Trainer/teacher wanted for Philippine projects

Discussion in 'Jobs, projects, courses, training, WWOOFing, volun' started by Skywoolf, May 10, 2009.

  1. Skywoolf

    Skywoolf Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 4, 2009
    Messages:
    29
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Its early days yet but I am in the process of buying a one hectare beach front lot, a half hectare hilltop lot and other land on Samal Island, Davao, Philippines. I intend to build a house (on the hilltop lot) and a beach house, at the beach of course. These two lots will be the first to be used for permaculture.

    My intention is that when I have something to show I will hold talks for local people to teach them permaculture if they are interested. Many of these people have farm lots that are far too small for them to feed their families using conventional farming.

    A local congressman has just heard about my plans and has offered 2,000 square meters at the botanical gardens to be used as a permaculture demo.

    I am a raw beginner with permaculture so this has become a bit much to handle. I can get help from the local youth groups and maybe (big maybe) some financial help.

    So now to get to the point. Is there an experienced permaculture designer here who would be prepared to come to Davao if I pay for air tickets and accommodation?
     
  2. gregips

    gregips Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 24, 2009
    Messages:
    12
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
  3. christopher

    christopher Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 9, 2005
    Messages:
    1,536
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    38
    Re: Trainer/teacher wanted for Philippine projects

    Hi,

    That sounds fantastic. Looks like Greg is very close! If that doesn't happen, I have 20 years experience working in tropical agroforestry. More about where I live here www.mmrfbz.org. I would love to help.

    Good luck. We had a Phillipina student here last year who was wonderful.

    Best wishes,

    Christopher
     
  4. Skywoolf

    Skywoolf Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 4, 2009
    Messages:
    29
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Re: Trainer/teacher wanted for Philippine projects

    Thanks Guys,

    I got the email notification of your replies but when I tried to see them the site was down and its now Sunday so Greg has left the Philippines.

    It is a little early yet to make solid plans but I am trying to think ahead. I should make it clear that I cannot possibly afford to pay professional rates so I am really looking for a volunteer and I will pay for food, supply a place to stay and try to ensure you have a good time. If nobody is able to do that then I will just ask a lot of questions and hopefully it will work out OK.

    I will be talking to the government guys to try to get funding. If I can get them to pay then of course professional fees and all expenses would be OK.
     
  5. grill67

    grill67 New Member

    Joined:
    May 20, 2009
    Messages:
    1
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Re: Trainer/teacher wanted for Philippine projects

    hello. how much will be paid be to trainee teachers and what is the purpose of this project?
     
  6. Skywoolf

    Skywoolf Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 4, 2009
    Messages:
    29
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Re: Trainer/teacher wanted for Philippine projects

    I am really very much at the stage where I am just trying to get a feel of how best to go about it. I certainly can't afford professional fees and even air fares may be a problem so my first thought was to find someone with some experience who would like to spend some time here in free accommodation with free food, etc, most likely part time in a new beach cabin and part time at the house lot. Sort of half holiday half work. I am hoping at this stage to just get feedback on my idea. It may be totally unrealistic. I don't know.

    I am not ready to do much yet either but I am trying to plan ahead and just see which way I should be heading. Of course I am studying permaculture and plants like crazy and finding people with local expertise of the plants.
     
  7. Paul Kean -Ringo-

    Paul Kean -Ringo- Junior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2005
    Messages:
    27
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Re: Trainer/teacher wanted for Philippine projects

    G'day there,

    you might try to be very clear about what you are offering.

    You want an experienced designer but you don't want them to be professional.Is that it?
     
  8. Skywoolf

    Skywoolf Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 4, 2009
    Messages:
    29
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Re: Trainer/teacher wanted for Philippine projects

    Sorry yes I did say air tickets. My point really is that I cannot afford air tickets, professional fees, hotels etc. I am really trying to see if the cost of bringing somebody in can be justified but I need to know the cost before I can decide if it is justified or not. Professionals would of course be fine if I can afford it but I think it is unlikely.

    I have been studying solid for the last couple of weeks and while I have learned a lot. Of course I also see that I have far more to learn. The purchase of the land has been delayed due to papers not being in order so I haven't yet talked to the government people regarding financial support and teaching the locals.
     
  9. namaiki

    namaiki Guest

    Re: Trainer/teacher wanted for Philippine projects

    hey there ,
    the basic premise of permaculture is to make a site
    1-ecologically sustainable
    2-economically sustainable
    3-self replicable
    a;though the ecological issues are top priority , economics are second to ensure success .
    what are the yields you could make on the site ? especially those overlooked by local agrobusiness ?
    what you will get from the garden is worth a lot , either in monetary or calorific content .
    you are implementing a functional living system .
    design of the house to be efficient ( i.e. passive cooling ) is also important .
    this will also result in a profit to you over time .
    seems to me the first priority in building the house is installing these ideas .
    you should budget for the proper design . and pay the designer .
    its only fair , after all - and if they are experienced you will get a good result .
    david
     
  10. Skywoolf

    Skywoolf Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 4, 2009
    Messages:
    29
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Re: Trainer/teacher wanted for Philippine projects

    If I can only do it by paying the designer then that is what I will have to do and not do other things so I can pay for it. It is more likely I will just take a few more months to study and learn then just do it myself. I already have the sketch plan of the house 90% complete and 100% OK with a Feng Shui expert. The house design integrates into the permaculture design of the land. I will soon talk to an architect to see if I can afford to build it.

