Project Ecovillage Centre des Hommes

We are pleased to introduce you to our current project to create an international community. That is to say, it’s named Ecovillage Centre des Hommes (ECDH). Therefore, it’s building a residential, learning and training center. In other words, it’s a cultural exchange space, to promote sustainable living and to combat such challenges as hunger. In addition, the lack of education, pollution faced by the world, and especially Africa.

The project’s aim is to create an inspiring space for the local community and volunteers, with a focus on improving the development of the population by learning and achieving sustainable development.

Ecovillage Centre des Hommes

ECDH is a new community concept, where people can learn by practically to address problems of sustainable development. Consequently, It is an ongoing participatory community project to build a training, learning and living center for human development and for cultural immersion to:

•  increase sustainable education
• decrease poverty
• work for food sovereignty
• promote culture
• help the local population to be resilient and live sustainably.

So, we have already achieved the project design, land acquisition and its apportionment along permaculture principles.  That is to say, currently we are launching crowdfunding for the water management aspect of the project.  The next step will be the Ecolodge construction, and the training element will follow.  The Ecovillage Centre des Hommes will offer various sections for training, volunteering, food growing, transformation, creativity and sustainable development demonstration. The project ECDH fields of work are ecology (environment, permaculture, agriculture, soil, climate change, renewable energy etc.), culture (Togo-African Arts, handicraft, dance, cuisine etc.) and social enterprise (youth income, the local market and economy etc.).

Ecovillage Centre de Hommes project strategies

• organise fundraising campaigns to meet financial targets.
• promote sustainable living through raising awareness and training. 
• reduce poverty, migration, hunger and unemployment by offering opportunities in social entrepreneurship and promoting village industry to create wealth. 
• raise awareness about the ECDH learning center around the world through volunteers living and learning in the community and sharing their experience in their home countries.

The results to be obtained.

• Provide training and practice in tropical agriculture, crafts and social entrepreneurship. 
• Welcome those who can bring skills as volunteers.
• Host conferences.
• Create employment through processing, packaging and selling the assorted products.
• Have the residence to host people.

The view of the ECDH project land!

We are planning to built the ecolodges.

Upcycling building. ECDH one example of building over the land!

Dwellings example that will construct in the project land

The plants, trees et grass that are growing on the ECDH project land.

Ecovillage Centre des Hommes is an ongoing project and will be a training and demonstration centre for human development and education.  The project’s aim is to create an inspiring space for the local community and volunteers, with a focus on improving the development of the population by learning and achieving the sustainable development.

Specific goals: produce and process agricultural goods and handicraft designs, promote social entrepreneurship, volunteering, and sustainable development education through raising awareness and training.

How:

∗ promote sustainable living through raising awareness, training, conferences etc.

∗ reduce poverty, migration, hunger and unemployment by offering opportunities in social entrepreneurship and promoting village industry to create wealth.

∗ raise awareness about the ECDH learning center around the world through volunteers living and learning in the community and sharing their experience in their home countries.

After the water management aspect of the project, the next step will be the building of residences, Ecolodge, kitchens and study hall and rooms. Therefore, the training element will follow. So it will be a demonstration center that will include a conference hall, classrooms, accommodation, dining hall and a demonstration site.  That is to say, we plan to host ten students per month. Therefore, they will be supported by our experienced trainers. For example, as part of their permaculture training, they will learn how to generate income. As a result, the idea is the students should transfer their skills into their communities.

What is the Ecovillage Centre des Hommes Project?

The ECDH’s prime role is to help the most vulnerable people in Togolese villages. For example, reducing poverty through sustainable development, by teaching people of all ages how to be self employed. Moreover, protect the environment, make compost, up-cycle plastic, manage waste. And, get the benefits of medicinal plants by growing and processing them into oil and powder.

We at the Non-Governmental Organisation Centre des Hommes realised that people lacked basic information and training that could help them.  So, we decided to create an educational centre to demonstrate the value of sustainable development in solving current problems. In other words, our team members have received specialised training in courses. Such as, ecovillage design, community transformation, and sustainable development.

