in supporting the women using self help approaches, where we provide materials for making different handwork and we help to market the finished products which include baskets, made from sisal, mats made from water Hyacinth, handmade cards from recycled paper, among other items. The income earned is divided among the women and the cost of materials and then the whole cycle continues.

Used battery collection for safe disposal:

Badilisha is also involved in the mobilization of shopkeepers in collection of used batteries which are currently being thrown away in the environment thus affecting the lake Victoria aquatic ecosystem, which interferes with the breeding sites and even polluting water for domestic use and affecting Biodiversity.

We request for anyone who would help with collection of materials and donations of used clothes and other materials which we exchange for the batteries as a way of motivating them to continue with the collection process.

Kindergarten project:

Badilisha is intending to put up a kindergarten project for orphans in the island and this would involve coming up with a feeding program, medical care, and trauma counseling for orphans who have been affected by the loss of their parents due HIV and AIDS and other diseases.

Community safe water provision:

Badilisha has acquired a water tank for collecting water and purifying it for the community use at affordable price to sustain the project.

Project Duration & Schedule:

PHASE ONE:

• Combining efforts and coming up with management board, formulation, planning and obtaining legal entities.
• Getting a small office for paperwork and other administrative work for the project.
• Getting some resources for logistics, projects cost and administrative costs.
• Official launching of the project and letting the community know about the objectives of the project.
• Website development
• Monthly reporting now on continuous basis
• Mid term evaluation

PHASE TWO:

• Embark on proper networking and promotion of the project.
• Mobilise resources of buying land, starting to build the project site, and start with the main office and the others to follow in some order.
• Ploughing of the land and establishment of the permaculture farm.
• Mobilising more resources towards putting up of the more-required facilities at the project site.
• Working together with local community leaders in selection of target groups and project beneficiaries to include widows, hiv/aids affected and infected persons.
• Recruiting of three schools who would first benefit from the project activities.
• Selection of volunteers who will help with different projects in the community.
• Resources mobilisation towards meeting the other new costs of giving stipend to volunteers, construction of huts for accommodation and seed funding towards initiation of various sustainable projects for widows, youths, schools, and hiv/aids affected households.
• Follow up of the the ongoing work like community out reaches,on non violent communication, hiv/aids, family support, support to schools, permaculture demonstrations and trainings.
• Mid term evaluation

PHASE THREE:

• Well networked project with local and international partners now helping a wider community.
• Exchange of ideas and techniques of doing things.
• Well established project with enough capacity to continue going on now with minimal external support.
• Complete facility at the site.
• Evaluation
• Continuation of the project now and maybe involvement in other areas.

Project Needs:

• The project is currently in need of support for the putting up of an institution day care center for 35 children
• Permaculture trainers, resources, and materials for the Island's only permaculture center.
• Support towards putting up of huts for accommodation of volunteers helping in various projects.
• Seed fund for supporting widows and orphan guardians to come up with own income-generating activities.
• Support to run 4 permaculture trainings in Kenya.

Other Information:

The project is open to host volunteers interested in working with us and sharing knowledge and interacting with our communities. We are a WWOOF (Worldwide Working Opportunities on Organic Farms) host in Kenya and we welcome everyone with commitments and interests to participate.

There are possibilities of touring the island, which would enable you to see the island's rich Flora and Fauna, this is part of Ecotourism which our initiative is also involved in.