Resilience Design Training-of-Trainers Certification Course in Regenerative Agriculture

Why is this Training so Important?

Regenerative Agriculture Training

Tree Management

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Tree Management
Huge swathes of Acholiland were clear-cut to make way for IDP camps, which in turn housed millions dependent on the remaining surrounding trees for firewood or the production of charcoal, a key source of income for many. AWR is committed to the reforestation of northern Uganda. Our efforts in tree stewardship crosscut all our agricultural and educational work.
Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration
Most farmers wrongly think their crops need full sun to grow and so cut all their trees down. We correct that belief, work with them to identify existing trees throughout their land that should be allowed to regrow, and teach them to manage that process.
Growing and Planting Seedlings
We grow thousands of seedlings to distribute to farmers and families in our Regenerative Agriculture and Girls Education programs. Species include native trees like Milicia excelsa, Vitellaria paradoxa, Maesopsis eminii, Erythrina abyssinica

Model Farm

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Model Farm
In 2022, the Ugandan government awarded AWR the opportunity to develop a 12.5-acre model farm at the heart of the Palabek Refugee Settlement next to the UN headquarters and the office of the Prime Minister. Although the land was previously abandoned as barren and used as a quarry and brick-burning site, we plan to transform it into a site for large-scale program demonstrations, training and research.
Demonstration
Community-based projects work best when participants can see the potential outcomes. The farm will showcase over a dozen different sustainable approaches to landscape management and be built into a large-scale food forest illustrating that landscape reclamation in even the more degraded areas of Palabek is possible.
Trainings
We grow thousands of seedlings to distribute to farmers and families in our Regenerative Agriculture and Girls Education programs. Species include native trees like Milicia excelsa, Vitellaria paradoxa, Maesopsis eminii, Erythrina abyssinica
Research
There remains insufficient data on regenerative agriculture’s ability to rebuild landscape hydrology and soil fertility. We will capture data on the land’s biophysical changes and research the cost-effectiveness of AWR-style interventions.
Plant Nursery
Grow and house 100,000 seedlings
Rain-Fed Pond
Demonstrate how to integrate fish into existing agricultural systems
Farm Animals
Demonstrate how to incorporate goats, chickens and other farm animals
To be more resilient, smallholder farmers and their agro-ecosystems must be highly responsive to fluctuating and unpredictable environmental conditions and disasters, increasing land degradation, and to changing political and economic influences all of which can lead to displacement. This requires a deeper understanding of home and farm growing sites and their surrounding landscapes and the development of gardening and farming systems as whole agro-ecosystems that maximize the use of local resources and that enhance the environmental services that support them. This process of ecological revitalization restores the productive potential of landscapes and addresses food, water, energy and soil security for long term resilience and livelihoods as well as disaster recognition and preparedness. 

This two-week Resilience Design (RD) training developed under a USAID award over the past eight years, is based on the permaculture design system and agroecological principles, is designed as a Training-of-Trainers (ToT) certification program. Practical and field-based, it supports the participants in learning the theory, the science and then practically applying Regenerative Agriculture approaches into community and refugee contexts. Participants will experience a mix of classroom time, peer-to-peer sharing, curriculum reinforcing activities, design exercises, field practicum, community facilitation and reflection. 

Participants will learn to use the Resilience Design Toolkit to strengthen their existing programming by integrating agroecological methodologies, this process can assist management and technical field staff to design and implement more resilient and productive growing systems as part of their programming. A particular emphasis will be on designing for refugee and IDP contexts. 

