Re-Alliance's Services Contact us to book services Visit us on social media Re-Alliance provides CONSULTING A consultancy brokering service, linking organisations with individual expertise in the field of regenerative design and development KNOWLEDGE A knowledge bank of case studies, academic articles and research reports evidencing the impact of this work TOOLKITS Links to practical tool kits, training courses and how-to guides, both our own and those produced by our members WORKSHOPS Speakers, facilitators or workshop hosts for specific events, or training sessions about Permaculture and regeneration designed specifically for your organisation Underlying principles Our underlying principles inform our organisational policies and our practice to achieve the change we want to see in the world. While traditionally development and humanitarian response has moved from the global North to the global South, we particularly value the knowledge and resources located in the South and the learning they have to offer to different parts of the world. Already we can see a time when trajectories may be reversed as all areas of the world face the challenges associated with fragility and climate change. From Principles to Policies & Practices PRINCIPLES • To bridge the humanitarian and development divide • Provide alternative discourses around progress • Evidence the impact and effectiveness of regenerative approaches • Emphasise the significance of healthy ecosystems in human wellbeing POLICY • Evidence the impact and effectiveness of regenerative approaches • Influence institutions, and provide a platform for skills, knowledge and evidence sharing • Advocate for a shift of investment flows from harmful to restorative practices PRACTICE • Provide a platform for skills, knowledge and evidence sharing • Encourage participation & inclusive processes • Collectively remember and value local and traditional ways of knowing • Brokering relationships Linking research & practice We link research with practice and aim to provide support and learning in areas where it can have maximum impact. Offering our coalition's services We offer a brokering service to match specialists with projects and activities that can best benefit from their input. Please contact us if you or your organisation are in need of specialist input or advice. We can vouch for the quality and integrity of our members’ work. Areas of expertise Regenerative design in situations of disaster and displacement, to maximise community resilience and regenerative use of the environment Building with natural materials and in response to environmental conditions (straw bale, resilient and affordable housing, earthquake and flood resistant buildings, etc) Food growing and nutrition, space design for optimal yields, regenerative orchards, forest gardens, gardening in refugee camps. Irrigation and watershed management, water recycling, approaches at WASH and the use of greywater in food growing Resilient livelihoods, stabilisation agriculture and agroecology in fragile and conflict affected environments, food growing and marketing after displacement Climate change adaptation, research and practice, restoring and regenerating local ecosystems Monitoring and evaluation, business development and organisational support to small and large scale organisations involving the bringing together of multiple, interdisciplinary teams Resource development, training, facilitation and the management of learning for farmer groups, small communities, conflicted communities, government bodies and international organisations. Contact us to find out more about our services, or to make a booking. Get in touch

Acerca de Re-Alliance's Latest Webinar Regenerative Practitioners of East Africa Friday 27th January 2023 UK time: 10am GMT East Africa time: 12pm EAT Find more timezones here . Welcome to the latest session in Re-Alliance's regenerative webinar series. Join us to hear from four practitioners integrating Permaculture, Regeneration, and Traditional Ecological Knowledge into their work in East Africa. In this one hour session entitled “Regenerative Practitioners of East Africa”, we will be hearing from Denyse Niyubahwe (Gardens for Health International), Ainebyona Peter (KAFRED), Bemeriki Bisimwa Dusabe (Rwamwanja Rural Foundation), and Noah Ssempijja (YICE). We will hear the stories and experiences of our panel guests, showcasing a range of local regenerative solutions to increasingly challenging global problems. Following these presentations there will be an open discussion including the opportunity for attendees to ask questions of the panel. We look forward to welcoming you, and celebrating the work of some of the inspirational regenerators of East Africa. Register now Want to keep informed about future webinars and meetings? The easiest way to stay informed about upcoming events and much more, is by becoming a member of Re-Alliance. Membership is free and open to all with an interest in regenerative design. To read more about our membership benefits, and to request to join the network, click the button below. Join Re-Alliance

< Back Margaret Wightman Finance & Operations Manager Margaret has worked with a wide variety of charities, voluntary and community groups and social enterprises across the UK, and for the past eighteen years has been providing freelance support with financial management, business planning and organisational development. She has a degree in economics, post-graduate qualifications in psychology, criminal psychology, and coaching, and trained as a chartered accountant.

Join the Re-Alliance membership to access a vibrant network of regenerative thinkers from around the world. As part of our network, whether a grassroots practitioner or a policymaker in a big international NGO, you will have access to dynamic knowledge, a vibrant and active community of experts, and a wealth of opportunities for collaboration. Joining Re-Alliance's Membership Contact us Request to join Re-Alliance is a coalition of field practitioners, policymakers, educators, community leaders, and humanitarian and development workers. Our mission is to advance and showcase regenerative practice across the sectors of humanitarianism and development, particularly in the context of development, disaster and displacement. We work with our members to build an evidence base showcasing regenerative projects, to create mutually beneficial connections, to facilitate peer to peer knowledge sharing as well as influencing larger scale agencies and big, international NGOs (BINGOs). While our website and social media channels share information that is fully open to all, Re-Alliance members have exclusive access to a network of experienced practitioners working on the ground in a variety of capacities, as well as a variety of members-only materials. Become a member of Re-Alliance As part of our network, whether a grassroots practitioner or a policymaker in a BINGO, you will have access to dynamic knowledge, a vibrant and active community of experts and a wealth of opportunities for collaboration. Our membership is open to all, the only requirements are interest and expertise in regenerative design, experience in the humanitarian and/or development sectors, and a willingness to comply with our code of conduct and policies. Member benefits include: The ability to connect with a global network of regenerative specialists Exclusive access to learning opportunities Inclusion of your organisation’s details on our website Exclusive member communications Access to invite-only meetings and webinars The opportunity to host webinars or propose topics Eligibility for members-only funding opportunities Consultancy and collaboration opportunities Having your work featured in our growing evidence base of regenerative design Please note that we are a networking and learning organisation, not a funding organisation. We cannot accept request for funding. Request to join form View membership request form

