Contribute to creating a sustainable and resilient future for the Rusinga Island Community, Kenya

Details

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  Description

  Hello Workawayers
  
  In a quiet corner of the countryside, where the land meet the lake, there is an Island called Rusinga. Rusinga Island, with an elongated shape approximately 10 miles (16 km) from end to end and 3 miles (5 km) at its widest point, lies in the eastern part of Lake Victoria at the mouth of the Winam Gulf. Part of Kenya, it is linked to Mbita Point on the mainland by the new Rusinga-Mbita bridge which replaced the old causeway. It is an excellent option when you are looking to unplug from the world and connect with nature. If you want your kids to put aside their phones and Ipads, for some quality time, then definitely head out here.
  
  In this beautiful and tranquil island, you'll Meet young couples Daniel Owiti (26 years) and Cyndy Ochieng(24 years). Daniel is a Climate activist, an award-winning Permaculture designer, Certified Educator and one of the Africa's leading Permaculture educators. Since my first Permaculture Design Course on 2014, I've been involved with permaculture projects and social movements and projects throughout East Africa and Europe (Spain and France). August 2019, I was recognised by the Royal Soil Syntropy of Curaçao, Netherlands as a leading figure in food forest(Syntropic Agroforestry)and awarded dual diplomas for excellence in education and food forest site design. Got a degree in Tropical Forest Landscapes. Cyndy is passionate about ecological restoration, inclusive, dynamic, place-based learning, and envisioning an equitable future for both human and non-human communities. She has worked extensively in the fields of regenerative agriculture, sustainable community development, and conservation biology across both tropical and temperate biomes.
  Daniel and Cyndy founded an organisation registered by the Kenyan government under department of social services as a community based organisation with an aim of creating a sustainable and resilient future for the Rusinga Island Community. Over the past years, Rusinga Island has been experiencing severe ecological and livelihood decline driven by deforestation, soil erosion, drought intensification, and collapse of wild fisheries in Lake Victoria. Approximately 70% of households rely on fishing, yet fish stocks and sizes are rapidly decreasing. At the same time, loss of tree cover has disrupted local moisture cycles, increased erosion into the lake, and reduced agricultural productivity.
  Serving as a beacon to sustainability seamlessly integrating permaculture, syntropic agroforestry and Bringing back the lost mother Forest as been part of our lifetime. Our hearts will only rest that day when We'll turn on the news and hear that there's peace in the island both with nature and with human.
  We have been organising and Facilitating Permaculture Design Courses, Setting up food forests in schools, children's homes, hospitals etc and growing trees through "The Conservation and Regreening of the Major Hills of Rusinga Island, Institutions and Community Zones " an initiative to restore varieties of degraded lands at the island. Through community tree planting and agroforestry, we have managed to regenerate 1,800 hectares of degraded forest land.
  Join us and help work together, honoring our traditions and wisdom, as we strive for a sustainable and just future for all. We are still out there speaking on behalf of our people and amazed at the opportunity to do so on an international level. Thank you those who stop and provide encouragement, exchange ideas, roll down there sleeves in pursuit of sustainable practices, get there legs and hands dirty and support and the good old fashioned sense of enthusiasm.
  
  Ya’all are awesome. Ya'all are welcome
  Cyndy is running an initiative through the Lake Victoria Peace and Sustainability Center where she is Reclaiming Rusinga Island women's place in nature as Earth Stewards, there sense of place, of belonging to the earth, fostering respect for life and its complexity, awareness of the consequences of our actions, and accepting responsibility for how they meet there needs. She draws from the wisdoms of traditional and indigenous cultures and weaves this with women's contemporary knowledge of ecology, earth science and technology to create abundance, regenerate the land and build resilient farms. She has the women meeting twice every month.
  
  
  Permaculture is always at the heart of everything we do.
  
  
  We believe education should be more than academics—it should prepare children to live in harmony with the Earth, care deeply for others, and contribute meaningfully to the world around them. This graphic beautifully captures the three ethics that guide us: Earth Care, People Care, and Fair Share. Whether they are planting a food forest, tending animals, teaching children how to build, compost, or simply play with intention—we’re living out permaculture principles in real time. We are glad to be having too amazing children programs during school holidays. We remind the kids of the many passionate earthlings working together for earth care, people care, and fair share in our community. We really love and enjoy hanging with the kids, making new ones, learning from the wealth of knowledge and support from them and walk away feeling extremely grateful and hopeful for our community. We are creating a world where every young hand is eager to touch, explore and protect the earth
  
  Comments from previous amazing and wonderful Workawayers.
  
