Women’s Empowerment Programme
Last year 2018 we ran a “pilot” permaculture aid project to establish the viability of a permaculture sustainable livelihood programme focusing on the empowerment of rural women in Jordan and that could also be applied as a model across the world. We designed and developed a small scale permaculture designed solution and a rural co op business plan, To addresses the needs of rural women to obtain a meaningful income.
Our pilot project had tremendous results and we now wish to take this project to the next level and set up five demonstration sites in nearby villages around the greening the desert project to show how this model can be rolled out and raise the living standards of families in the area. The demonstration sites will be hosted and run by families who are in need but are also willing to share and teach others in the community.
Projects Main Components:
1. The Urban Chicken Tractor ( UTC )
The primary permaculture component and catalyst centres around a small scale urban chicken tractor system based on Geoff Lawton's “CTOS” format that combines waste management and compost production with poultry and egg production. This system works extremely efficient within a considerably small footprint and minimal amount of man hours. We recorded yields of up to:
X eggs, Xkg meat, X chicken X cubic meters of highly life rich and fertile compost. Which gave a return of X amount of funds
2. Home Scale Kitchen & Market Garden
The secondary component is a backyard sized kitchen and market garden.
In which the compost from the chickens is used to grow crops to supplement the household as w well as produce crops that can be sold in the local markets.
We recorded yield of: X kg vegetable crops,
3. Permaculture Education & Community Co-op
To make this work we also need to include an educational component.
This will be in the form of mostly educational workshops for all participating parties hosted at the greening the desert site. As well as printed pamphlets explaining the system and programme that can be distributed to visitors to each demonstration site and at the greening the desert project site.
On top of that we plan to host educational permaculture open days events at each demonstration site to further spread the knowledge and create a local buzz around the project. Inviting local and regional news channels to these events for more exposure.
Why Women?
Research has shown that women are much more likely to reinvest any income they have in to their children's education as well as spending it on items that can free up their time, so they can spend more time with their children.
We know from the other research teams that investing and empowering women has the most positive effect across all aspects of society. ( see ted talk )
Due to historical and traditional reasons women in rural parts of Jordan are have significantly harder time then men to earn an income or find employment, most jobs and sources of income are found in cities accessible mainly to men, Leaving rural women behind in the villages to take care of the household and children.
As in many parts of the world the irresponsible actions of the central banking system and governments and corporations are driving inflation up and devaluing the currency exponentially this impacts the purchasing power of people dramatically especially in poorer parts of the world, as wages are not increasing at the same rate. This in turn forces more and more families move off the land and in to cities.
We believe that Providing people with efficient ways of producing their own nutritious food and supplemental income can alleviate the stresses put on people from these entries. Permaculture can also help people to have more food security and to cope in a potential financial collapse that might also occur due to these enteties. where food supply chains could be disrupted and cause famine.
Intended Outcomes
- Creating local food security and improving nutrition
- Achiving womens empowerment through sustainable live lihoods
- Spread and adoption of permaculture desing and education
- A Cascading positive long term impact
