What we do:
The African Ecovillage Network assists, educates and supports villages and communities towards self sufficiency, through social entrepreneurship and development of grassroots projects, while building solidarity and cooperation between people.
We encourage, advise and teach communities to use clean energy, water purification and desalination processes, and actively encourage people to reduce, reuse and recycle.
Regarding the land and food, we promote organic farming and permaculture. For example growing local medicinal plants, planting trees as windbreaks, saving endangered species of plants and crops, growing fruit trees, composting with zero waste, use of bio-digesters. Hand in hand with this we share the importance of the conservation of ecosystems.
Regarding building and construction we promote building with natural local materials, using both tried and tested traditional methods and crafts, combined with modern design and building techniques.
For the people we offer new paradigms in schooling, medicine, ecotourism, eco-farm retreats, and much more.
In addition GEN Africa exists to :
1. Makes visible to the world the dynamic and impressive work already being done on the ground to develop sustainable community solutions all over Africa
2. Empower African indigenous projects and the people involved by connecting them to each other and to like-minded individuals and organisations worldwide
3. Facilitate South-South and South-North exchange of inspiration, information and training amongst ecovillages and related projects in Africa and the world
4. Invite traditional village networks into the ecovillage network on the basis of deep respect for the wisdom they still hold
5. Hold a special focus on and acknowledgement of the need for North-South reconciliation work
