Become a
Certified Permaculture Designer
Gain skills that empower you to design a sustainable and resilient future for urban dwellers
Calling all aspiring permaculture practitioners - be part of the first PDC Course for Singapore!
This immersive programme offers a blend of practical knowledge and innovative solutions aimed at transforming urban spaces into sustainable ecosystems, with particular focus on Singapore’s unique food security challenges and strong social foundation.
Our hybrid course structure is tailored to meet the needs of busy working adults, including both in-person sessions held at Urban Hijau’s thriving urban farm in Kuala Lumpur and a permaculture site in Singapore as well as interactive virtual workshops accessible from anywhere with internet connection. This unique approach gives you access to comprehensive learning experiences, hands-on activities and expert guidance from leaders in permaculture design whilst enabling you to manage your other commitments.
Whether you’re looking to enhance your green thumb, integrate sustainability into your profession, or contribute to a healthier planet,
our PDC course offers the knowledge, network and inspiration to turn your aspirations into action!
On successful completion, you will receive the PDC Certificate from Geoff & Nadia Lawton’s Permaculture Research Institute (PRI), and join the growing international community of certified permaculture practitioners.
You will also be part of the pioneering batch with the opportunity to become a key player in TCHS’s Little Farms Everywhere endeavour.
Course Programme
- 5 x 8-hour days in-person sessions at Urban Hijau, Kuala Lumpur – 24 to 28 June 2024.
- 9 x 3-hour virtual sessions – 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16 & 17 July 2024, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.
- 1 day site survey for Final Design Exercise and hands-on session in Singapore – 20 July 2024, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Half day Final Design Exercise presentation and hands-on session in Singapore – 27 July 2024, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Course Fee
TCHS Members | SGD 2,200* |
Non-members | SGD 2,500* |
- Lunch and two tea breaks each day for the sessions at Urban Hijau from 24 to 28 June 2024
- Permaculture Research Institute (PRI) certification on satisfactory completion of the course
- Participants can opt for accommodation at a 4-star hotel, including breakfast
Other Information
- Participants to make own arrangements
- Participants to make own arrangements
About the Trainers
Lead Trainer
Abdur-Rahman McCausland
Co-trainers
Irfan Mohamed (KL)
Irfan Mohamed, an acoustic engineer by profession, got his first exposure to permaculture in Australia where he used to help his sister and brother in-law on their veggie patch. He completed his PDC in 2014 and is a member of Urban Hijau’s Exco.
Since co-founding Urban Hijau in 2015, he has participated in their children’s programme, planting, weeding, collecting green waste for composting and just about anything where he can get his hands dirty. He is an avid propagator of natural farming practices and was a catalyst in the setting up of Tirtha Quddus, a permaculture farm in Janda Baik. In his current mission to call people to action, he is working with Urban Hijau in setting up a 3-step training programme for families and communities to start growing their own food.
Wan Mohd Ridhwan (KL)
Wan Mohd Ridhwan trained as a chemical engineer, and spent years in oil and gas production and operations with experiences in offshore engineering projects, financial budgeting, joint venture and people management before embracing permaculture in 2014 after completing a PDC with PRI Co-Director, Rhamis Kent. His experience lies within the humid tropics and subtropic climate zones.
In 2016, whilst an intern in Zaytuna Farm under the tutelage of Geoff and Nadia Lawton, Ridhwan acquired an understanding of farm systems, i.e. cattle, poultry, nursery, cropping and food forest setup, operations and maintenance, irrigation, farm piping network, mechanical works and earthworks, and also gained experience co-teaching PDC. There he obtained his International Project Management Certificate and gained valuable experience managing Zaytuna Farm and working together with Geoff Lawton on consultancies, designs and implementation. He also had the honour of learning from many other leaders in their field, such as the late Paul Taylor, the late Graham Bell and David Spicer.
On his return to Malaysia, Ridhwan co-founded Chalin Food Forest, an 8-acre homestead where he built a container house and planted a food forest, and completed a PDC co-teaching with Geoff Lawton in Malaysia.
Abdul Azim (KL)
Abdul Azim’s first step into permaculture was through attending a weekend Permaculture Design Certificate course in 2012 with Eats, Shoots & Roots taught by Sabina Arokiam and Juergen Soecknick. He then attended the Permaculture Teacher’s Training with Rosemary Morrow (SEA Permaculture Convergence, Hong Kong 2012). Azim subsequently went on to work on a few permaculture projects including Pulau Bidan Permakultur where in 2017 he received his second permaculture certification from Stephanie Garvin.
Azim has volunteered in several projects related to sustainable farming and nature conservation including working at Sri Lovely Organic Farm and with SRI-Mas on a 2-year programme on System of Rice Intensification with Agroforestry.
In 2020 to 2021 he worked as the Site Coordinator at Rimba Jiva.
Azim and his wife Dr Frederica Agnese founded Kebun Kemensah in 2021 with the idea of growing organic produce for the local neighbourhood. Focusing on regenerative agriculture methods, they have successfully combined principles of Syntropic Agroforestry with Korean Natural Farming.
Chong Li Yen (KL)
Chong Li Yen is one of Urban Hijau’s first farm apprentices, now farm manager overseeing planting and composting systems. While studying and working in USA, she discovered organic farming in 2017 while staying with a farm family in Pennsylvania. It opened her eyes to the wonders of farm-fresh healthy produce.
After a brief stint in the corporate world, she joined Urban Hijau in 2021, and her curiosity toward permaculture led her to complete her PDC with Tom Kendall of PermEco Inc. in August 2021. Since then, Li Yen has had the privilege to design and execute various urban gardening projects, as well as organise workshops and events for all ages.
Li Yen is also a certified trainer (Train The Trainer under the Human Resource Development Corporation, Malaysia).
Mohd Nazzer Hamzah (SG)
Mohd Nazzer Hamzah obtained his PDC with PRI in 2014 under Rhamis Kent. He collaborated with his fellow PDC coursemates to set up Urban Hijau in 2015.
In 2017, Nazzer established the social enterprise Cangkul Zen Pte. Ltd. in Singapore with the intention of reaching out to communities through consultancy projects and educational workshops. Post COVID-19, Good Branchez Pte. Ltd. was set up to focus more on creating sustainable permaculture gardens in schools and communities in Singapore. In collaboration with Mindful Space and The Circle for Human Sustainability (TCHS), Good Branchez set up two M.a.D. [Make-a-Difference] Gardens at Winstedt Road and the Civil Service Club @ Changi which are used to host community/family events as well as workshops for companies and institutions seeking opportunities for their staff/members to be exposed to urban farming and permaculture concepts. In October 2023, TCHS and Good Branchez enabled the residents of Nee Soon South to set up Khatib Wellspring Farmden, the first truly integrated community food garden in a HDB housing estate. The community has embraced the 12 permaculture principles and their garden now serves as a showcase for other estates to emulate.
Good Branchez is also working with the local community and organisations in Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Cambodia in setting up eco-sustainable food-producing farms and uplifting their lives to tackle the food security and global energy and climate situation based on the concept of Permaculture.
Nazzer is also a member of the MOE Parenting Support Group mentoring committee, a certified Master Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Practitioner and a certified adult trainer (ACTA certification under Singapore’s SkillsFuture movement).
Nova C. Nelson (SG)
This course is jointly organized by