  "I found a wealth of information in Daniel's food forest class, I took it onsite and found it engaging and helpful. I left every class wanting more and feeling inspired!" - Michael Omondi
  
  "For so many years I was a haphazard gardener and suffered many more failures than successes. I now feel that I am a more informed gardener and learned to map out and plan our Food Forest in stages... I am so excited about it all because there will be all kinds of berries and currants in our lives again - can’t wait to share them with my grand children and not get too overwhelmed with it all." -
  Judith Mitchell
  Our Permaculture Design course with Daniel was brilliant! Students varied from keen new gardeners to old hands and we all found such practical and applicable advise, wisdom and help. I feel completely ready to take a fresh look at how to establish our permaculture farm and I was stuck previously. I'm really grateful!"
  : Linet jackson
  
  
  We are Looking forward to having a community that creates food forest—a place where nature and agriculture blends seamlessly, providing an abundance of food while restoring the land to its natural glory.The agricultural framework of Permaculture sets forth a series of ethics, rules and principles and provides a toolbox of techniques that can be applied to any aspect of life. On an everyday basis, Permaculture principles and ethics provide guidance in living more sustainably, helping us make more conscious decisions around personal practices, encouraging cooperation over competition, integrating rather than separating, and the consideration of multiple factors in decision making - to highlight just a few Permaculture principles.
  These principles can not only restore our planet, but can also be integrated into practical, everyday life.
  Lake victoria peace and sustainability Center aims to create hope for future generations by demonstrating practical possibilities for reversing soil erosion, implementing land restoration, eco-construction, passion-based learning, local food security, and more. It is also a community for those who want to be part of practical solutions, embrace an alternative lifestyle, and create a welcoming environment for our inner nature. Our global ecosystem is in need of a peaceful restoration to address the twin environmental crises: biodiversity loss and climate change. Through knowledge exchange and capacity-building centered on permaculture principles, the Center (CCA&MC) exists to, from the ground up, help halt and reverse our collective detrimental impacts on the environment through hands-on, age-appropriate, and accessible education.
  
  "Tell me I forget, teach me and I remember, Involve me and I learn "
  We have a deep focus on Self-reliance for Rusinga Island Community powered by the deep intention to live, work, dream, play and rest fully on the land. Rusinga Island must embark on the biggest period of change we have ever known. The community know what needs to change, but often don’t know what to do. We are pioneering new approaches to food, energy, housing and community, and now more than ever, we need to share that work and inspire a huge new wave of permaculture action.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Charity Work

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Farmstay help

  General Maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet
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  Interests

  

  Vegetarian or vegan

  

  Sustainability

  

  Farming

  

  Events & social

  

  Culture

  

  Charity work

  

  Plant care

  

  Gardening

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Books

  

  Animals

  

  Water sports

  

  Mountain

  

  Camping

  

  Dancing

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Nature

  

  Hiking
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  What's this?
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  You will have an opportunity to interact with the local Abasuba(luo) community and our beautiful environment here. The island is home to huge range of animals, notably the birds and some monkeys. You have a chance to eat our local fish such as omena, Nile perch and tilapia.
  You will be interacting with many locals, and living as we do. If you are looking for an authentic Kenyan experience during your time in our country

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  We're excited to invite passionate individuals, change-makers, and collaborators to join us in making a real impact. Whether you're an environmental enthusiast, a permaculture expert, or simply someone eager to contribute to positive change, we would be so grateful to have you on board.
  
  1. Volunteers will be an integral part of our conservation, reforestation, species monitoring and environmental education activities including Children Permaculture Design Courses, Women Permaculture Design Courses etc. We will work together on concrete projects that have a positive impact on the environment and the local community. They will be provided with ongoing training and support so that they can develop their skills and knowledge in the field of conservation.
  
  2. Natural Building Skills; We are looking forward to establishing an office and a space where one can experience living a sustainable lifestyle while connecting with nature, themselves, the otherness and the sacredness of life well equipped with different permaculture, food forest and ecosystem restoration books and some computers for online sessions.We prefer the Natural building method as it reconnects us with our roots, using local, sustainable materials to create beautiful, durable, and eco-friendly structures that harmonize with our surroundings. We are calling all eco-enthusiasts and green builders to Join us for the unparalleled bio construction experience.
  
