Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

SH, while you're waiting 6-12 months, take this opportunity to ready yourself for the work ahead. Sorry if this is obvious or you think you know enough, but I can't stress enough. You can never know too much about how to be a facilitator of community growth rather than a provider of stuff.

I'm sure there are lots of other people involved as well in this project, but you owe it to yourself and the project to take your own part in it seriously.

- build yourself a pilot aquaponics system so you can start understanding what works and what doesn't. DON'T assume that you can learn everything by reading this forum. DON'T assume that you can work out all the problems when you start properly.
- join or speak to as many NGOs and development agencies as you can. Engineers without borders, medicine sans frontieres, Oxfam, world vision, Australian Water Association Water and Sanitation in Developing Communities...keep learning and speaking to people. Don't ask for help. Ask for knowledge.
- download and READ some of the documents at http://www.hesperian.org/ - I recommend reading the first chapter of A Community Guide to Environmental Health (9 pages) to see a good example of the difference between telling a community what to do and working with a community.

Be prepared to accept that all the technologies and solutions you have picked are innappropriate for the community and need to get rethought. Including aquaponics.
The greatest coolest technology is useless if the local people don't see the point or wish you had spent you money on something else.
There seems to be a lot of money available for this project, and you'll need a lot to fund the infrastructure you're planning. But always remember that knowing how the

I'm with engineers without borders. They have a very strong presence in NSW. They have drinks together once a month where you can go along and talk to people with a similar mindset, as well as other speaker events etc for people to build their knowledge and awareness.

EWB probably can't help you directly (main focus is in SE Asia) but they might know someone who can. Plus you can inspire them, and they can inspire you...a little mutual inspiration always helps

Hope this doesn't sound too presumptuous or silly...and please don't take offense, I love what you're trying to do here.

keep us posted!
Cheers
Stephen

add to that - Teach a man aquaponics and he can have a salad with the fish.

+1

What happened with this project? Did it ever go through?