Our History

Laikipia Permaculture Centre Trust (LPCT)

We are a community based Trust founded in 2014 as a partnership between 4 Self-Help Groups from Laikipia North. To date the partnership has extended to 22 Self help groups, with a total of 1280 members. The groups mainly comprise of women who work with LPC to utilise natural resources in a sustainable way and to provide a source of income for their households. Owing to diminishing natural resources and climate change, the pastoral way of life is proofing not viable and its causing conflict between communities over water and grazing land. While it is mostly the men involved in this conflict, women and children are left most vulnerable. LPCT works with the affected women in order to promote gender equality and uplift the voices of women and to help them to develop agriculturally self-sustaining ecosystem to improve their food security and environmental regeneration.

A word from the founder

LPCT helps these groups secure off their land to promote natural regeneration and plant certain species of trees and crops like Aloe secundiflora and Moringa oleifera, these and other plants provides women with income-generating opportunities. Moreover, LPCT continously train the groups about permaculture, business management and marketing skills. Having access to land is enabling women to strengthen their social, economic and environmental ties, cultivate organic vegetables and get an income from the sale of vegetables and processing of nontimber forest products (aloe, honey and opuntia stricta). These products are marketed both locally and internationally. The groups have also gained confidence and have become more involved when it comes to accessing or managing natural resources in their villages. This model is community-led to better manage natural resources, build indigenous knowledge for utilization in bringing back the lost crops, trees, herbs and medicine of Laikipia County.

Four women groups are already manufacturing cosmetic products of Aloe secundiflora, for Kenyan local market and European market.

Joseph Olentunyoi

Founder

Established

Self-help groups

Total Members

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Why Permaculture?

Permaculture is a design system for sustainable food production and habitats, linking ecology, culture, economics and society to sustain agricultural productivity and biodiversity promoting viable farming communities.

It is a synthesis of many disciplines including agro-ecology, organic agriculture, biointensive and appropriate technology. Through careful observation and thoughtful design permaculture aims to create systems that use resources efficiently, minimizing inputs and maximizing outputs, whilst regenerating the natural environment, building soil fertility and regenerating water tables.

Climate change is becoming a reality with less water because of erratic and less rainfall and therefore we need to make decisions on how we are going to fix the landscape and how we have to live in harmony with nature. Permaculture is for sustainable human settlement. Meaning that we have to live with nature and not against it.”

The strength of permaculture lies in its emphasis on designing systems specific to the context and its bottom-up, rather than top down approach to knowledge and innovation. Its emphasis on low cost and accessible techniques to preserve resources and maximize productivity is further
well suited to places where resources are scarce. Agroecological methods used in permaculture are proven to significantly improve yields and income for small-holder farmers in developing countries, whilst providing essential ecosystem services such as improving biodiversity and soil fertility and reducing vulnerability to climate change. The permaculture ETHICS; “Earth care, People care and Fair shares” gives purpose to our work, and connect us with the many millions who are also working towards a fairer, healthier and more harmonious human culture.