The target audience for this course is program management and staff working in public and private programs who are promoting Agriculture, Nutrition, Food Security, Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Natural Resource Management (NRM), Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Market System Development (MSD), or developing infrastructure in both humanitarian or development settings. This can include local program staff with technical skills in agriculture and for local government extension agents. We also highly encourage agency management to attend the training to reinforce their understanding and integration of Resilience Design into their program framework.
ToT Learning Objectives
PERMAGARDEN PROGRAM
FIELD CROP PROGRAM
  • Understand why building living soils, hydrological stability and creating systems of beneficial biodiversity are critical in building resilience in household gardens and smallholder farming systems
  • Identify how a Permagarden and RD farming systems can be used to help improve food security appropriately and contribute to household income in both development and humanitarian settings
  • Increase knowledge on how programs and farmers can identify specific environmental characteristics that influence farming systems and their productivity
  • Describe and apply key components of the Permagarden method in specific local contexts according to the Permagarden Technical Manual
  • Greater understanding of how to build farmer capacity to mitigate land degradation
PERMAGARDEN PROGRAM
FIELD CROP PROGRAM
  • Understand how the RD approach in practice can increase resilience to environmental shocks and stresses
  • Gain hands-on experience on how to create more stable and regenerative production
  • Gain practical knowledge on asset creation for livelihoods in the form of passive water harvesting earthworks for long term hydration and moisture security, slope stabilization and soil erosion control
  • Experience the process of working with a farmer and their community to develop demonstration site(s) to support further training, research, and the cascading processes
PERMAGARDEN PROGRAM
FIELD CROP PROGRAM

Regenerative Agriculture Training

Tree Management

LEARN MORE
CLOSE
Tree Management
Huge swathes of Acholiland were clear-cut to make way for IDP camps, which in turn housed millions dependent on the remaining surrounding trees for firewood or the production of charcoal, a key source of income for many. AWR is committed to the reforestation of northern Uganda. Our efforts in tree stewardship crosscut all our agricultural and educational work.
Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration
Most farmers wrongly think their crops need full sun to grow and so cut all their trees down. We correct that belief, work with them to identify existing trees throughout their land that should be allowed to regrow, and teach them to manage that process.
Growing and Planting Seedlings
We grow thousands of seedlings to distribute to farmers and families in our Regenerative Agriculture and Girls Education programs. Species include native trees like Milicia excelsa, Vitellaria paradoxa, Maesopsis eminii, Erythrina abyssinica

Model Farm

LEARN MORE
CLOSE
Model Farm
In 2022, the Ugandan government awarded AWR the opportunity to develop a 12.5-acre model farm at the heart of the Palabek Refugee Settlement next to the UN headquarters and the office of the Prime Minister. Although the land was previously abandoned as barren and used as a quarry and brick-burning site, we plan to transform it into a site for large-scale program demonstrations, training and research.
Demonstration
Community-based projects work best when participants can see the potential outcomes. The farm will showcase over a dozen different sustainable approaches to landscape management and be built into a large-scale food forest illustrating that landscape reclamation in even the more degraded areas of Palabek is possible.
Trainings
We grow thousands of seedlings to distribute to farmers and families in our Regenerative Agriculture and Girls Education programs. Species include native trees like Milicia excelsa, Vitellaria paradoxa, Maesopsis eminii, Erythrina abyssinica
Research
There remains insufficient data on regenerative agriculture’s ability to rebuild landscape hydrology and soil fertility. We will capture data on the land’s biophysical changes and research the cost-effectiveness of AWR-style interventions.
Plant Nursery
Grow and house 100,000 seedlings
Rain-Fed Pond
Demonstrate how to integrate fish into existing agricultural systems
Farm Animals
Demonstrate how to incorporate goats, chickens and other farm animals

Lok Neno Research, Training and Demonstration Farm

In 2022, the Ugandan government awarded AWR the opportunity to develop a 12.5-acre model farm at the heart of the Palabek Refugee Settlement next to the UN headquarters and the Office of the Prime Minister. Although the land was previously abandoned as barren and used as a quarry and brick-burning site, AWR is transforming it into a site for large-scale program demonstrations, training and research in regenerative solutions. This RegenAg training will be based out of the Lok Neno farm site.