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< back Date of completion: 2 Aug 2024 Growing Mushrooms in Reusable Buckets Minak Projects trialled mushroom growing in reusable, upcycled containers in a refugee settlement. Between October 2023 and August 2024, Minak Projects ran a mushroom cultivation project in Nakivale, Uganda to create better food security, nutrition, and economic resilience. By supporting displaced women with specialised mycology skills, the project offered a pathway to financial independence and a strategy to combat local malnutrition. The project grew food insecurity in a context where food aid was being severely cut, by introducing a high-protein fungal food source. The project's circular design allowed the use of local agricultural waste such as dried legume husks as growing substrate. Once the substrate was used, it was then composted in local Permaculture food gardens, allowing the nutrients to return back to the land. Beyond the food harvest, residents' active participation strengthened community bonds and learning. Mushroom cultivation is a valuable addition in refugee contexts because the mushrooms can be grown in clean, upcycled and reusable containers such as buckets, and grown in small spaces. The crops also have good value-addition potential, with the ability to solar-dry the mushrooms and ground down to a storable and nutrient-rich powder. Re-Alliance worked with Minak Projects and other partners to develop a 'how-to' booklet, which was then translated into multiple languages, so other displaced communities can learn and adapt mushroom growing to their own contexts. Click the image below to download the publication.

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Regenerative Camps and Settlement Projects for Refugees and IDP communities following disaster and Displacement Current Project: Regenerative Camps & Settlements Great oaks from little acorns grow: from pilots to system-change. A £191,000 project over 3 years aiming to increase the impact and influence of regenerative solutions to disaster and displacement. Over the next three years, Re-Alliance will be working on our ‘Regenerative Camps and Settlements' project. The project will pilot regenerative interventions within formal and informal camps for refugees and IDPs. The learnings from the projects will inform our wider research into regenerative responses to disaster and displacement and create content for further learning materials and knowledge sharing aimed at promoting grass-roots, community led interventions and influencing mainstream INGO activities. 1 st Funding round May 2022 41 applications received 8 projects selected In May 2022, we held our first round of funding and selected eight projects from the 41 applications received. A second round of funding is planned for 2023. The local partners selected have begun implementing change-making regenerative programmes to trial innovations which benefit local communities and the natural environment. The projects aim to enhance multiple systems, increasing the health of social, ecological and economic systems together. These projects aim to work in an integrated way to break down the traditional silos between sectors. We will have a second round of funding in 2023 when we intend to fund projects focusing on energy and communication. This round of projects include: 3 Integrated Sanitation Projects (Nakivale Uganda, Lebanon and Kakuma Kenya) Although the concept of dry and compost toilets is now understood and has been adopted in some camp settings, widespread uptake is limited because, in part, the benefits of resource creation are not understood and therefore systems are not maintained and valued. We have partnered with local groups with a focus and understanding of soil health, nutrient cycles and food growing. By integrating various designs of composting toilets with amending soils for plant growth we aim to create projects which thrive at the intersection between WASH and Livelihoods creating multiple benefits to both areas. 3 Urban Agriculture (Cameroon, Gaza and Athens) Urban agriculture increases access to healthy, affordable, fresh food and gives communities a chance to learn about nutrition and growing food. More than this, it gives people who have been uprooted from their homes purposeful, therapeutic activity. By growing and cooking favourite foods, a taste of home can be created in a new place while tiny green spaces enrich the environment and biodiversity of cities. Reducing the amount of food families have to buy increases resilience and reduces the amount of food that needs to be imported into cities at high carbon costs. The projects supported also integrate the use of upcycled and recycled materials and seed saving to reduce inputs and create regenerative cycles. Lime Stabilised Soil construction (Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh) If concrete was a country, it would be the third biggest emitter of CO2 in the world. Lime Stablised soil is a viable alternative to concrete with similar cost, strength and adaptability benefits but with a fraction of the carbon footprint. Following disasters, huge rebuilding programmes often utilise concrete for rapid rebuilding, but lime stabilised soil has been shown to have greater benefits as it allows for the use of on-site materials (soil) and reduces the need for imported materials. It therefore minimises costs, carbon and resource demands and reduces construction traffic by avoiding transport of excavated and imported materials. Lime stabilisation is established practice with a proven history of successful use internationally but cement is still the first choice by many engineers in part because of the knowledge gap of use. Lime Stablised soil could be particularly useful in projects in Cox’s Bazar, because the use of concrete is often prohibited by the authorities for political reasons. Lime could be a viable alternative to concrete without compromising on strength and safety and help the Rohingha communities build durable paths and settlements, 1 Camp Composting (Nakivale: Uganda) Closing the nutrient cycle by converting food waste into compost is a fundamental tool in turning human activity from an extractive to regenerative process. This project works at the intersection between waste management, livelihoods and health. Composting schemes such as this reduce waste management costs, enrich soils to enable healthy food to be grown and increase the health and biodiversity of the soil. Healthy soils sequester more carbon, absorb more water during heavy rainfall and facilitate organic food growing due to increased nutrient content. Anchor 1

< 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