How can we achieve ECDH?

The first step was project design, and then land acquisition. The layout of the land is ongoing.  That is to say, the land has begun to be cultivated to grow different agricultural products.  For example, banana and plantain trees, turmeric, cassava and pineapples, and medicinal plants such as noni, moringa. And, cinnamon for processing into food supplements etc..

A good irrigation system is needed to support the cultivation of the land and organic garden.  So, sound water management is essential to provide robust systems that resist construction damage, heavy rain and accidents.  Therefore, rainwater is being managed by the construction of swales or galleys, which direct water to ponds.  Account has to be taken that, the land is located on the slope of a mountain.  In addition, river water is being managed by cleaning the river banks and creating a natural canopy over it.  Moreover, a water pumping system and associated plumbing has been installed, together with the construction of water towers.  So, water is pumped from the river through storage tanks to the water towers located in the cultivated area.  This will make a large difference during the dry season.

After the water management has been achieved, work will begin on building residences, the ecolodge, study hall etc., and training can start.

That is to say, we invite you to encourage the project ECDH by donating a few small coins per week or month to make all these steps possible.  We thank you in advance with huge gratitude for your support of the ECDH project.

Ecovillage Centre des Hommes principles

The fundamental principles on which Centre des Hommes is based for the construction and activities of Ecovillage Centre des Hommes are permaculture, regenerative and organic agriculture. Moreover, the local economy, village industry, education based on sustainability, social entrepreneurship. In addition,  community transformation, and the ecovillage concept.

Ecovillage Centre des Hommes needs

Financial support, technical support, volunteers who can bring their skills, tools, materials, an empathetic understanding of our problems.   Therefore, it is a vital for you to help our poor, vulnerable and hungry people with these needs by Volunteering or by making a donation Contact.

Ecovillage Centre des Hommes Location.

Ecovillage Centre des Hommes has two hectares of land in a neighbourhood called ”sipi” at Kpimé-Séva on the Kpalimé – Atakpamé Route 5 road, in the Prefecture of Kloto, Kpalimé, Togo.  ECDH is located in the wilderness on the slope of a mountain 2.5 km from the closest village, Kpimé-séva.  The place has panoramic views surrounded with green nature all year around and is easily accessible.  The land borders the river which is also part of the project land.  A beautiful waterfall is located 200 meters away.  Hiking trails are nearby as well.

The main activities that will take place in the Ecovillage Centre des Hommes training center are in the fields of education, ecology, and culture, supported by social entrepreneurship, volunteering, trainers and training recipients.

To clarify, the Ecovillage Centre des Hommes will host education courses. Further, hold conferences, cultivate food, process agricultural products. Moreover, create handmade items, be a demonstration place. In addition, use renewable energy for heating and electric power, and become a focus for adventure activities.

Ecovillage Centre des Hommes training plan

1- The center will offer theoretical training in organic tropical agriculture, animal  husbandry, fish, mushroom, and honey production, plant-based cosmetics, and the creation of visual art works. 

2- The center will be able to offer practical demonstration of the theoretical courses, such as how to make good organic compost, and how to achieve the complete range of agricultural and artistic products.

3- The center will be the location for processing and packaging agricultural and artistic products. It will require job creation for trainers and processing employees.  That is to say, completed products will be promoted within the ECDH center through a dedicated shop and sold online. Visit our Shop to find out about the products we sell.

ECDH project land design into zones on permaculture principles.

This is ongoing, with zones around the ecolodge (green and up-cycled building). In addition, Education (training, conference wall, workshop space). Moreover, residency (accommodation, catering). And spaces around reception, storage, vehicle access, yoga, adventure, a waterfall. In addition, a food forest, crops and livestock, demonstration of production methods, village industry.  Moreover, all these zones will incorporate pathways, public space, residents’, campers and guest areas, and multiple other necessary spaces.