Lok Neno

Defined as "Let's change our mindset" in the Acholi language

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PERMAGARDEN PROGRAM
FIELD CROP PROGRAM
Lok Neno Demonstration Farm
Demonstration:
Community-based projects work best when participants can see the potential outcomes. The farm showcases over a dozen different sustainable approaches to landscape management and is being built into a large-scale food forest illustrating that landscape reclamation in even the most degraded areas of Palabek is possible.
Trainings:
Site for training of trainers. Growth into a regional hub where people from Kenya, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Congo and other neighboring countries can come to see AWR-style interventions and learn how to teach the same methodologies.
Research:
There remains insufficient data on regenerative agriculture’s ability to rebuild landscape hydrology and soil fertility. We are capturing data on the land’s biophysical changes and research the cost-effectiveness of AWR-style interventions.
Plant Nursery:
Grow and house 200,000 seedlings annually.
Rain-fed Pond:
Demonstrate how to integrate fish into existing agricultural systems.
Farm Animals:
Demonstrate how to incorporate goats, chickens and other farm animals.
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RegenAg Humanitarian Training

Specific skills learned during the training include:
  • Ecological farm design
  • Designing and building a Permagarden
  • Hydrological stabilization strategies
  • Groundwater/borehole recharge
  • Planting the rain
  • Banking rainwater
  • Turning flooding into food
  • Building living soils
  • Developing biologically stable soils for long-term production
  • Increasing beneficial biodiversity
  • Designing for perennial stability
  • Food forestry
  • Drought-proofing the landscape
  • Buffering climate extremes
  • Creating resilient microclimates
  • Biological fertilization and natural pest management
  • Regenerative systems monitoring, evaluating and management
  • Community facilitation and engagement
  • Asset creation for livelihoods in the form of passive water harvesting earthworks for long term hydration and moisture security, slope stabilization and soil erosion control

Dates: 2 week courses:

  • March 17 – March 28, 2025

  • October 27 – November 7, 2025

Price: $3525 includes: Training instruction, training materials, certification, accommodation, full board (including the day off), travel from accommodation to training site. Limited scholarships available for local participation.
Week 1: Resilience Design basic training and Permagarden home garden design and installation.
Week 2: Resilience Design for field crop programs, biofertilizers, natural pest strategies, and program cascading.
See Agenda
Training instruction, training materials, certification, accommodation, full board (including the day off), travel from accommodation to training site. Limited scholarships available for local participation.
To Register: Email amber@africanwomenrising.org. Space is limited, we encourage early registration to guarantee space.

Regenerative Agriculture Training

Tree Management

LEARN MORE
CLOSE
Tree Management
Huge swathes of Acholiland were clear-cut to make way for IDP camps, which in turn housed millions dependent on the remaining surrounding trees for firewood or the production of charcoal, a key source of income for many. AWR is committed to the reforestation of northern Uganda. Our efforts in tree stewardship crosscut all our agricultural and educational work.
Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration
Most farmers wrongly think their crops need full sun to grow and so cut all their trees down. We correct that belief, work with them to identify existing trees throughout their land that should be allowed to regrow, and teach them to manage that process.
Growing and Planting Seedlings
We grow thousands of seedlings to distribute to farmers and families in our Regenerative Agriculture and Girls Education programs. Species include native trees like Milicia excelsa, Vitellaria paradoxa, Maesopsis eminii, Erythrina abyssinica

Model Farm

LEARN MORE
CLOSE
Model Farm
In 2022, the Ugandan government awarded AWR the opportunity to develop a 12.5-acre model farm at the heart of the Palabek Refugee Settlement next to the UN headquarters and the office of the Prime Minister. Although the land was previously abandoned as barren and used as a quarry and brick-burning site, we plan to transform it into a site for large-scale program demonstrations, training and research.
Demonstration
Community-based projects work best when participants can see the potential outcomes. The farm will showcase over a dozen different sustainable approaches to landscape management and be built into a large-scale food forest illustrating that landscape reclamation in even the more degraded areas of Palabek is possible.
Trainings
We grow thousands of seedlings to distribute to farmers and families in our Regenerative Agriculture and Girls Education programs. Species include native trees like Milicia excelsa, Vitellaria paradoxa, Maesopsis eminii, Erythrina abyssinica
Research
There remains insufficient data on regenerative agriculture’s ability to rebuild landscape hydrology and soil fertility. We will capture data on the land’s biophysical changes and research the cost-effectiveness of AWR-style interventions.
Plant Nursery
Grow and house 100,000 seedlings
Rain-Fed Pond
Demonstrate how to integrate fish into existing agricultural systems
Farm Animals
Demonstrate how to incorporate goats, chickens and other farm animals

Facilitator Team

The facilitation team includes two of the developers of the Resilience Design approach who work on the USAID TOPS/SCALE team, Thomas Cole and Warren Brush.

