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.
Outdoor Classroom, Teaching Kitchen, & Bathroom Remodel
Additionally, the award allowed us to remodel our outdoor classroom in order to create a space where teachers and students could have an organized work area and a place to keep materials. By incorporating new closed shelving systems, we now have an abundance of educational storage space and our teaching materials are now better organized. Our teaching kitchen and bathroom also received new cement floors. This remodel allows for a smooth surface for both increased accessibility and for cleaning upkeep and hygiene purposes.
Congratulations to Jocotenango Garden of Hope for winning the Community Development award! Check out the winning designs as well as the top finalists here.
If these designs have inspired in you a desire for more muddy boots and shovels on the ground putting permaculture into practice, consider donating to PINA’s Fund for Regeneration.
