ACI Provides Next Level Discipleship Training from BigLife/
Dr. Dane Fowlkes PhD, coauthor of the Project Transformation materials and ACI Board Member, is the Executive Director of Development for Biglife, and has obtained permission for us to offer the most effective discipleship training materials we have found at no cost! The format of the materials is very similar to our Project Transformation materials, which is a great natural progression for training pastors and church planters.
The BigLife/ training materials can be downloaded at no charge below.
Should you have any questions specific to the Biglife materials, you can contact Dr. Dane at [email protected] and additional BigLife materials can be found on their website big.life/
The BigLife/ training materials can be downloaded at no charge below.
Should you have any questions specific to the Biglife materials, you can contact Dr. Dane at [email protected] and additional BigLife materials can be found on their website big.life/
| dmm_manual_-_biglife__1_.pdf |
Project Transformation
From December of 2020 through 1 September 2024, fourteen Pastors and Church Planters received the initial training to lead Project Transformation Church training workshops. These trainers, located in six different countries, have trained over 3080 first generation church planters. Current reports from ten of the fourteen trainers confirm there have been one hundred forty three (143) churches started in multiple evangelical denominations. The training has been, and will continue to be, provided at no charge to pastors and church planters willing to receive the training, apply the Project Transformation biblical principles in their own ministry setting, and be willing to conduct a training workshop to train ten more pastors within the next year.
If you would like to receive this training, you can go to the Store page on this website and download the student textbook and the teaching guide at no charge. For additional information email [email protected]
If you would like to receive this training, you can go to the Store page on this website and download the student textbook and the teaching guide at no charge. For additional information email [email protected]
The Unfinished Task Network
The Unfinished Task Network is the partnership platform ACI deployed as a catalyst for holistic church planting that resulted in transformed lives, communities, and people groups. There are currently 7,041 unreached people groups in the world. Even more disturbing, no one is even attempting to engage half of them. The Unfinished Task Network equips Christian church planters, trainers and local congregations to plant indigenous churches that become bases for community transformation among the unreached people groups they adopt. you can access additional information at the following link
Our motto has been, "Dignity Now, Hope for Eternity."
The modules can be designed in either 20 or 40 foot containers. As part of a joint-venture, we begin with a container that is already located in the target community. We will build out the containers with our designs and work with our partners to integrate the equipment for the modules. The community will eventually be able to take control of the container, training its community members to maintain it, transporting it to the areas they find most in need, and running each module to best satisfy their own community.
The concept of the LifeBox Container is that it is transportable, allowing even the most remote of communities access to the most essential resources (education, clean water, medical care, etc.). We believe the LifeBox Container has the ability to radically and effectively combat poverty and other issues plaguing so many communities around the world. More importantly, however, the LifeBox Container will empower these communities. It will allow them to become champions of justice for their own people and be a self sustaining community.
For more information on the LifeBox Container, see the attachments below from our original design with Helix. If you have any questions or would like to get involved, do not hesitate to contact us.
For more information on the LifeBox Container, see the attachments below from our original design with Helix. If you have any questions or would like to get involved, do not hesitate to contact us.
| aci-helix_ict_village_center_presentation_2010.pdf |
| aci-helix_model_pictures_1.pdf |
| aci-helix_ict_village_center_concept_pictures_2010.pdf |
IDILI SUSTAINABILITY AND FOOD SECURITY PROJECT (ISFSP)
Improving sustainable productivity in farming systems and evergreen agriculture in eastern Africa
The Idili Sustainability and Food Security Project's (ISFSP) use of ICT's is for the purpose of exposing alternative perspectives of land use and agricultural practice to our partnering organizations. Through the use of GiS Technologies and study parameters, ISFSP, Project Director Michael Barton has been involved in large scale Geo-referenced community data collection. Community wide surveys were conducted by local trainees, using a customized 'Cyber Tracker' interactive data collection software. The Survey posed questions in various demographic sectors, from the level of education and agricultural practice, to high frequency human and animal diseases patterns.
