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| Project Updates from the GreenHand Field School, Aceh |
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| Phase One Complete
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The GreenHand Field School was designed to evolve in phases. Phase One, the Set-Up Phase, is now complete. Australian Permaculture Trainer Steve Cran established the GFS, designed the site, conducted three 2-week Village Design Course trainings and a 3-month Training of Trainers course. Although his work in Aceh is now complete, Steve will continue to offer support and information to the project when required. He is now in Bali developing a detailed curriculum for the Village Design Course which can be used by trainers around Indonesia. The curriculum will form part of a comprehensive Permaculture Training Manual in Indonesian which is now being prepared by IDEP.
In keeping with the original concept of devolving project management to Indonesian nationals as soon as possible, day to day management of the GFS has now been undertaken by Acehnese Roberto Hutabarat, originally from North Sumatra with extensive experience in Aceh, having worked on community and cultural issues there for the last 5 years. Roberto, a dedicated environmentalist,
by practice and commitment,
worked with the Asia Foundation since 1999 with responsibility for managing the Foundation's human rights and conflict management programs in Aceh, Papua, and West Kalimantan. He also has extensive experience in civic education and election programs and was the Deputy Director of the Indonesian Independent Election Committee (KIPP) in Bali from 1998-1999.
He has a background in Anthropology, and as a human rights activist.
Roberto has an excellent program management skills and judgment, which involve frequent interaction with many local partner organizations whose work spans the Indonesian archipelago. All this expertise is combined with a calm, balanced personality who has already won the respect of the GFS team.
The GFS graduated its first batch of trainers in January. These trainers are now preparing for their first intake of Village Design Course trainees.
"There are 30 students registered for the course from four districts in Aceh," explains M. Afnan,
Site/Training
Coordinator at GFS, on a recent visit to Bali where he attended a workshop in specialized bamboo construction. "After the third VDC, the participants returned to their villages and began to implement what they had learned. Members of their community saw the new concepts and wanted to learn them too. We had to turn away a lot of people who wanted to take the VDC this time. The focus is on quality participants - those who are really interested and committed."
The fourth VDC will be entirely organized and run by Acehnese. The team has already established an effective recruitment process. The new intake will come from Pidie, Beureunun, Banda Aceh and Lhoong. A report on the training will follow in the next update.
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