Warren Brush

Agroecologist, RegenAg Designer and Trainer

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Warren Brush
Agroecologist, RegenAg Designer and Trainer
Warren Brush is a global resilience design consultant, educator, lecturer, and implementer. He has worked for over 30 years in agroecological education and regenerative system design for communities, private and public organizations, households, farms, and conservation properties worldwide.  He is co-founder of Quail Springs Permaculture and True Nature Design, his private consulting firm. He is also a member of the USAID’s SCALE technical  program funded through the Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) where he helped to develop the Resilience Design Framework and Permagarden Approach.  He is currently working as a consultant on various food security projects around the globe with international and regional NGOs, governments, and community organizations.

Thomas Cole

Agroecologist, RegenAg Designer and Trainer

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Thomas Cole
Agroecologist, RegenAg Designer and Trainer
Thomas has spent more than 30 years in regenerative agriculture, livelihoods, community development and humanitarian response work. His focal areas are in urban agriculture, agroforestry, post-conflict recovery, organic horticulture, agricultural extension, permaculture, natural resource management and food security. Thomas currently works as an agroecology and drought management advisor for global USAID food security programs, and provides technical agricultural support for numerous communities recovering from conflict and disaster. Over the last decade he has broad experience working with internally displaced populations and refugees in Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, eastern Chad and northern Uganda. Previously he worked as the Africa Region Food Security and Livelihoods Advisor for Save the Children.

Evelyne Lalwedo

Permagarden Manager

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Warren Brush
Agroecologist, RegenAg Designer and Trainer
Warren Brush is a global resilience design consultant, educator, lecturer, and implementer. He has worked for over 30 years in agroecological education and regenerative system design for communities, private and public organizations, households, farms, and conservation properties worldwide.  He is co-founder of Quail Springs Permaculture and True Nature Design, his private consulting firm. He is also a member of the USAID’s SCALE technical  program funded through the Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) where he helped to develop the Resilience Design Framework and Permagarden Approach.  He is currently working as a consultant on various food security projects around the globe with international and regional NGOs, governments, and community organizations.

Paula Achayo

Field Crop Manager

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Thomas Cole
Agroecologist, RegenAg Designer and Trainer
Thomas has spent more than 30 years in regenerative agriculture, livelihoods, community development and humanitarian response work. His focal areas are in urban agriculture, agroforestry, post-conflict recovery, organic horticulture, agricultural extension, permaculture, natural resource management and food security. Thomas currently works as an agroecology and drought management advisor for global USAID food security programs, and provides technical agricultural support for numerous communities recovering from conflict and disaster. Over the last decade he has broad experience working with internally displaced populations and refugees in Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, eastern Chad and northern Uganda. Previously he worked as the Africa Region Food Security and Livelihoods Advisor for Save the Children.

Patrick Olanya

Agriculture Supervisor

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Patrick Olanya
Agriculture Supervisor
Patrick Olanya is a pioneer of the permagarden approach and a co-designer of the Lok Neno site and a lead trainer with African Women Rising.