The ISFSP's approach is to facilitate and use Geo-referenced Data to then produce interactive maps and diagrams of how the collected data trends across the communities landscape. The benefit of visualizing the data to community members is to showcase the various trends experienced across a community. Visualizing the widespread struggles in the early stages of a community project can bring solidarity and a cause to rally behind and work towards solutions.
After ISFSP's initial survey and presentation of statistical trends back to the community we will then begin development and facilitation of the appropriate response with the community. Accessing needs and priorities, locating field experts and forming partnerships, and finally developing programs of development that incorporate practical learning experience for the community and outside interest groups (for example focused Permaculture Design and implementation training courses).
Throughout the planning and implementation stages, GIS technologies will be used to monitor progress. Follow up surveys and the use of GIS tools such as Google Earth engine will provide quick feedback of community wide development initiatives. Monitoring the progress through these means will give an unbiased overview of productivity displayed on the ground.
To facilitate the various means of community training and monitoring techniques, ISFSP has begun a strategic planning and collaboration efforts with its various partnerships. Legacy partnerships are assessing needs and their next steps in development, while new partnerships have been made with Barefoot Solutions, a Permaculture consultancy group, and a popular conference center in the Highland tea-growing area outside of Nairobi dedicated to turning its campus into an interactive training center to showcase Permaculture solutions and best practice to address the Ethics of Care for the Earth, Care for People and Returning our landscapes to surplus through addressing our consumption.
ISFSP began this strategic partnership building in order to build its capacity in other field operations. ISFSP plans to work with the various organizations based on the conference center grounds to develop the environmental goals of each organization and in doing so develop the campus into a Permaculture training and demonstration site for the region and other ISFSP partners.
In addition to the ISFSP project’s use of ICTs and strategic partnership development, the core of the ISFSP project consists of the IDILI Permaculture demonstration garden, located in the highland tea growing area North-West of Nairobi, Kenya. The IDILI Permaculture Garden goal is to showcase Permaculture practices for a small-scale household garden plot. located in a larger 6 Acre plot of Land the Demonstration Garden only occupies, an area of 0.2295 Acres about 10,000 square feet. With an even smaller space of 0.0753 Acres or 3,280 square feet growing conventional crops and herbs.
In this space, there are 14 micro furrows approximately 1 meter wide by 60 meters long. Eight of the Furrows are under drip irrigation and use the land’s slope to provide the appropriate head for the irrigation system. The remaining 6 furrows are planted with perennial crops and other useful plants such as Globe Artichoke, Rhubarb, various herbs including Lemon grass as well as beneficial trees such as Sesbania Sesban that are used in mulching and in the future as a fodder crop. These 6 furrows will be prepared for the installation of a set of ten large Vertical Bags in the next month.
Vertical bags made out of shade netting with perforated holes in the wall of the bags will demonstrate the value of growing vertically. One can fit up to a hundred plants in the holes on the side of the bag plus numerous others on the top of the bag or the bags opening. Various combinations of crops will be trialed in these bags to demonstrate the benefit of companion planting even on the micro scale of a Vertical Bag that only occupies a three meter square area.
The furrows under drip irrigation have been split into four quadrants of approximately 36.6 meters squared or 390 square feet. These four quadrants will trial various companion planting methods. for the purpose of space conservation and as an Integrated Pest Management scheme.
Other Permaculture gardening techniques in the space include raised Keyhole garden beds for herbs and small fruiting shrubs. These were developed using the sheet-mulching technique to reduce the weeds present in the beds and create a raised growing area to start crops that will eventually break up the compacted ground below. Trellises are being used on the Western side of the garden plot to grow two varieties of Passion Fruit. Water is collected off of the garden shed roof into a 3,000 Liters rainwater catchment tank. and old recycled bathtubs are being used as Vermiculture or composting worm beds.
The eastern fence line is planted with a diverse array of flowering plants to attract pollinators and Bees. There are two bee Hives under a young Muna Tree, or Aningeria adolfi-friederici, to showcase the importance of pollinators close to one’s garden.
