Help Us Raise €2,500 to Build the KPPA Academy!

Karibu! Welcome again, my friend.

My name is Ottoman, and I am the founder of Kukua Practical Permaculture Africa (KPPA). I was born and raised in the southern highlands of Tanzania, in a small village called Ikanga—home to 3,000 people. My passion is permaculture and living in harmony with the land. Eight years ago, I asked my father for his land and began turning that dream into a reality. What started as a solitary effort has now become a global project—nurtured by hundreds of volunteers and supported by a growing community around the world.

“Kukua” means “to grow” in Swahili. And that is exactly what we are doing: growing food, growing knowledge, and growing a better future.

Our Next Chapter: Building the KPPA Academy

Today, I come to you with a new and urgent goal—to raise funds to build the very first KPPA Academy building, a dedicated space where we can teach permaculture to young students from surrounding villages.

Once completed, this building will serve 30 students at a time, providing classroom space, a dining area, and hands-on learning opportunities in the fields and kitchen. We will construct it using sustainable materials such as wood planks from on-site pine trees, along with durable iron sheets for the roof —and it will be the heart of our teaching efforts.

Why Teach Permaculture to Youth?

After years of running this project, we’ve discovered that the most receptive and enthusiastic learners are early adolescents—specifically, students aged 12–14. They are old enough to absorb and apply what they learn, yet young enough to remain open-minded about new ideas in agriculture and sustainability.

We plan to work with four nearby secondary schools. Each school will nominate their 7–8 most curious and motivated students. These students will attend KPPA Academy on weekends and during school holidays in June, September, and December. They will then take what they learn back to their homes and communities, where it can have ripple effects for generations.

How We’ll Build It (and Why It Matters)

We are transforming 1.5 acres of land currently covered by pine trees—an invasive, non-native species that depletes the soil and harms biodiversity. By removing approximately 500 pine trees, we will:

Our ultimate goal is to one day replace all pine trees on our 33-acre farm with beneficial, native plants that restore and enrich the ecosystem.

Total Project Cost Breakdown (in TZS and EUR)

1. Initial Construction – €1,640 total

• Tree cutting (500 trees x 500 TZS): 250,000 TZS ≈ €82

• Processing and cutting trees: 500,000 TZS ≈ €165

• Transporting sawmill machine: 300,000 TZS ≈ €99

• Making 2,000 wood planks: 3,000,000 TZS ≈ €989

• Transporting the wood: 200,000 TZS ≈ €66

• Cement, sand, bricks for foundation: 725,000 TZS ≈ €239

2. Equipment for Solar and Education Setup – €302 total

• 1 Solar Panel (50W): 100,000 TZS ≈ €33

• 1 Solar Battery (40Ah): 200,000 TZS ≈ €66

• Inverter (500W): 145,000 TZS ≈ €48

• Projector Screen: 350,000 TZS ≈ €115

• Chalkboard: 120,000 TZS ≈ €40

3. Additional Farm Items – €509 total

• Fence Rolls (4 @ 115,000 TZS each): 460,000 TZS ≈ €152

• Land leveling: 600,000 TZS ≈ €198

• Seeds: 282,000 TZS ≈ €93

• Fruit seedlings: 200,000 TZS ≈ €66

Grand Total: 7,300,000 TZS ≈ €2,500

Using the conversion rate: 1 EUR = 3,035 TZS (as of June 6th, 2025)

How This Project Changes Lives

Permaculture means more than planting vegetables. It’s a mindset—a design system that creates self-sustaining ecosystems, both in nature and in human communities. In our region, most families depend on corn and beans for both food and income. But monocropping is fragile. A single drought or pest outbreak can ruin an entire year’s harvest. Nutritionally, it also results in diets low in protein, fiber, and essential vitamins.

Permaculture changes that. By growing a mix of complementary crops, we improve soil health, increase yields, and create diverse diets. We eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers and offer families more secure, resilient livelihoods. These students will take permaculture knowledge back home, helping their families:

What We’ve Achieved So Far (Thanks to You)

Thanks to our last fundraisers in June and August 2024, we raised €4,192 to install a solar water pump and two 5,000-liter water tanks. These now irrigate our fields and have transformed how we grow food at KPPA. In this past year, we haven’t stopped working:

I also run two school permaculture programs in Idetema, teaching over 1,200 students through demonstration gardens on their school grounds. We’ve held workshops for the village leadership committee, and last year, we hosted 45 children at our farm for a day of permaculture education.

What We Already Have for the Academy

Why Your Support Matters

Eight years ago, I began this project alone. I slept in the woods, ate very little, and built everything by hand. My wife, Angelica, worked in town to support us. People thought I was crazy. But “pole pole”—step by step—the dream became real. Today, KPPA is alive because of belief, perseverance, and support from people like you.

KPPA is no longer just my dream. It belongs to our community, to our students, and to everyone who believes in a future where we care for the earth, care for each other, and live sustainably.

Help us build this school. Help us plant the seeds of knowledge. Help us grow.

With deep gratitude,

Ottoman Lutambi

Founder, Kukua Practical Permaculture Africa

Co-written with our coordinator Anne Khazzam