Courses

Marrakesh Organics presents: a Permaculture Design Certificate course (PDC) with Rhamis Kent, November 20th to December 2nd, 2016

Marrakesh Organics will be running a Permaculture Design Course (PDC) November 20th to December 2nd, 2016 on our Farm just outside Marrakech, Morocco.

This 13-Day intensive course follows the standard accredited 72-hour course and will include several hands-on sessions including making Bio-vital compost, Bio Fertilizer, Actively Aerated Compost Tea, Vegetable beds and Organic Gardening, land surveying, natural building and much more!

This Course is in English only, there will be no translation.

The course will be hosted in an organic olive farm in the foothills of the gorgeous Ourika valley, 25 Km south of Marrakesh, right on the way to historical and scenic destinations such as the Siti Fatma waterfall, Lake Lalla Takerkoust, the Oukaimeden ski resort, the ancient Berber village of Tinmel and the Toubkal national park.

The course covers in detail the ecological basis of Permaculture design, the ethics, the principles of design, strategies for restoring soils, managing water, partitioning land between intensity of uses for efficient management, cycling of energy and minerals within our system, enactment of site survey and assessment as well as design strategies for different climactic, ecological, technological and cultural settings.

Course Content

Topics covered in this PDC will be:

• Theory and principles of Permaculture
• Methods of design
• Understanding patterns in nature
• Water harvesting and management
• Drought-proofing
• Trees & and their energy transactions
• Eco-friendly house placement and design
• Energy efficient architecture
• Energy conservation techniques for cold climates
• Earthworks & their use in earth repair
• Soils
• Soil rehabilitation and erosion control
• Organic food production
• Livestock
• Aquaculture
• Ecological pest control
• Humid tropics
• The temperate climates
• Humid cool climates
• Dry lands
• Strategies for urban rural settings
• Recycling and waste management
• Right livelihood
• Catastrophe preparedness and prevention
• Money and finance
• Ethical investment
• Bio regional organization
• Legal strategies and trusts
• Effective working groups
• Effective aid
• …and much more!

The Teacher

Rhamis Kent is a Permaculture consultant, designer and teacher with a formal training in mechanical engineering and Permaculture-based regenerative whole systems design.

Rhamis trained extensively in Australia at Geoff Lawton’s Zaytuna Farm (PRI Australia) where he took his PDC, followed by: Permaculture Earthworks, Permaculture Teacher Training, Permaculture Aid Worker Training and a Permaculture internship with Geoff.

His training at PRI Australia led to his involvement with design work connected to the development of Masdar City in UAE after Mr. Lawton and his consulting company (Permaculture Sustainable Consultancy Pty. Ltd.) were contracted by AECOM/EDAW to identify solutions which fit the challenging zero emissions/carbon neutral design constraint of the project.

To access some of Rhamis’ writing on Permaculture, please click here.

Course prices (Early bird before October 25th, 2016)

• Price for local participants is 6400 Dh. (5200 Dh early bird)

• Price for international participants is 950 € (800 € early bird)

Accommodations and other specifics

• Comfortable accommodation will be provided. Private rooms are available for an added cost.

• Full catering is included in the price fee and includes three meals and two coffee and tea breaks.

• The average day temperature in the area during the month of November is 24°C, with temperatures dropping to around 9°C at nights.

The Venue

The farm produces olives as its main enterprise, but also includes animals, fruit orchards, vegetables and seed saving. It also acts as a guesthouse and a social gatherings site for retreats and workshops.

The average annual rainfall in the region is around 300 mm and the altitude is 700 m. Humidity is 24%.

What you will get from the Course!

PDC: This 2-Week full Permaculture immersion course will equip you with new tools for Whole Systems Design and Holistic Problem Solving.

You will learn practical techniques and strategies to design sustainable human settlements that include: sustainable food production, energy efficient design, landscape regeneration, water harvesting and storing and animal systems.

You will learn to recognize patterns in nature and think of ways to mimic them. Biomimicry or biomimetics is the imitation of the models, systems, and elements of nature for the purpose of solving complex human problems.

This course equips you with all the necessary tools to produce a Permaculture design for your own life situation. It is the necessary first step in becoming a Permaculture practitioner and will allow you to go on to register in internships, training of trainers (TOT) courses or for a Diploma in Permaculture Design (PDP) all offered by various Permaculture institutions around the world. The PDC is a formative stage in career development which may compliment your existing life vision or may allow you to radically re-evaluate where you want to go from here.

Participant info packet!

When exactly is the course?

The official dates for the course are NOV 20th – Dec 2nd, 2016. We will launch into the course promptly the morning of the 20th, and wrap it up on the evening of December 2nd !

Getting Here?

We advise you to arrive one or two days prior to have some rest before the course, especially international travellers.

