Broadfield Permaculture Group I Education Department.
(Bloom Kampala)

Introduction to the TOT – Trainers of Trainees
This curriculum is by Broadfield Permaculture, a local Bloom based in Kampala, Uganda. We teach trainers to teach permaculture in schools across Uganda, which creates microclimate stabilization, women led cooperatives, and increased food security with indigenous plants and export crops.
We are learning in teams in the process of applying permaculture at different levels of education, primary, secondary, High school, Tertiary and community.
Approaches on application and implementation differ depending on needs assessment with ability to creatively use the curriculum.
Dates | Tropics | Activities | Outcomes |
Day 1 14th | Resilience in permaculture ecological design | Introduction Participant Expectations Review of PDC Curriculum Impact and Expectations Primary Model Canvas | Strategic Permaculture Designing for Early Learners in Tropical Regions -Tools Design Processes and application processes |
Day 2 15th | Resilience supported by vivid replication at student’s home in cycle of three terms. | Secondary Modal Canvas | Strategic Learning and Resilience for secondary school and stake holders – Tools |
Day 3 16th | Fair share of resilience strategies through involvement of others e.g. creation of employment /jobs | High School Modal Canvas | Strategic designing for Upper secondary learning based in practical demonstration. School to home or community action. Taking permaculture not as a subject but choice. |
Day 4 17th | Innovation and Practical advancement transformation with case study, demonstration in form of project, research, pilot project. | Tertiary Modal Canvas on Resilience on Holistic Learning, innovation. | Resilience and Resource growth.Skill Set Peer to Peer TrainingResearch Innovation Competence in Main Stream employment in Agriculture economics and Production. |
Day5 18th | Diversification and Resilience | Community Modal Canvas | PermEzone – Inclusive Decision making learning and Cooperative development. |
Day 6 19th | Design Project for students | Group work on Design of Modal Canvas Project for each main stream. Submission of Proposal of TOT projects | |
Day 7 20th | Presentations | Presentations | Key focus on resilience ,Applicability, demonstration, economic, social and ecological empowerment. |
Day 8 21st | Presentation | Presentation | Ecological |
Day 9 22nd | Presentation | Awarding Ceremony and Guest of Honor. | Certificate Confirmation. |
Why TOT in Permaculture Design for Schools?
The Journey of Permaculture has been very long until we have managed to official succeed to see permaculture in the National Curriculum of Lower Secondary as it ascends to upper Secondary with still loose attachments in primary schools, the fact that the ministry of education and the direct beneficiaries have embraced permaculture they still face a big challenge of lack human resource (permaculture trained teachers or permaculture extension support to execute a result and practical oriented themes with the adaptable skill of learning the program).
The program is offering an advanced training focusing on graduated PDC holders to uptake Implementation formation strategies on schools , both Primary , Secondary , Advanced learning and Community. In addition to lead teams from designing, evaluation to resilience.
Summary Matrix of themes of Advance Learning.