  3. Permaculture and Syntropic agroforestry Concept ;We are currently on look for a volunteer who will help in taking the farm to the position where it should be. We're actively seeking volunteers who are ready to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty in the pursuit of sustainable practices. Your time and dedication can play a pivotal role in implementing permaculture and syntropic forestry initiatives that address climate change and uplift local communities. We have a 2 hectares Parma-farm having permaculture and syntropic forestry principles implemented. This provide the best practical site during the onsite trainings and courses. Join us on-site and be a part of the hands-on transformation!
  
  4. Tree Nursery Establishment; We plan on establishing a Tree nursery so as to eliminate cost of purchasing seedlings so if you can get yourself any of these, either new or old, we will say a very big thank you
  . Porting bags, shade nets, drought resistant plant seeds, wheelbarrow, camera,
  
  5. Fundraising / Grant Writing ; We request to have a volunteer who will be responsible for writing funding proposals for the project. He/she will be responsible for sourcing for funding opportunities both local and international. He/She will report to the Executive Director. Based at the organization, volunteer will take the lead in writing grants and launch fundraising campaigns for our current programmes. Due to the size of our organisation, we do not fund salaries however we will pay the right candidate 5% commission for any grant secured up to a maximum amount to be agreed.
  
  6. Marketing / Networking ; As a growing and ambitious organization, we strive to get on a fast track with all our projects. Thus we are in need of marketing and networking for our organization and our projects internationally.
  
  7 Photography and Videography ; A volunteer with professional skills in Photography, filming and editing videos for organization programs . Hopefully sharing this on YouTube, develop a website and on our Facebook page would raise awareness among a larger number of people, increasing the opportunities for grants and donations

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Luo: Fluent
  Swahili (Kiswahili): Intermediate
  French: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  French, Portuguese
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  Accommodation

  Volunteers whether single or couple have a specific room, where you will be provided with bed and adequate beddings. We don’t have a shower as you are probably used to in your country. So to get clean, we boil water with pans what we use as hot water to wash ourselves.
  This is probably very interesting if you’ve never done it before 😇. Something else what might be new to you is our toilet. Clothes are washed by hand as we don’t have a washing machine either.
  
  With the host family you will be encouraged to eat local African dishes which most people find quite appetising.
  We provide three meals per day (breakfast, lunch and dinner).
  
  Volunteers are free to cook and prepare meals to their standard choices, and they can give assistance in case of need and that is when you want too.
  
  Internet:
  
  Currently we do not have Wi-fi at our compound. Upon arrival in kenya, we recommend you purchase a safaricom line as it provides extremely superb services including internet access.
  
  Water:
  
  Tap water is used for washing and cooking and it’s free. For drinking it is best to buy water in the shop.

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  What else ...

  We believe in a life/work balance, and because of this, we only ask for 5 hours per day M-F as a student/volunteer. Thereafter, you will have enough time to feel the the following attractions of Rusinga Island;
  
  - Rusinga Island Museum: It is a must-visit attraction on the island that showcases the rich cultural heritage of the region including archaeological artifacts, traditional craft and exhibits on the pre historic discoveries made on the island. In collaboration with researchers and scientists, they help the local communities to promote understanding and protection of the island’s unique ecosystem and history.
  
  - Bird Watching; Rusinga Island is a paradise for bird watchers. The island is home for diverse range of bird species including several migratory birds. You can spot species such as African fish Eagles, kingfishers weavers, herons and many more. Bird Watching enthusiast can explore the wetlands, forest and shores of the island to observe these beautiful creatures.
  
  - Rusinga Island offers an opportunity to enjoy various water activities. You can go fishing, take boat rides or simply relax on the shores of the Lake enjoying the scenic beauty and the peaceful atmosphere.
  
  - Nature walks and Hiking: Rusinga island is blessed with lush green landscapes and scenic beauty. You can explore the island on foot and take nature walks to enjoy the tranquility and observe the local flora and fauna. Hiking and nature walks provides an excellent opportunity for nature photography. Remember to respect wildlife and their habitats while photographing.
  
  - Cultural Experiences: Rusinga island is habited by Luo Community. You will have an opportunity to experience our vibrant culture. You can interact with the local, learn about out traditions, enjoy dances and music performances, and savour authentic luo cuisine.
  
  - Ruma National Park, having diverse range of animals located 2 hours drive from the island.
  
  - Takawiri beach on the nearby islands
  
  - Interact with the Rusinga Island Mothers Of The Forest every fist and last Wednesdays of every month.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  WiFi connection not available

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  Space for parking camper vans

  Parking space for any type of van for free

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  Can possibly accept pets

  Cats and dogs

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  My animals / pets

  Cow, goat

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