Projects to Come in the near future will include an earth works workshop where Swales will be measured and dug to catch, spread, and sink water moving through the site, with another workshop of developing a food forest ecosystem. These two micro workshops will last for under a week, giving participants a chance to gain practical experience in on area of Permaculture techniques.
The Idili Permaculture site will also host a COB (Cultural Original Building) workshop from June 12 to July 21st of 2017. A small one bedroom cottage will be built by students wanting to learn more about natural building, and the workshop will be taught by an experienced Cob Instructor from Spain. They will have the chance to experience the build from foundations to roof installment. Further details about the COB building workshop will be available on www.cobworks.com shortly.
So far, the Idili Permaculture Site has hosted groups of students from two different international schools in the area with students from the ages of 10 -18 getting to experience Permaculture techniques in a practical setting. Usual group sizes have been from 15 to 20 students. One school visited the site every Friday for four weeks for a longer and varied Permaculture experience. Both schools have now commissioned ISFSP to develop school garden sites for scientific and observational study areas, thus allowing for outdoor and practical learning opportunities. Additional information can be obtained from the project website at www.idilifarmsproject.org.
Project Director: Michael Barton
ISFSP Project Operations Manager: Ian Barton
ACI Idili ISFSP Project Manager, USA: Kara Neely
Start Date: 1 January 2017
End Date: 31 December 2021
Location: Tigoni, Kenya
Pursuant to our project agreement, the ISFSP Project completed work and closed the website. Thank you to all who have participated, been trained, and are now applying the principals in their local communities. Many of the students who were trained gained a new understanding of Permaculture techniques and are following these techniques around the world. A sincere thank you to Michael Barton, Ian Barton, and Kara Neely for their time, energy, and expertise invested in the success of the ISFSP Project of ACI.
WATCH THE PROJECT SLIDE SHOW BELOW:
The ISFSP's approach is to facilitate and use Geo-referenced Data to then produce interactive maps and diagrams of how the collected data trends across the communities landscape. The benefit of visualizing the data to community members is to showcase the various trends experienced across a community. Visualizing the widespread struggles in the early stages of a community project can bring solidarity and a cause to rally behind and work towards solutions.
After ISFSP's initial survey and presentation of statistical trends back to the community we will then begin development and facilitation of the appropriate response with the community. Accessing needs and priorities, locating field experts and forming partnerships, and finally developing programs of development that incorporate practical learning experience for the community and outside interest groups (for example focused Permaculture Design and implementation training courses).
Throughout the planning and implementation stages, GIS technologies will be used to monitor progress. Follow up surveys and the use of GIS tools such as Google Earth engine will provide quick feedback of community wide development initiatives. Monitoring the progress through these means will give an unbiased overview of productivity displayed on the ground.
To facilitate the various means of community training and monitoring techniques, ISFSP has begun a strategic planning and collaboration efforts with its various partnerships. Legacy partnerships are assessing needs and their next steps in development, while new partnerships have been made with Barefoot Solutions, a Permaculture consultancy group, and a popular conference center in the Highland tea-growing area outside of Nairobi dedicated to turning its campus into an interactive training center to showcase Permaculture solutions and best practice to address the Ethics of Care for the Earth, Care for People and Returning our landscapes to surplus through addressing our consumption.
ISFSP began this strategic partnership building in order to build its capacity in other field operations. ISFSP plans to work with the various organizations based on the conference center grounds to develop the environmental goals of each organization and in doing so develop the campus into a Permaculture training and demonstration site for the region and other ISFSP partners.
In addition to the ISFSP project’s use of ICTs and strategic partnership development, the core of the ISFSP project consists of the IDILI Permaculture demonstration garden, located in the highland tea growing area North-West of Nairobi, Kenya. The IDILI Permaculture Garden goal is to showcase Permaculture practices for a small-scale household garden plot. located in a larger 6 Acre plot of Land the Demonstration Garden only occupies, an area of 0.2295 Acres about 10,000 square feet. With an even smaller space of 0.0753 Acres or 3,280 square feet growing conventional crops and herbs.
