Project Bona Fide

There are lots of interesting NGO's out there doing a wide variety of work in Nicaragua. I recently learned of one called Project Bona Fide that works on the island of Ometepe. It is a 43-acre permaculture site which has been in development for nearly a decade, and has become an important center for education and community development. One of the fascinating aspects of this organization's work is their emphasis on "permaculture". I'll admit I had never heard of permaculture, and I've now learned something!

According to the Project's website (www.projectbonafide.com), permaculture is " is a design system for creating sustainable human ecologies. The word itself is a contraction not only of permanent agriculture but also of permanent culture, as cultures cannot survive long without a regenerative agricultural base and land use ethic. The aims of Permaculture are to create systems that are ecologically-sound and economically viable, which provide for their own needs, do not exploit or pollute, and therefore are sustainable or even regenerative in the long term."

"Project Bona Fide practices many different types of agro-forestry. Plantings of fruit, nut, and multi-use trees on contour are spaced so that "alleyways" are left for the inclusion of annual crops like cereal grains and annual legumes. Alley farming allows for multiple yields of tree and annual crops throughout the year. The use of vertical space is optimized when this type of poly-culture is employed."

"Outreach efforts include social programs that provide educational opportunities based in ecological agriculture, community reforestation efforts that are supported by our seed bank and nursery, local seed and plant exchanges, a children's nutritional kitchen and an upcoming community center."

The list of projects this group works on are quite varied. Not only are long-term issues addressed through permaculture and agro-forestry, but some short term needs are also recognized, and efforts are made to find sensible and practical solutions. For instance, they run a children's nutritional program, a single mothers' group, and a community stove project. I will profile these projects in later NicaPODS.