Josphat Macharia was born and raised in Naivasha. He is a very innovative, creative, knowledgeable, and focused man running a permaculture land after retiring from being a government teacher in Kenya. He taught for over 20 years in public schools in different parts of Kenya and now lives in a well-built farmhouse on 5 acres at Ndabibi in Naivasha village. He is now married and with two children, and doing permacultures training on his farm that also houses many domestic animals, including birds. He's a man who loves what he is doing, which is a result of his passion and interests. We were very happy to have him share his farming practices with us, as well as tell us about the life experiences he's gone through (including the many countries he's visited, in Africa and abroad). He has learned a lot about agriculture, culture, and related areas, so many guests have visited his farm to learn from him. He really cares for the earth and people and shares his methods with them frequently. He shares a lot of his resources, like rainwater he has collected, with the community too. Among his many other projects, he also built classrooms for neighboring schools. His farm has very fertile soil with a lot of nutrients; the crops in his farm are very healthy and chemical-free.

What we learned

• Importance of water and how to use it in a proper way. Sources of water and how to maintain and protect them.
• Effective microorganisms (E.M) or B.M and how to use them on the farm. This is good to use as foliar feed on the farm rather than chemicals.
• Use of comfrey tea, a plant that when mixed with water is used to make foliar for the other plants.
• Water harvesting and storage methods.

Way forward

Put in practice what we learn and train the community on good practices of farming, conservation, and the environment.

Conclusion

Permaculture is the way to go. Passion and interest will take you far. It is the responsibility of all of us to make the world a better place to live. God gave us the earth for free, not to destroy it, but to make it better by doing what is right. A special thanks to Johnny Onslow at Vanessa Grant Trust for seeing it worthy to sponsor us to learn this. We will not let you down. We will share what we learn with everyone we can so that we can change the society we live in. Thanks to Jospart for the delicious meals. The catering and hospitality were perfect. The funny jokes and storytelling during the evening were much appreciated, as was the opportunity to learn about other areas related to permaculture.

The training was an eye-opener to all of us.