In this space, there are 14 micro furrows approximately 1 meter wide by 60 meters long. Eight of the Furrows are under drip irrigation and use the land’s slope to provide the appropriate head for the irrigation system. The remaining 6 furrows are planted with perennial crops and other useful plants such as Globe Artichoke, Rhubarb, various herbs including Lemon grass as well as beneficial trees such as Sesbania Sesban that are used in mulching and in the future as a fodder crop. These 6 furrows will be prepared for the installation of a set of ten large Vertical Bags in the next month.
Vertical bags made out of shade netting with perforated holes in the wall of the bags will demonstrate the value of growing vertically. One can fit up to a hundred plants in the holes on the side of the bag plus numerous others on the top of the bag or the bags opening. Various combinations of crops will be trialed in these bags to demonstrate the benefit of companion planting even on the micro scale of a Vertical Bag that only occupies a three meter square area.
The furrows under drip irrigation have been split into four quadrants of approximately 36.6 meters squared or 390 square feet. These four quadrants will trial various companion planting methods. for the purpose of space conservation and as an Integrated Pest Management scheme.
Other Permaculture gardening techniques in the space include raised Keyhole garden beds for herbs and small fruiting shrubs. These were developed using the sheet-mulching technique to reduce the weeds present in the beds and create a raised growing area to start crops that will eventually break up the compacted ground below. Trellises are being used on the Western side of the garden plot to grow two varieties of Passion Fruit. Water is collected off of the garden shed roof into a 3,000 Liters rainwater catchment tank. and old recycled bathtubs are being used as Vermiculture or composting worm beds.
The eastern fence line is planted with a diverse array of flowering plants to attract pollinators and Bees. There are two bee Hives under a young Muna Tree, or Aningeria adolfi-friederici, to showcase the importance of pollinators close to one’s garden.
Projects to Come in the near future will include an earth works workshop where Swales will be measured and dug to catch, spread, and sink water moving through the site, with another workshop of developing a food forest ecosystem. These two micro workshops will last for under a week, giving participants a chance to gain practical experience in on area of Permaculture techniques.
The Idili Permaculture site will also host a COB (Cultural Original Building) workshop from June 12 to July 21st of 2017. A small one bedroom cottage will be built by students wanting to learn more about natural building, and the workshop will be taught by an experienced Cob Instructor from Spain. They will have the chance to experience the build from foundations to roof installment. Further details about the COB building workshop will be available on www.cobworks.com shortly.
So far, the Idili Permaculture Site has hosted groups of students from two different international schools in the area with students from the ages of 10 -18 getting to experience Permaculture techniques in a practical setting. Usual group sizes have been from 15 to 20 students. One school visited the site every Friday for four weeks for a longer and varied Permaculture experience. Both schools have now commissioned ISFSP to develop school garden sites for scientific and observational study areas, thus allowing for outdoor and practical learning opportunities. Additional information can be obtained from the project website at www.idilifarmsproject.org.
Project Director: Michael Barton
ISFSP Project Operations Manager: Ian Barton
ACI Idili ISFSP Project Manager, USA: Kara Neely
Start Date: 1 January 2017
End Date: 31 December 2021
Location: Tigoni, Kenya
Pursuant to our project agreement, the ISFSP Project completed work and closed the website. Thank you to all who have participated, been trained, and are now applying the principals in their local communities. Many of the students who were trained gained a new understanding of Permaculture techniques and are following these techniques around the world. A sincere thank you to Michael Barton, Ian Barton, and Kara Neely for their time, energy, and expertise invested in the success of the ISFSP Project of ACI.
