The Art of Learning by Doing

Land before Chinampas

Permaculture in Practice - The Art of Learning by Doing 6th - 30th January 2014

Jiwa Damai encourages a combination of theory and hands on practice in a supportive environment as an important approach to learning and growing. Our internships offer the possibility to design and actualize a project, either as a group or on an individual basis. Our interns receive expert support and guidance while being given the chance to take responsibility for their own learning outcomes.

At this time we are offering places for up to 6 interns to take part in a one-off group permaculture, aquaculture design project, facilitated by our in-house permaculture design trainer Stephanie Garvin.  The project will involve designing and implementing an aquaculture project, including building a chinampa system, a technique used in Latin America by the Incas to successfully grow food in wetland areas.  We have several swamp areas at Jiwa Damai which lend themselves ideally for such a project. To our knowledge it is the first of its kind to be implemented in Bali. It is an exciting pilot project.

This project includes free theory sessions on permaculture design for chinampa systems.

Following this internship the we offer a Permaculture through the Heart course www.jiwadamai.net/education-activities/

Our offering The Art of Learning by Doing is open for people interested in permaculture, sustainable food production and environmental conservation. No previous permaculture knowledge or experience is needed. We also invite Permaculture Design Certificate holders desiring to expand their practical knowledge and design skills. Participants need to be in good health and physical condition since the project will involve manual work in a tropical environment.

Skills that participants will have the opportunity to learn and practice during this internship include:- Permaculture design methodologies Assessing needs and yields Building a stable, productive ecological system Nutrient recycling Using local and on site resources Water management Aquaculture systems Creating energy efficient systems Planning for diversity and habitat creation Using edge effects to increase yield Teamwork and task management Plant propagation techniques Soil building and composting

For more details or information, or to apply for a place on this internship programme, please contact us at info@jiwadamai.net or using the contact form attached.

Optional Extras We can provide on-site, basic accommodation and meals at Jiwa Damai Retreat Centre and Organic Garden at a discounted rate.

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Aligning with the Heart of the Earth

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Organic dried fruit from Jiwa Damai

At Jiwa Damai we are producing many different kinds of dried fruit and vegetables. All produce is from our organic farm, harvested and freshly processed in our raw food drying oven.

Dried Bananas

In our

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we grow about 8 different varieties of bananas. Each taste is unique and they are best eaten when not too ripe and the skin is still greenish-yellow. They are gently and slowly air dried in our dehydrator to keep their extraordinary flavor.

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Dried Papaya

Harvested from trees spotting our garden, our papayas are plump and juicy. When dried, the flavor pops and they make a delicious snack for any time of day or a vitamin-packed addition to any meal.

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Dried Jackfruit

The jackfruit grows high up in the trees and can reach a weight of 10 -12 kg. Once the giant fruit is harvested, opened and its inner fruit compartments separated, the fresh fruit is available to be plucked out, its black stone removed, immediately sliced and gently air dried, thus keeping its fresh and aromatic flavor.

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Jiwa Damai tropical forest

Take a stroll around our expansive premise and visit the huge tropical forest.  Enjoy the lush green vegetation and the fresh air. There is a lot to discover... tropical plants and trees, little animals as well as several beautiful spots for meditation and contemplation... A little pathway will lead you around...

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Teak Tree

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Production of our Bali Virgin Coconut Oil

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When I arrived at Jiwa Damai as an intern, I had to organize the production of the Coconut House.  A very interesting and exciting project that I enjoyed doing with the help of Margret and Libby.

The production begins with Nyoman and Ketut opening  the coconuts in the tropical garden.The coconut meat is extracted before being transformed in flakes with a grinder.

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Inside, in a green atmosphere, fruits are drying while the filtering process of oil is done by hand.

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Empty jars and glass bottles are ready to package the delicious virgin coconut oil.

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You can use it on your skin or for cooking. It is a really healthy food with lots of benefits. I had the pleasure to enjoy it in the delicious Balinese meals that are prepared by Made. Finished products are then nicely put together in the small shop of Jiwa Damai and other outlets.

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Upcoming training and events 2013

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Helping hands

... from our international friends. Our two wonderful volunteers, Laia from Spain Catalan, and Aitor form Equator are engaging in garden work, using the Balinese sickles to clean an area from Tapioka.

Tapioka is eaten as a vegetable, prepared with grated coconut meat.

Thank you for your contribution to Jiwa Damai!

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Review: Permaculture Design Certification Course

From Febuary 24th to March 12th we held our first Permaculture Design Certification Course at Jiwa Damai.The group consisted of 30 participants coming from India, Australia, USA, Germany, Austria and Bali.

The internationally renowned teachers Rico Zook and Jeremiah Kidd did a great job in teaching the class.

One part of the PCD course was theoretical learning in the 'classroom'. Here the participants are introduced to the various flows in nature.

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The other part was practical hands-on-experience in the organic garden. Here our group is learning to measure the PH content of the soil.

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During the 16 days course the participants were instructed to create IMO, indigenous microorganisms, using bamboo, cooked rice and sugar. This mixture needs to ferment for 4 days and then this fungus can be used to fertilize compost to create a larger stock.

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These are some hand-made measurement instruments to properly measure size and topography of a land.

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Organic Cacao from Bali

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In our organic garden we have several cacao trees. This cacao fruit is not ripe yet...

When ripe, the skin of the fruit turns a more orange color.

This is a fresh cacao fruit, picked right off the tree.

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After harvesting, we dry the fresh beans. The essence of chocolate are contained in these air dried beans, picked fresh from our organic garden. Packed with very important minerals such as magnesium and iron, the health benefits of raw cacao are immense.

Enjoy them on their own or ground with a little brown sugar, they are a perfect addition to any dessert.

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Soul, the Jiwa Damai Baby

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This is Soul, the first child born at Jiwa Damai. This picture is taken in Jiwa Damai at age 1 month.

The bay was born in a natural underwater birth, so called Lotus birth, where the placenta remains attached until it dries up by itself, which happened the second day after the birth. The Mom was assisted by her husband and Ibu Robin, a famous Balinese midwife.

In this picture one of our volunteers is taking care of the one month old Soul at Jiwa Damai.

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Here, Margret is visiting Miquela and Soul, which had grown tremendously for age 4 months, in upstate New York.

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