Before discovering permaculture, I was a track athlete, with a major focus on the short distance sprints – 100m and 200m. I had been pursuing track as well as studies in China at Kunming University until early 2020 when I had to travel back to my home country, Zimbabwe because of the devastating Covid-19 pandemic that swept many lives worldwide. This disrupted life as we knew it, but it was a period of self-discovery for me.
I started rearing chickens to make ends meet, during this time I learnt a lot about chickens and my batches were quite successful. I raised Sasso chickens for meat and later for eggs. As time went by, I found myself connecting more to nature and I discovered permaculture. It was introduced to me through a 2 week intensive PDC Course at Fambidzanai Permaculture Centre. The knowledge I gained helped me to broadly appreciate nature and to care for it. After completing the course, I started to grow food, also evolving my chicken system.
Beginning of 2021, I enrolled in an 8 month long online PDC Course taught by Geoff Lawton (Permaculture Research Institute). As I was studying online, I also managed to set up a spiral garden where I am growing vegetables and herbs and a few other projects including rain water harvesting, raising chickens naturally. The more I study, the more I realise that the solutions to our many problems (including climate change) lie in working closely with nature. I am currently a Teaching Assistant for Geoff Lawton’s Online PDC course 2023 and also studying a Permaculture Design & Teacher Certificate with Morag Gamble of Permaculture Education Institute.
I have been working at Food Forest Abundance (FFA) as a permaculture designer from early 2022, I have created content to be taught to FFA clients and installers as well. My passion also lies in empowering people (especially the youths) with knowledge on how to live sustainably. Permaculture has given me that opportunity, I have taught a few workshops in my hometown, Bulawayo. I have also worked with non-profit organizations such as SNV and Empretec. In February 2022, I collaborated with Morganic Roots Eco-Firm & Mambira Foundation, we installed a food forest with irrigation and taught a workshop on sustainable agriculture at a local youth centre in Bulawayo.
Permaculture has taught me to live in harmony with nature and is my full time career now, as I am currently a designer, educator and installer. My wish is to be able to help communities and families be self-reliant and food secure.
Links For Guest
The Permaculture Vine Podcast: Guest Sonono
Want to know more about raising permaculture chickens. The author of this blog, Guest Sonono has a great eBook to get you started and guide you through the process.