If you are arriving in Marrakesh by train take a small taxi from the train station to Sidi Mimoun (then ask the driver to take you to the grand taxis (white) going to Ourika, usually the last ones in line). Once you arrive there, price is 10 Dh for the trip but you can pay double and have the front seat by yourself. Ask the driver to drop you off at Km 25 where you will see a sign on your right that read Al Riadinou, we will have somebody pick you up from there.

We can arrange for Airport and city pick ups for a small fee.

Payment

Payment in full is expected on the first day of the course, for those benefiting from the early bird fee, 10% is due before October 31st via bank transfer.

What to expect from the course?

This course is a certified 72-hour Permaculture Design Course (PDC). This course has a pre-set curriculum based on the content of Bill Mollison’s Permaculture: A Designers Manual.  During the course, we will touch on every major topic in the book, and will go into various amounts of detail depending on both the desires of the students as well as the expertise of the instructor. Permaculture, as an institution of teaching, has been purposely created to have no centralized authority. Anyone who has taken a PDC can go on to teach the course and pass on the knowledge of Permaculture (though it is strongly recommended that you get several years of hands-on experience first).  Upon completing the course, you will receive a Permaculture Certificate which entitles you to use the word permaculture in your endeavors as well as to teach the course.

The Permaculture course lessons here will be split between lecture-style classroom sessions and hands-on demonstrations, along with design projects that students will work on in teams. By the end of the course each person will have been involved in a complete, integrated permaculture design of a selected site. This is one of the requirements of the Permaculture certification, as well as one of the most valuable learning tools of the course. Evenings will be reserved for watching documentaries and conversations.

The Instructor for the course, Rhamis Kent is a world class permaculture teacher and consultant with many years experience working in different climates. He leads very inspiring and informative courses, and will leave you ready to make real change in the world! We have gotten excellent feedback from past students of his so you’ll be in for a treat!

What can you do to prepare for the course?

This course is intended for the beginner – who may have just heard about Permaculture for the first time, as well as for those with some experience, who may be practicing Permaculture already, but are interested in learning the theoretical framework behind it.  You are not expected to have any specific knowledge or skills upon arrival.  We do think it is helpful to start thinking about ecological systems, and permaculture design in advance.  Read!  Find a book about design, organic gardening, integrated systems, ecology, solution based exploration of our world’s problems, etc. Any of these subjects will provide you with some context prior to the lessons of the course.

Accommodations

Moroccan living rooms being what they are shall offer plenty of room for each person to feel they have their own space (though not necessarily the privacy). You will be provided with a place to sleep, mattress, sheets, blankets, and pillow. Please be flexible about your sleeping space. Private rooms available, If you prefer to bring your own tent, there are lots of great spots for setting up a tent and having a little more privacy from the group.

We have hot water for showering.

Great local cooks will be preparing our meals, so you can expect excellent food, mainly organic from our gardens.

Laundry service will be provided for a small fee.

If you have any special needs please let us know ASAP.

Important guidlines

Open and receptive attitude toward cross cultural communication
Willingness to ask questions whenever necessary
Conduct yourself in a cooperative manner and show respect to others
Conservative attire is recommended
Respecting cultural gender relations
Sobriety at all times during the PDC course
No music played out loud
No Alcohol is permitted on premises
No illicit drugs are permitted on premises
No pets

Internet

We have 3G sticks for internet use, but bring your own to avoid waiting.

What should I bring?

Even in December and January, Marrakech still has some pretty pleasant days, though nights can be chilly. Being in the drylands, we are always grateful for rainy days, but those would probably be few. Here are some other things to bring:
Rain jacket
Warm jacket
Warm socks
Work clothes, which will get dirty, especially if we do a bit of natural building.
Sun hat
Sturdy working shoes
Flashlight / Head lamp-
Books- if you want to donate to our library
Towel
Own soap & shampoo
Notebook and good pens for taking notes.
Sandals and indoor footwear (house rules dictate no outside shoes inside)
Tent and confortable camping gear
Sleeping bag
Water bottle
Favorite snacks
Chocolate (We can never stress it enough!)
Beginners Mind – Be open to learning from everyone present.

Visa information

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Morocco

Travel Insurance

We recommend that all our international students have comprehensive travel insurance for cancellation, medical expenses, personal accident, baggage, money and liability before travelling.

Contact:  marrakeshorganics@gmail.com

Marrakesh Organics Summer Internship 2016

 

Join in this amazing 21 Day-Summer internship and cultural immersion program July 9th – July 29th, 2016

Become the Change

The Marrakesh Organics Summer internship is a once a year holistic program designed to tackle some of the major issues of our times, Environmental health, Human health and intercultural understanding. Throughout our travels, daily sessions and hands on activities, we will design, live by and apply powerful solutions that challenge the usual narrative.

