Permaculture Partners (PP) has been working with ABCCI Organization since 2023, helping the non-profit make many advancements in the school and community, based on permaculture’s principles of regenerative design.

ABCC is a refugee-led organization that supports disadvantaged children and teenagers in Nakivale Refugee Settlement. It is led by Mr. Emmanuel (also known as Eric) Hakizimana, a Rwandan by origin, and a registered refugee in Nakivale Refugee Camp. Emmanuel grew up in the camp and has been one of the few successful refugees to attain well-paid work. But he gave that all up when he continued to see children out of school in his area, walking the streets and devoid of hope, and so he started a school. That school has since grown to about 200–300 students.

Permaculture Partners has helped ABCCI in multiple projects since 2023, including

• the establishment of a sustainable strategic plan (2023, 2024, 2025)
• training in digital skills (eg, Canva), film making for social impact
• the principal’s attendance at a syntropic agroforestry and permaculture course led by Seeds of Freedom in Kenya
• the creation of Mama Care resources for young mothers,
• a connection with sustainable pad-making research and partners (with SafePad Uganda)
• organic seed and plant sourcing and delivery
• the sustainable skills programs to help bring income to the impoverished community, including hairdressing, carpentry, soap making etc
• the creation of a penpals program with schools in Australia
• fundraising, which has led to the purchase of school land, capacity training, and food-growing land
• strategic fundraising advice and help with applications (eg, for a shared community kitchen including solar technology).
• Facebook
• Current fundraiser

After working together on a proposal for teenage mums, ABCCI won a grant by YARID Uganda for a program called Mama Care. These young girls are often ostracised when they fall pregnant, they lose their community, sometimes their families, their schooling, and often their hope for a better future. If we as permaculturists are serious about our work, especially when it relates to vulnerable communities, we must look to root causes of issues. Period Poverty is a leading cause of inequality among girls in these communities.

Talks with reusable pad creators in Uganda (SafePad) led to the distribution of pads among the Mama Care project young women, which will last up to 5 years. This will make a significant impact on communities that spend up to $13 of their precious funds on pads each month.

Read more here.

Future directions: Continue building and strengthening the school via partnerships, capacity building workshops and education in soap making, carpentry, weaving, and crafting, and a solar community kitchen in partnership with Waste Free in ’23.