Inaya Permaculture & Beyond

< back to initiatives

Context

Jordan is an arid country (annual rainfall varies between 400 mm in the north-west near the Jordan Valley and less than 100 mm in the southern regions of the country), where water is extremely scarce. This drought makes agricultural production difficult, and farming can quickly cause damage to this fragile environment, eroding soils and depleting resources. These problems are exacerbated by the massive influx of Syrian and Palestinian migrants (5,629,829 Palestinian refugees registered with UN agencies in 2020 and 670,000 refugees from Syria in 2022). This massive influx of refugees has led to a demographic shock in the country and increased food requirements. It is therefore vital to find a better way of producing food to feed everyone.

After meeting Pierre Rabhi in France and discovering the principles of ecology, Kadidia Sanogo-Bernardeau and Antoine Bernardeau, French permaculture consultants, decided to travel around the world for 3 years, discovering local populations and new territories. It was at the end of this journey that the couple set down their luggage in Jordan to take part in the "Greening the desert" project and at the same time create the Inaya Permaculture & Beyond collective, for the preservation and regeneration of the Earth for the benefit of its inhabitants in Jordan.

The project

The aim of the NGO is to preserve and regenerate the earth and contribute to the well-being of the people of Jordan. To achieve this, Antoine and Kadidia want to reconcile local populations with traditional skills that respect the earth.

A wide range of activities are carried out. In particular, the NGO offers Permaculture Design Courses (PCC). These last 10 to 12 days and provide in-depth knowledge of agro-ecology. Visits are organised to a number of sites (the Red Sea, the Dead Sea, the city of Petra, etc.) to raise awareness of ecological issues. The collective also organises documentary projections to attract the public and organise debates.

Since the covid-19 crisis, online training courses (CCP) have also been offered. They are still in place and are reaching a wider audience. The NGO is active on YouTube and posts explanatory videos online.

A new centre has also been set up, closer to the city centre, to be able to reach an urban audience. The NGO wants to show what can be done, even in the city: sorting, composting, planting on roofs and balconies…

Among its other activities, Inaya Permaculture & Beyond advises and supports the construction of permaculture and agro-ecological projects in Jordan, has a seed bank and organises meetings and debates, etc.

Who is it for ?

Anyone can sign up for the association's training courses. However, there is a charge for the courses (from €400 to €2,500 per person).

Results

Inaya Permaculture & Beyond regularly puts on new workshops to enable people to discover their practices.

Little extra

Inaya Permaculture & Beyond has also opened a centre in France, in Le Creusot ( Bourgogne-Franche-Comté), to give French people the opportunity to discover permaculture and, in time, perhaps encourage them to come to Jordan.

This initiative sheet was written by Manon Piocelle, LFC intern in February 2023.

Sources:

Last modification : 15 Jun 2023.