Search Website

This picture-led booklet advises on seasonal food growing in refugee camps, made by Re-Alliance's partner SOILS Permaculture Association - Lebanon, in partnership with German Development Cooperation - GIZ, Mercy Corps, and the World Food Program. Translated from the original Arabic with permission from SOILS Permaculture Association - Lebanon. < Back Seasonal Food Growing in Refugee Settlements This picture-led booklet advises on seasonal food growing in refugee camps, made by Re-Alliance's partner SOILS Permaculture Association - Lebanon, in partnership with German Development Cooperation - GIZ, Mercy Corps, and the World Food Program. Translated from the original Arabic with permission from SOILS Permaculture Association - Lebanon. Donate to Re-Alliance Stay updated with our newsletter Download for free: English, Arabic & Greek

A literature analysis examining the extent to which existing guidelines on camp management offer a regenerative approach in settlement design, shelter design, food growing and water and WASH. Includes recommendations for the production of future regenerative guidelines. < Back Testing Regenerative Design guidelines for Refugee Camps and Settlements A literature analysis examining the extent to which existing guidelines on camp management offer a regenerative approach in settlement design, shelter design, food growing and water and WASH. Includes recommendations for the production of future regenerative guidelines. Donate to Re-Alliance Stay updated with our newsletter Download for free: English

This illustrated guide explores how to build and maintain a urine-diversion composting toilet called an Ecosan, which captures nutrient-rich urine for plant fertiliser, and human manure for use in farming. < Back Ecosans: Toilets in a Barrel This illustrated guide explores how to build and maintain a urine-diversion composting toilet called an Ecosan, which captures nutrient-rich urine for plant fertiliser, and human manure for use in farming. Donate to Re-Alliance Stay updated with our newsletter Download for free: English Español Français عربي Swahili

A study looking at the impact of new and previously established gardens in Cox's Bazar refugee camps on people's well-being and nutrition, as well as the costs and benefits of the different approaches used. < Back Growing in Crisis: The costs, benefits and transformative potential of food growing in Cox's Bazar A study looking at the impact of new and previously established gardens in Cox's Bazar refugee camps on people's well-being and nutrition, as well as the costs and benefits of the different approaches used. Donate to Re-Alliance Stay updated with our newsletter Download for free: English

< Back Ruth Andrade Chair of the Trustee Board Ruth has more than 10 years of experience in environmental project management and development in the business sector and two decades experience in education. In the last 10 years, Ruth has been involved in community development, sustainable livelihoods, collaborative project design and participatory governance processes. Ruth’s focus is in building and energising networks to create a bridge between industrial growth and a new culture that can sustain complex life on the planet. Ruth gives her time to designing, developing, testing and learning strategies, patterns and worldviews that can support this new flourishing culture. She has an MSc in Advanced Environment and Energy Studies.

< Back Batata Boris-Kaloff Correspondent Batata Boris-Kaloff is a skillful storyteller who uses multi-media to report issues around environmental and humanitarian themes. Trained in the department of Journalism and Mass Communication in the University of Buea, Boris-Kaloff Batata has been practicing as Journalist for close to a decade. He currently serves as a Journalist and Station Manager of CBS radio Buea. Boris-Kaloff has volunteered his storytelling skills for some international media platforms including Planet Forward and Global Voices and has trained dozens of Youths and Journalist on Fact Checking, combatting hate speech and impact storytelling. His passion and professionalism have earned him several recognitions and awards both locally in Cameroon and internationally. He recently worn the Best Radio Journalist Award for 2024 Organized by the Cameroon English Language Newspaper Publishers Association (CENPA) also won The Human Rights and Humanitarian Reporter of the year in 2021 and 2023 at the Victoria International Media Merrit Award given by the Cameroon Association of Media Professionals (CAMP) amongst other recognitions. Boris-Kaloff has attended several professional training programs and fellowship around his field. The most recent is the CNN Academy Fellowship and the Journalism AI Academy fellowship.

< back Date of completion: 1 May 2024 Building Wicking Beds in Tongogara Building water-saving growing beds in a water-scarce refugee settlement. From November 2023 to May 2024, Re-Alliance partnered with the Fambidzani Permaculture Centre (FPC) and the Transformative Innovative Hub (TIH) to build wicking beds in the Tongogara Refugee Camp. The project introduced wicking bed technology to address water scarcity, aiming to improve the community’s nutrition and health through access to fresh vegetables. A wicking bed is a garden bed design that uses capillary action to draw water from the base of the bed, making it perfect for maximum water efficiency in arid climates. By placing a reservoir of water at the bottom, fed through a tube, moisture is drawn upward directly to the plant roots. This ‘wicking’ process ensures plants receive consistent hydration while significantly minimising evaporation. In hot and dry climates, a large percentage of water can be lost to evaporation, so simple designs to maximise water use is ideal. The project engaged 75 residents and provided comprehensive training on the construction and maintenance of diverse wicking bed models. Following the workshops, participants successfully installed their own home-based wicking beds and harvested a wide range of crops, including spinach, rapeseed, tomatoes, and onions. The wicking beds enabled participants to reduce water consumption by more than 50% compared to conventional beds. An FPC survey showed that a single 60-litre reservoir could sustain a garden for an entire week, offering a buffer against the region’s frequent droughts. Beyond water resilience, the project integrated Permaculture training, empowering residents to shift from expensive, toxic chemicals to nature-inspired and organic methods of growing. For long-term success, the initiative has evolved to focus on growing the health of soil. Drawing on lessons from the implementation in Tongogara, the team recognised that using locally made compost, and empowering communities to be self-sufficient, are vital to community resilience. Re-Alliance worked with Fambidzanai to develop a 'how-to' guide on developing wicking beds, which you can download below.