WATCH THE PROJECT SLIDE SHOW BELOW:
Maasai community development project - kenya
On January 4, 2012, ACI President David Neely dedicated the Billibo Community School to the Maasai community located 30 km north of the Tanzania - Kenya boarder town of Namanga, Kenya. In partnership with the Kijiji Ya Sanaa Trust, ACI funded the construction of the open air school and provided school supplies for the 45 Maasai children attending the grand opening. The local community has hired 4 teachers and will use a brick making machine to build partial walls for the school. The school is the initial element of the Maasai Community Development Project, which includes future elements such as a library for the school, a medical clinic, a renewable energy module, a waste recycle module, a micro business element to fund future projects, a vocational training module, and a reforestation element. The reforestation element was started the day of the school dedication when several trees were planted by the ACI team and the local community.
We received a report from our partner, Kijiji Ya Sanaa Trust regarding the successful development of the project by the local community through the cooperative efforts of civil, governmental, and corporate partners. All of which has been driven by the project trust and community leadership. The report included the fact that early in 2013 a strategic meeting was held with new people on the Kijiji Ya Sanaa Trust board and the local committee to set up structures (official partnership guidelines for completion of the total project), which have proved to be very successful.
The Maasai community, elders, and leaders have shown their support by putting up a wonderful management team for the school. The 3 teachers of the Billibo Community School faithfully taught with dedication, the parents also continued to support the teachers up keep (salary). The school averaged 39 pupils who showed progress and development in their studies.”
The local Administration attended all the project’s quarterly meetings, and the Billibo Community School was able to participate in the Kajiado County 2-day workshop for local and international investors. There were a few challenges which the project recognized, primarily the fact that the number of females attending Billibo Community School had dropped. Additionally, the following needs were identified: lack of learning materials, an additional teacher's table and student benches & tables, water, and the construction of a security fence around the project property.
Mrs. Wangui Nyoike, of the Kijiji Ya Sanaa Trust writes, “There is great development and families have advanced to higher levels in their livelihood and health. Soon the general hospital will be officially opened to the public, and there are several secondary schools coming up. Kijiji is under new management, working with cooperates, government, local administration, local leaders, and churches. Our policy is to enter into a memorandum of understanding with all interest party and must fit into our plan. Our pillars are Christianity, Education, Health, Empower, Impact, Progress, Hard work and Transformation” She goes on to say, “The team work among the community is amazing, the families have put up new and decent houses for their families. They were able to raise their own funds to facilitate the community and their livestock with water.” Prof. Nenkai followed up on the drilling of borehole, water harvest, and water storage.
Additionally, it has been reported that there has been the following resolution to issues, as well as continued project development, again led by the local community:
· The Kenya Forestry Service will assist in planting 1,000 trees for energy & fuel during the long runs. (Reforestation element of the project)
· Ciiru Njomo, is working to develop exchange programs with other schools and implementation. (Education element of the project)
· Paul Senet, is serving as the Billibo Community School head and over the school’s management. (Education element of the project)
· Silandoi, is developing vocational skills and empowerment programming for the community. (Education and women’s empowerment element of the project)
· Mrs. Wangui, heading up the women projects and savings initiative. (Education and women’s empowerment element of the project)
· Started the cultivation of 2 acres for open farming of vegetable and beans. (Agricultural element of the project)
· Developing a feeding program. (Relief element of the project)
· Constructing a school office, house for head teacher, and two classrooms in partnership with local organizations. (Education element of the project)
· Developing project brochures and opening up a website for project promotion and communication.
· Establishing an annual subscription Fee for Kijiji Board members and partners for sustainability of the administration elements.
· Actively inviting additional partners to come on board to work with Kijiji Ya Sanaa Masai Development Project
Initially, when we found out that the community no longer needed our LifeBox Education module, it was a bit disappointing from the perspective that were not able to actually build out this first container in country; however, from a development perspective it is something that we can celebrate. It is been a long time coming since the initial visit with the community back in 2010. Lessons have been learned through this past four years. The idea for any project is for ACI to make the physical and emotional investment in the community, and basically empowering them, or helping the community leadership recognize that, as a local community, they have the capacity, both physical and financial, to follow through on the overall project without overseas aid if given the right leadership and training. From that perspective, we are celebrating the fact that they have chosen to move forward under new leadership of the trust, and complete the project as designed by ACI and Dale Duncan from McLennan Design, LLC, to a large extent. We would have loved to build the LifeBox Education module out for them, but the overall goal for ACI is not to place LifeBox modules in communities, but to help communities established development projects that are self-sustaining and driven by the community itself.
