My cousin June Walker, who has died aged 89, was a pioneer of permaculture in Malawi, where she lived for almost 70 years. As June put it: “There are three principles: care for the earth and its people and share the surplus. Learn how to grow food without chemicals or money. That is all it is.”
After a long career as a teacher and volunteer, June turned to her final calling after meeting Jeremy Burnham, a permaculture advocate based in South Africa. She became involved with the Permaculture Malawi group, a network of workers and specialists involved in promoting and training for smallholding farming systems, and soil and water health and stability. In “retirement”, June funded the Mkandwe Eco-Village, where villagers put these principles into practice.