Level | Themes | Indicator | Outcomes | Key Strategies |
Primary | Practical Holistic Learning for Pupils and Teachers. | Resilience in permaculture ecological design | Teacher’s efficiency to support the pupils and the school. Frame work on integration of permaculture skills in early learning. /school Introducing the concept and integrating it in science subjects. | Design for ecological resilience with absorbable practice and simplified permaculture language. |
Lower Secondary( senior 1 to senior 4 ) | Practical Holistic learning for students to adapt the lessons at home grounds. | Resilience supported by vivid replication at student’s home in cycle of three terms. | Students are in position to demonstrate beyond school for self or home use to realise resilience. Framework to demonstrate the skills acquired. Build on Permaculture concept and equip students with more knowledge on permaculture in order to interest them in taking permaculture as a choice but not a mare subject. How many students end up taking permaculture as a choice but not as a subject. They carry out permaculture projects and acquire a minimum credit of demonstration practice. | Design for learning both for academics and beyond school. Curriculum Matching of activities in Lesson Planning. |
Upper Secondary High School- S.5 and S.6) | Practical Holistic Learning adapts lessons beyond school and creates possibilities of a green job or project or Innovation. | Fair share of resilience strategies through involvement of others e.g. creation of employment /jobs | Student self-sufficiency to self-employment and employing at a center of radical social impact social entrepreneurship. Determination of taking on permaculture as a way of life. | Mimicking of the Curriculum and creating possibilities of problem solving, using permaculture principles. |
Tertiary Vocational and University Undergraduates or Graduates) | Translating disciplines of learning to practical with permaculture principles direct and indirect Plug in support for resilience, innovation and outstanding troubleshooting. | Innovation and Practical advancement transformation with case study, demonstration in form of project, research, pilot project. | Scalable scope of implementation model/process with vivid replicability data /facts that offers financial visibility – self-reliance (that qualifies for seed fund). Social, ecological Impact based on permaculture principles on diverse resources available. They should be Permaculture coaches , Innovators and proprietors of projects. | Innovation in creating opportunities with already existing disciplines of learning with plug in direct or indirect permaculture principles for resilience that satisfies economic, ecological and social needs without continuous dependence. |
Community | Peer to peer Learning – farmer to Farmer Permaculture education. | Diversification and Resilience | Participatory Learning – Inclusive solution development based on the needs of the bio region of the beneficiaries. Establishing and Running community modal Farms. e.g. seedlings. | Adaptation of PermEzone Curriculum. Design and Formation of Community owned Cooperative modal. |
Who should participate in this course and Possibilities of Employment?
This course will be specifically targeted to people who are holders of a permaculture Design Certificate that are working with schools or communities, as well as individuals with main priority to rural farmers, interested to integrate Permaculture thinking into their own projects and work. Participants will include sponsored school teachers, community workers, farmers, NGO staff members, as well as individuals looking to gain a personal transformation. The participants will deepen their knowledge about the history, ethics, philosophy and goals of Permaculture.
Permaculture for Uganda School’s curriculum;
Permaculture is a powerful educational tool, how can we use it in schools to change campus culture, reduce waste, water run-off and covert nutrients in to healthy soil. This group will be considering how to bring permaculture much more into schools, the curriculum and the school campus culture. We have links to the Ministry for Education in Uganda as well as several key regional schools, our aim is to capitalize on these. Understanding methodologies of scalability at the centre of participatory approach.
REFERENCE;
Level 1 PDC SESSIONS .
PROGRAMME FOR TEACHING PERMACULTURE DESIGN COURSE
DAY | SESSION I | SESSION II | SESSION III | SESSION IV |
1 | Introductions | World problems | What is Permaculture | Ethics-Principles Characteristics |
2 | Ecology Basic principles | Design Methods Zones & Sectors | Map Reading Practical | Climate and its Elements |
3 | Microclimates | Soils Practical exercise……………………………… | Water | |
4 | Water | Earthworks | Plants | Forests |
5 | Windbreak Design | Patterns in Nature | World Regions & Culture | Zone O Our Houses |
6 | Zone I Vegetables/herbs | Zone II Fruit tree Forest | Zone II Animals in the Orchard | Zone III Field crops and Large Animals |
REST DAY | ||||
7 | Zone IV Harvest Forests | Zone V Natural Forests | Site Analysis Practical | Weed Ecology |
8 | Wildlife Manageent | Integrated Pest Management | Incomes from Acres | Aquaculture |
9 | Design or Disaster | Biotechnology | Practical Work on Large Design | |
10 | Bioregional – Local Wealth | Ethical Investment | Practical Work on Large Design | |
11 | Land Ethics & Access | Village and Commune P/C | Suburban P/C | Urban PC |
12 | Design Work | Design Presentations …………………..………….. | Evaluation |
1 Students must attend 70% of the 72 hour course to receive their Certificate
2 Students must design: a. a home garden – by individual work and b. a village or commune – by group work
3 All the class groups work on the same village or commune village
4 This timetable is for a six hour day of theory and practical work
5 Teachers can present this timetable in any logical order which suits them
COURSE OUTLINE
INTRODUCTION TO PERMACULTURE
Unit One: Introduction
The teacher and students introduce themselves. The students explain why they have come and what they hope to get from their studies. The course outline, timetable, materials and references are discussed.