We received a report from our partner, Kijiji Ya Sanaa Trust regarding the successful development of the project by the local community through the cooperative efforts of civil, governmental, and corporate partners. All of which has been driven by the project trust and community leadership. The report included the fact that early in 2013 a strategic meeting was held with new people on the Kijiji Ya Sanaa Trust board and the local committee to set up structures (official partnership guidelines for completion of the total project), which have proved to be very successful.
The Maasai community, elders, and leaders have shown their support by putting up a wonderful management team for the school. The 3 teachers of the Billibo Community School faithfully taught with dedication, the parents also continued to support the teachers up keep (salary). The school averaged 39 pupils who showed progress and development in their studies.”
The local Administration attended all the project’s quarterly meetings, and the Billibo Community School was able to participate in the Kajiado County 2-day workshop for local and international investors. There were a few challenges which the project recognized, primarily the fact that the number of females attending Billibo Community School had dropped. Additionally, the following needs were identified: lack of learning materials, an additional teacher's table and student benches & tables, water, and the construction of a security fence around the project property.
Mrs. Wangui Nyoike, of the Kijiji Ya Sanaa Trust writes, “There is great development and families have advanced to higher levels in their livelihood and health. Soon the general hospital will be officially opened to the public, and there are several secondary schools coming up. Kijiji is under new management, working with cooperates, government, local administration, local leaders, and churches. Our policy is to enter into a memorandum of understanding with all interest party and must fit into our plan. Our pillars are Christianity, Education, Health, Empower, Impact, Progress, Hard work and Transformation” She goes on to say, “The team work among the community is amazing, the families have put up new and decent houses for their families. They were able to raise their own funds to facilitate the community and their livestock with water.” Prof. Nenkai followed up on the drilling of borehole, water harvest, and water storage.
Additionally, it has been reported that there has been the following resolution to issues, as well as continued project development, again led by the local community:
· The Kenya Forestry Service will assist in planting 1,000 trees for energy & fuel during the long runs. (Reforestation element of the project)
· Ciiru Njomo, is working to develop exchange programs with other schools and implementation. (Education element of the project)
· Paul Senet, is serving as the Billibo Community School head and over the school’s management. (Education element of the project)
· Silandoi, is developing vocational skills and empowerment programming for the community. (Education and women’s empowerment element of the project)
· Mrs. Wangui, heading up the women projects and savings initiative. (Education and women’s empowerment element of the project)
· Started the cultivation of 2 acres for open farming of vegetable and beans. (Agricultural element of the project)
· Developing a feeding program. (Relief element of the project)
· Constructing a school office, house for head teacher, and two classrooms in partnership with local organizations. (Education element of the project)
· Developing project brochures and opening up a website for project promotion and communication.
· Establishing an annual subscription Fee for Kijiji Board members and partners for sustainability of the administration elements.
· Actively inviting additional partners to come on board to work with Kijiji Ya Sanaa Masai Development Project
Initially, when we found out that the community no longer needed our LifeBox Education module, it was a bit disappointing from the perspective that were not able to actually build out this first container in country; however, from a development perspective it is something that we can celebrate. It is been a long time coming since the initial visit with the community back in 2010. Lessons have been learned through this past four years. The idea for any project is for ACI to make the physical and emotional investment in the community, and basically empowering them, or helping the community leadership recognize that, as a local community, they have the capacity, both physical and financial, to follow through on the overall project without overseas aid if given the right leadership and training. From that perspective, we are celebrating the fact that they have chosen to move forward under new leadership of the trust, and complete the project as designed by ACI and Dale Duncan from McLennan Design, LLC, to a large extent. We would have loved to build the LifeBox Education module out for them, but the overall goal for ACI is not to place LifeBox modules in communities, but to help communities established development projects that are self-sustaining and driven by the community itself.