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How I Used My PINA Design Contest Award

Salina Duncan, Garden of Hope, Guatemala

Beds and Water Distribution Remodel

Thanks to the Permaculture Institute of North America, The Garden of Hope’s Beds and Water Distribution Project was a huge success! Despite the insecurities still being faced during the global COVID-19 Pandemic, we have been able to successfully accomplish the well-needed garden facelift by rebuilding the watering system and transforming the beds into natural works of art. The project also included a remodel of our outdoor classroom, our teaching kitchen, and the bathroom to improve accessibility and workspace.

We are eternally grateful for the stability the prize granted us, as it provided the ability to keep our passionate staff member, Francisca, on a part-time salary while the majority of the country faced trying economic conditions. We are honored to have received this award, and we are proud of the advances we were able to make with the funds!

Omega Garden and Maracuya Garden Design

The PINA Design Contest Award allowed us to restructure many of our garden beds to incorporate natural designs. This included the design and construction of an Omega Garden Bed and a Maracuya Garden Bed. After finishing the bed construction, we then started the second stage of the project to incorporate better irrigation systems. Old PVC irrigation was replaced using larger size tubing to better manage water pressure, and leaky valves were replaced. The older tubing was then recycled into our Maracuya Garden bed as a form of trellis for the vines to grow on and cover the pathway.