Unit Two: Characteristics, Principles, Ethics
This unit explains how permaculture is built on ideas and the creative ways to use these ideas. It shows how permaculture is concerned with clean air, water and soil, and the conservation of landscapes and species. The aim of building sustainable human societies, and the role of the principles and ethics in attaining these goals are discussed.
THE CULTIVATED ECOLOGY
Unit Three: Principles of Ecology
Permaculture is based on ecology rather than the pure sciences. Its methods involve observation and deduction rather than prescription. This unit examines the key concepts of ecology including the flow of energy, cycles of matter, succession, limiting factors and perpetuations of ecosystems.
Unit Four: Methods of Design
There are several ways to design a landscape. Some of these are observation, deduction, analysis, maps, zones and sectors.
Unit Five: Map Reading
This unit shows how map reading helps us to understand ecosystems, soil types, water movement and microclimates. It assists with water harvesting and placing human structures such as roads, houses and dams.
Unit Six: Climate
Climate variation is increasing, and we need to be able to design landscapes to minimise the harmful effects of climate and/or take advantages of the different types of climate. This unit shows how we can reduce risk and energy use through design and selection of appropriate plants.
Unit Seven: Microclimates
This is where we work more closely on site. A large block is made up of many different microclimates. We learn to identify and design different microclimates.
Unit Eight: Soils
Soils tell you many things about plants and animals. Most soils are very damaged. There are different types of damage and different repair techniques. Most soils can be improved quickly. Traditional soil classifications integrate history, use and potential.
Unit Nine: Water and Landscape
Water is the basis of life. It is a precious resource and is fundamental to the rehabilitation of soils. This unit shows how water can be harvested and saved in many ways until needed by plants, animals and people.
Unit Ten: Earthworks
Moving Earth to build dams, houses and roads and change microclimates. Many expensive mistakes can be made in Earthworks. This unit looks at some guidelines to minimise or prevent these mistakes and maximize productivity.
Unit Eleven: Plants
Plants are used for many functions in a permaculture design and are basic to every design. Propagation methods are outlined, and the role of conserving local and heirloom species discussed.
Unit Twelve: Forests
Understanding forests and how they work is the basis of permaculture designs. A forest is an air-conditioner, soil binder, mulcher and windbreak. This unit shows that an understanding of how forests work enables us to design productive landscapes.
Unit Thirteen: Windbreaks
This unit discusses how windbreaks are needed in almost every landscape. They filter dust and disease, they slow down hot and cold winds, and they protect plants, animals and buildings. Each windbreak design is site specific.
Unit Fourteen: Patterns in Nature
Understanding the patterns of nature helps us to design highly productive, integrated landscapes. Patterns are linear or non-linear and include circles, spirals, streamlines, songs and sayings. They help us to interpret landscapes and improve designs.
DESIGNING PRODUCTIVE LANDSCAPES
Unit Fifteen: Broad Climatic Biozones
This unit shows how there are many climate zones in the world and how each one has special sustainable landscapes. Soils, water use, nutrients and traditional cultivation practices have evolved over a long time and are usually sustainable.
Unit Sixteen: Zone 0 – Sitting and Building Homes
This unit discusses the principles of designing a comfortable, low energy, non-polluting house.
Unit Seventeen: Zone I – The Family Food Garden
Everyone, from people in the city with tiny gardens to people with large blocks of land, can grow much of their own food. This unit shows how to grow vegetables, herbs and fruits in the zone 1 garden and explains the role of companion planting, crop rotation and sheet mulching.
Unit Eighteen: Zone II – The Food Forest
Good quality, chemically clean fruit is a security. This unit examines how an orchard is designed as a food forest with many mixed species supplying fruit all year. Some non-food species are planted to provide protection and fertilizer, and later, firewood.
Unit Nineteen: Zone IIA – Food Forests and Small Animals
Poultry is best kept in an orchard to prune plants, eat pests and provide fertilizer. This unit shows how small livestock such as chickens, ducks, geese, pigeons and bees are good orchard friends.