    I am retired and my wife will soon retire. This means out entire income will come from what we have invested. When I buy the land and build a house the amount remaining invested will be comparatively small. Therefore our income will be very small so we have to produce as much of our own food as possible.

    If I don't get it right we will not have enough to live on so it will all be for nothing. I am 65, had cancer and cannot do as much as I used to, so going back to work is probably not a solution.

    This is why I have to be very careful with what I spend. Once it is spent there is little more coming in to replace it.
     
  11. ramesh.kumar304

    ramesh.kumar304 New Member

    Joined:
    May 26, 2009
    Messages:
    1
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
  12. Skywoolf

    Skywoolf Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 4, 2009
    Messages:
    29
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Re: Trainer/teacher wanted for Philippine projects

    Someone with experience of permaculture design in the tropics and who knows a lot more about it than I do.
     
  13. AustBodhi

    AustBodhi Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 24, 2009
    Messages:
    7
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Re: Trainer/teacher wanted for Philippine projects

    Hi There

    I would be interested in chatting to you about the possibility of working with you on ground & remotely to get the project up and running.

    My background is many years experience with horticulture and animal husbandry (ex-zookeeper), and a similar time working on permaculture style projects on the side. My projects have been temperate/cool climate but I would be interested in working on a tropical design and hence am willing to chat about doing it as a volunteer in order to further my own skills.

    I'll send you my email via PM and perhaps we can have a chat.

    Cheers
    Shane
     
  14. Skywoolf

    Skywoolf Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 4, 2009
    Messages:
    29
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Re: Trainer/teacher wanted for Philippine projects

    Thanks Shane,

    It would certainly be ideal if you can also gain a lot from this.

    I will follow up with you when the land is purchased and I can really get moving.
     
  15. ho-hum

    ho-hum New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2005
    Messages:
    1,590
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Re: Trainer/teacher wanted for Philippine projects

    Skywoolf,

    Have you done a PDC and all you require is a bit of support?

    cheers,
     
  16. Skywoolf

    Skywoolf Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 4, 2009
    Messages:
    29
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Re: Trainer/teacher wanted for Philippine projects

    Sorry what is PDC?
     
  17. Salkeela

    Salkeela Junior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2009
    Messages:
    46
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Re: Trainer/teacher wanted for Philippine projects

    Permaculture Design Course
     
  18. Skywoolf

    Skywoolf Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 4, 2009
    Messages:
    29
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Re: Trainer/teacher wanted for Philippine projects

    I just realized that maybe you mean a Permaculture Design Course. As far as I know there is none in the Philippines.

    I have Bill Mollison's books Permaculture One and Permaculture Designers Manual. I spend hours scouring the internet for information on Permaculture and I have built an information database of all the plants that I would like and are likely to grow here.

    I heard of a couple of project in the Philippines and found web sites but my emails were not answered
     
  19. realinc

    realinc Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2009
    Messages:
    4
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Re: Trainer/teacher wanted for Philippine projects

    hi skywolf.
    sounds great. all the best to you.
    i still have much to learn myself but i have observed at various projects that patience is a virtue.
    starting slowly from zone 1(your house) and implimenting slowly. garden by garden, guild by guild.
    after more experience i recomend starting with zone 4 and 5! as sometimes people start in 1 and only develop up to 2. but in your situation sounds like better to start at your house.
    good luck. you can do it!
    remember we cant do any worse than current mainstream planning!
    all the best
    erin henderson.
    great idea to email Greg Nibbs. he is very knowledgable about PC in the Phillipines and designing in general.
     
  20. Skywoolf

    Skywoolf Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 4, 2009
    Messages:
    29
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Re: Trainer/teacher wanted for Philippine projects

    Thanks. I can get loads of inexperienced help at quite low and even zero cost so my main task after buying the land is the design of the house and the permaculture design of the half hectare the house will be on. This will include natural air conditioning (underground air pipes), solar water heating, fish ponds, a 30 meter diameter mandala, a food forest, irrigation system, etc. Then I start on the one hectare beach lot and two one hectare farm lots but these will not be fully implementing permaculture.

    Yup a lot of work but with some help it will get done. A local congressman has asked me to use 2,000 square meters at the botanical gardens to create a Permaculture demo so I will try to do that at the same time as the house lot. He will maybe organize local youth groups to help with the botanical garden and my land so they can learn from it.

    While the house is being built I will need to avoid planting near the house area or the builders will damage it all so I will start with zones 4 and 5 but will be doing trials of some plants that will be in zones 1, 2 and 3 to see what will grow and what will not.
     

Share This Page

-->