Authored by Simon Watkins and Paul Bröker, this review surveys existing guidance and practice relevant to humanitarian settlement planning, with a focus on how far current approaches support regenerative outcomes. It maps key tools and standards, identifies gaps in coverage, and frames critical questions for agencies, practitioners, and communities. < Back Humanitarian Settlement Planning: A Review Authored by Simon Watkins and Paul Bröker, this review surveys existing guidance and practice relevant to humanitarian settlement planning, with a focus on how far current approaches support regenerative outcomes. It maps key tools and standards, identifies gaps in coverage, and frames critical questions for agencies, practitioners, and communities. Donate to Re-Alliance Stay updated with our newsletter Download for free: English

< back Encouraging urban rooftop garden in Al-Buriej Refugee Camp Growing food gardens on rooftops in urban spaces with limited access to land. In partnership with Re-Alliance, GUPAP aimed to provide a pilot project in Buriej Refugee Camp, Gaza, which lacked agricultural and green places. This project aimed at promoting urban rooftop gardens in refugee camps in order to encourage urban agriculture, and food sovereignty. It was also a wellbeing activity, reminding the families of their lands in the occupied state of Palestine. Moreover, the project allows resident refugees to secure food in the face of poor economic conditions and a lack of humanitarian aid. Through this intervention, building a pilot rooftop garden on the residential unit, designing a roof garden, and an irrigation system, where the design was chosen based on the available house space, the design also took into account that there should be a small greenhouse for growing summer plants during the winter, and agriculture open spaces for seasonal crops, as well as adding the technique of planting pipes to exploit the walls and increase the green space. Thus, an entire family, with an average of 20 members, obtained a financial return that represented self-sufficiency in food and saved the cost of buying vegetables and transportation. Within the framework of this activity, GUPAP supported 20 people who were negatively affected by the economic situation of Gaza City. providing agricultural basics also contributed to increasing the green area and reducing solid waste. It is with great sadness that we say, when the Israeli military invaded and bombarded Gaza from October 2023, this project was destroyed. Re-Alliance wishes to express solidarity with all the women of Gaza who created roof gardens for themselves, their families, and their communities. We hope for a time of peace and freedom when the seeds that are planted are allowed to flourish. Photos

< back Ecosan Composting Toilets Urine diversion, dry composting toilets in a barrel. Seven dry Ecosan compost toilets, built by YICE Uganda in collaboration with Re-Alliance, were constructed in four villages within the Nakivale camp in Uganda. An innovative design, utilizing flood-proof containers that could be easily swapped, maximized the limited space available. A comprehensive illustrated booklet, translated into multiple languages, was produced to provide information on the proper use of the toilets. Additionally, 100 households received training on the safe reuse of urine in crop production. Single-parent households with children with disabilities were particularly selected for the project. One such household is Chantal's, a refugee widow from Congo, who has a firstborn son with epilepsy. Chantal expressed gratitude for the Ecosan toilet, stating, “I am Chantal, a refugee widow from Congo, and my firstborn is epileptic. I was always concerned about what might happen to my son during an attack while using a pit latrine. However, all my worries were alleviated after receiving an Ecosan toilet.” Photos

< back Vermicomposting Toilets In Bekaa, Lebanon, Farms Not Arms built three vermicompost toilets for refugee families. These innovative toilets use worms to convert human waste into compost. Implemented by our partners Farms Not Arms in Lebanon, three vermicompost toilets were constructed for refugee families in Bekaa, Lebanon. Two were located in a camp, while the third was situated on a nearby regenerative farm. Vermicomposting toilets are an innovative option for waste management. These toilets work with worms to break down human waste into compost, reducing water use and eliminating the need for chemical treatments. This method lowers water usage and environmental impact and also produces nutrient-rich compost that can be used for gardening. Farms Not Arms hosted three workshops, involving representatives from the camp, to cover topics such as sanitation practices, vermicompost toilet functions, and design. Each vermicompost toilet was designed to accommodate daily usage by six to eight individuals, with each tank having a capacity of 0.9 cubic meters. Considering this usage, each tank can hold waste for approximately six months to a year without the need for emptying. These toilets operated on a semi-flush system, ideal for communities who wash instead of wipe after using the toilet. The water washed away in a soak-away garden. The average cost of constructing each toilet was around GBP £814, with small ongoing maintenance costs. All surveyed participants expressed satisfaction with the placement of the toilets and their overall functionality. Photos