Unit Twenty: Zone III – Cropping & Large Animals
This unit describes how crops are grown and larger animals are included in the design of larger blocks of land. The practice of alley cropping is explained.
Unit Twenty One: Zone IV – Harvest Forests
We all use a lot of wood and other tree products in our lifetime. This unit shows how the structural or ‘harvest’ forest is where we try to grow all our own forestry needs for bark, firewood, furniture, dyes, mulches, oils and so on. The forest will eventually give a very good income and improve the ecosystem.
Unit Twenty Two: Zone V – Natural Forests
Natural or conservative forests are the natural, indigenous forests of a region. They keep soil, water and animal species stable. This unit discusses the importance of remnant forests and describes the techniques used to regenerate degraded bushland.
INCREASING SUSTAINABILITY & PRODUCTIVITY
Unit Twenty Three: Weed Ecology
Many useful plants are classified as weeds. This unit shows how weed management entails understanding the whole ecosystem.
Unit Twenty Four: Wildlife Management
People and wildlife are often in conflict. Wildlife is in great danger from people. This unit shows how people and wildlife can live together in a well designed landscape.
Unit Twenty Five: Integrated Pest Management
Pests should be appreciated and managed, not eliminated. This unit explains how by understanding pest lifecycles and how predators work, damage can be minimized.
Unit Twenty Six: Site Analysis
Designers look carefully at a site to understand its good and bad points – both of which can be used in a design. This unit explains how to make an inventory of the land from which the design is developed.
Unit Twenty Seven: Design Graphics
A well-drawn plan helps to show clients what they can do to make their land more sustainable and more productive. The techniques used to draw plans are described in this unit.
Unit Twenty Eight: Creative Problem Solving
When designing land, there are always constraints which can be hard to solve creatively. This unit explains the steps in the design process which are used to solve problems and arrive at good solutions.
Unit Twenty Nine: Incomes From Acres
Every piece of land should pay for itself and make a profit. This unit suggests ways in which money can be made from the land, without destroying its resources.
Unit Thirty: Aquaculture
Water systems can be highly productive. The whole water system is an integrated ecosystem which includes fish, prawns, crabs, tortoises, insects and water plants. This unit describes how to design damns, select species and manage the system to maximise productivity.
Unit Thirty One: Designing Against Disaster
From war to drought, there are many destructive threats to humans and agricultural systems. This unit shows how good design strategies make landscapes more resistant to damage and more likely recover quickly.
Unit Thirty Two: Biotechnology
Biotechnology is changing the world through biological manipulations of plant and animal species. This unit opens up class discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of biotechnology.
SOCIAL PERMACULTURE & SELF-SUFFICIENCY
Unit Thirty Three: Bioregions
This unit discusses how we can make good, strong societies through the enrichment and empowerment of our bioregions. The role of the ethical directory is explained.
Unit Thirty Four: Economics & Ethical Investment
We can use money well or badly. This unit explains how we can set up our financial systems to meet our own needs and reduce our dependence on mainstream banking. The LETS case study is examined.
Unit Thirty Five: Land Access and Economics
Land is a resource and not a commodity. It is there to be cared for and to meet our needs. This unit explains how poor, indigenous and other dispossessed people can obtain access to land.
Unit Thirty Six: Land Ownership
Every person has the right to use land for shelter and to meet their food needs. This unit explains ways of owning land which protect it from future misuse.
Unit Thirty Seven: Legal Structures
This unit explains how we can protect ourselves through ethical legal organisations.
Unit Thirty Eight: Communities
Many people prefer to live in communities. This unit looks at the reasons why they succeed or fail.
Unit Thirty Nine: Suburban Permaculture
Suburban areas produce almost nothing despite having good resources in people, land and time. This unit shows how suburbs can become productive parklands and good places to live.
Unit Forty: Urban Permaculture
Cities are major consumers of resources and are major polluters. This unit suggests ways in which cities can be made more attractive and productive.