This is Mach with Isaya, her adopted son. She took him in when he didn’t have anywhere else to go. Now they look after each other. This is them with the vertical garden Mach learnt to make that uses grey water and a filter to grow healthy food, even in the dry season!

This is Mach and Mama Pelis during their permaculture course - it has been transformational for them all! Photo by Emma Sekwiha

Photo: Winny Saigod

Photo: Winny Saigod

“The permaculture training opened my eyes to what is possible. All this time I have been struggling away, buying expensive chemicals fertilisers and things, when all the answers were around me for free! It’s given me even more confidence in myself as a woman and in my ability to be independent.”

Mach, Safina Women’s Group

The women learnt how to make a kitchen garden. They have them at their homes and they built one at the school too. The garden has a built in filter made from gravel and dry grass that filters grey water, so that food can be grown, even in the dry season.

This is Mama Asha at home with her three daughters Asha, Mariam and Damari and Asha’s two little ones as well. Photo by Jess Smith.

Mama Pelis lives in a particularly arid area, but through permaculture techniques, she has been able to grow lots of nutritious food right at her house and it is now a luscious garden. People pass by and ask how she managed to get her own water source, but she tells them it is just using grey water wisely that has made it happen!

After learning new business principles during the permaculture course, Mama Pelis was inspired to set up her own hair salon in her village of Moleti. She has been able to provide a job to a local woman through this too.

This is the stylist that Mama Pelis has employed. She is very talented at doing styles for special occasions like weddings and parties.

Photo: HC

It is her pride and joy. The house is not quite yet ready to move in to yet, but she has already planted fruit trees all over the land so that they will provide shade and food when she and her family do move in.

Photo: HC

The women of QEA (Teachers and Safina Group members) got together for International Women’s Day to celebrate and to talk through the different challenges they face and how to help each other overcome them.

Photo: HC

Photo: HC