Environmental Education

Together we will determine the roots of the current environmental and human crises, learn of ways of becoming more responsible and sensitive individuals, acquire the necessary knowledge to grow healthy foods, build with natural materials and design intelligent and productive environments. Themes we shall discuss include Permaculture design, Eco-social Design, Regenerative agriculture & climate adaptation (Soil science, Agro-Forestry, Soil amendments & organic fertilizers, Carbon sequestration, Water harvesting among others), Farm operations & management, Natural building, animal systems and more.

Travel & Cultural immersion

The program also offers participants an international adventure in a friendly, and culturally rich country. Our goal is to facilitate an authentic, life changing, cultural and inner development experience, which will include Desert and mountain excursions, Night strolls in the ancient souks of Marrakesh among other activities!

Personal wellbeing

We work hard to create a vibrant and relaxing environment that brings out the best in people.That’s why we grow the healthiest, nutrient dense foods, and include morning yoga & meditation in our daily practice.

Community & Heart communication

One of the most amazing outcomes of working and living together in community is the spontaneous sprout of genuine human emotions, Trust, support and heart conversations.

About the program

We designed this program with the aim of providing participants with high quality content in a fertile environment to grow beyond their mental, physical, intellectual and cultural comfort zones. From hard working days to cultural immersion trips, students will be offered the opportunity to broaden their perspectives, develop hands on skills and new ways of seeing the world.

The Venue

You will be hosted in a gorgeous organic farm and Permaculture center in the foothills of the Atlas mountains, 25 Km south of Marrakesh and right on the way to historical and scenic destinations such as the “Siti Fatma Waterfall”, Lake “Lalla Takerkoust”, the “Oukaimeden Ski Resort” The ancient Berber village of “Tinmel” and the “Toubkal National Park”.

Marrakesh

We are just half an hour away from Marrakesh, a magical place, brimming with markets, gardens, palaces, and mosques. The bustling city famous for its souks and square, has recently been named the world’s top destination in TripAdvisor’s annual Travellers’ Choice Awards.

What will I get from this course?

The 21-day program provides participants with:

• Hands on skills and theory from competent facilitators.

• Workshops: Cooking classes, Soap making, Earthen Pizza oven, Bee keeping and other themes.

• Night Activities: World cafe, Art of hosting, show projections, Discussions, games.

• 2 Options:Environmental internship or Language intensive (Arabic/French) 

• Daily Yoga and Meditation to start the day!

• Healthy organic meals cooked by our world class cooking team.

• Work on personal farm projects

• Trips to surrounding areas including night strolls in Marrakesh, a 3 day trip to the desert and a 2 day ascent of North Africa’s highest peak, Toubkal.

• An opportunity to know yourself, push your limits and comfort zone, change the world (Really!)

Course Fees: Sliding scale (All inclusive*)

• Full Fee: 1280 €/ $ 1450 (Paying the full fee will help us provide scholarships to lower income students)
• Student Fee: 850€/ $ 950(For International students and NGO’s)
• Local Student Fee:  6000 Dhs

Includes:

• Shared housing in dorms (Private rooms available)
• All meals (Organic), Coffee & Tea breaks
• Field Trips (3 days in the desert, 2-Day Toubkal climb)
• Laundry Service
• Airport Pick-up
• Wifi

*Does not include

• Health Insurance
• Airfare
• Personal travel
• Personal Expenses

 

About the Facilitators: We are putting together an awesome group of passionate and knowledgeable teachers for the different themes and workshops. They will be officially confirmed soon!

Application Deadline: June 9th, 2016

Limited space: 10 Participants

Important guidlines

• Open and receptive attitude toward cross cultural communication
• Willingness to ask questions whenever necessary
• Conduct yourself in a cooperative manner and show respect to others
• Conservative attire is recommended
• Sobriety at all times during the course
• No music played out loud
• No Drugs or Alcohol are permitted on premises

What should I bring?

Work clothes, which will get dirty with mud
Sun hat, Sunglasses, Sunscreen
Sturdy working shoes
Flashlight / Head lamp-
Books- if you want to donate to our library
Towel
Own soap & shampoo
Notebook and good pens for taking notes.
Sandals and indoor footwear ( no outside shoes inside)
Tent and comfortable camping gear (if you prefer camping)
Water bottle
Favorite snacks
Chocolate (We can never stress it enough!)
Beginners Mind – Be open to learning from everyone present.

Visa information

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Morocco

TRAVEL INSURANCE

We recommend that all our international students have comprehensive travel insurance for cancellation, medical expenses, personal accident, baggage, money and liability before travelling.

Contact: marrakeshorganics@gmail.com           Cell: (+212) (0)6 71 90 78 02