Regenerative Agriculture Training

Tree Management

LEARN MORE
CLOSE
Tree Management
Huge swathes of Acholiland were clear-cut to make way for IDP camps, which in turn housed millions dependent on the remaining surrounding trees for firewood or the production of charcoal, a key source of income for many. AWR is committed to the reforestation of northern Uganda. Our efforts in tree stewardship crosscut all our agricultural and educational work.
Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration
Most farmers wrongly think their crops need full sun to grow and so cut all their trees down. We correct that belief, work with them to identify existing trees throughout their land that should be allowed to regrow, and teach them to manage that process.
Growing and Planting Seedlings
We grow thousands of seedlings to distribute to farmers and families in our Regenerative Agriculture and Girls Education programs. Species include native trees like Milicia excelsa, Vitellaria paradoxa, Maesopsis eminii, Erythrina abyssinica

Model Farm

LEARN MORE
CLOSE
Model Farm
In 2022, the Ugandan government awarded AWR the opportunity to develop a 12.5-acre model farm at the heart of the Palabek Refugee Settlement next to the UN headquarters and the office of the Prime Minister. Although the land was previously abandoned as barren and used as a quarry and brick-burning site, we plan to transform it into a site for large-scale program demonstrations, training and research.
Demonstration
Community-based projects work best when participants can see the potential outcomes. The farm will showcase over a dozen different sustainable approaches to landscape management and be built into a large-scale food forest illustrating that landscape reclamation in even the more degraded areas of Palabek is possible.
Trainings
We grow thousands of seedlings to distribute to farmers and families in our Regenerative Agriculture and Girls Education programs. Species include native trees like Milicia excelsa, Vitellaria paradoxa, Maesopsis eminii, Erythrina abyssinica
Research
There remains insufficient data on regenerative agriculture’s ability to rebuild landscape hydrology and soil fertility. We will capture data on the land’s biophysical changes and research the cost-effectiveness of AWR-style interventions.
Plant Nursery
Grow and house 100,000 seedlings
Rain-Fed Pond
Demonstrate how to integrate fish into existing agricultural systems
Farm Animals
Demonstrate how to incorporate goats, chickens and other farm animals
Warren Brush
Warren Brush, Agroecologist, RegenAg Designer and Trainer, is a co-developer and lead trainer in the Resilience Design approach established through USAID’s Bureau of Humanitarian Affairs.
CLOSE
PERMAGARDEN PROGRAM
FIELD CROP PROGRAM
Warren Brush
Warren Brush is a global resilience design consultant, educator, lecturer, and implementer. He has worked for over 30 years in agroecological education and regenerative system design for communities, private and public organizations, households, farms, and conservation properties worldwide.  He is co-founder of Quail Springs Permaculture and True Nature Design, his private consulting firm. He is also a member of the USAID’s SCALE technical  program funded through the Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) where he helped to develop the Resilience Design Framework and Permagarden Approach.  He is currently working as a consultant on various food security projects around the globe with international and regional NGOs, governments, and community organizations.
LEARN MORE >
Thomas Cole, Agroecologist, RegenAg Designer and Trainer,  is a co-developer and lead trainer in the Resilience Design approach established through USAID’s Bureau of Humanitarian Affairs.
CLOSE
PERMAGARDEN PROGRAM
FIELD CROP PROGRAM
Thomas Cole
Thomas has spent more than 30 years in regenerative agriculture, livelihoods, community development and humanitarian response work. His focal areas are in urban agriculture, agroforestry, post-conflict recovery, organic horticulture, agricultural extension, permaculture, natural resource management and food security. Thomas currently works as an agroecology and drought management advisor for global USAID food security programs, and provides technical agricultural support for numerous communities recovering from conflict and disaster. Over the last decade he has broad experience working with internally displaced populations and refugees in Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, eastern Chad and northern Uganda. Previously he worked as the Africa Region Food Security and Livelihoods Advisor for Save the Children.
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Olanya Patrick, AWR Agriculture Coordinator, is a pioneer of the permagarden approach and a co-designer of the Lok Neno site and a lead trainer with African Women Rising.
Lalwedo Evelyn, Program Officer Permagarden, is a pioneer of the permagarden approach and a co-designer of the Lok Neno site and a lead trainer with African Women Rising.
Acayo Paula, Program Officer Organic Field Crop Production, is a pioneer of the permagarden approach and a co-designer of the Lok Neno site and a lead trainer with African Women Rising.
Thomas Cole

Background on Resilience Design

Developed under USAID since 2014 as a practical framework to integrate Regenerative Agriculture into the Bureau of Humanitarian Affairs food security programming.
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