One of Plan Africa’s principle objectives is to promote sustainable livelihoods utilising a package of solutions applicable to the Africa situation.

Plan Africa supported by Permaculture Latin America, hosted Ferro Cement Workshops and Compost Toilet Building workshops in Mozambique and South Africa in August and September 2009.

We had 47 participants in Mozambique and 36 in Bowde Village, Limpopo, South Africa.

The workshops were aimed at the permaculture development community. Artisans with experience with building and plastering were trained by three Brazilian experts in the Ferro-cement field who have been instrumental in developing thousands of  ferro-cement water tanks in Brazil.

This workshop offered an opportunity to acquire the skills necessary to build low cost water tanks that are cheaper and healthier than modern plastic water tanks. These skills can then be applied to setting up a business that builds water tanks, thus creating a ripple affect of employment and community benefit.