A fledgling eco-village gets off the ground in S Africa.

We wanted to develop a village on land with as much indigenous forest on it as possible in order to protect the forest from abusive development, and to establish a co-creative relationship with the elemental forces on the land. Kuthumba is predominantly virgin forest and borders on a massive nature reserve of old forest along the coast - ideal stomping ground for the environmental education and skills training programs we envisage.

We wanted land with beautiful views too, not only for the joy and upliftment of the people who live here but also because we see ourselves as healers. Establishing a holistic healing centre will become a central focus for the community. Not only will this provide a vital service to the outer community, but the work opportunities generated by the healing centre, country lodge and conference centre will make it possible for people to relocate from the city.

Our only uncertainty was water. The streams are intermittent, so it remained to be seen if a bore-hole would yield enough water to service a community and run a permaculture program on the arable land. This 'little' obstacle provided me with a two-year training program in trust and perseverance as I carried water in on my truck whilst struggling to establish a functional bore-hole. Kuthumba now has ample water to support the community but this experience has highlighted the need to ensure the sustainability of this resource. All houses on Kuthumba will have rainwater tanks to capture the run-off from roofs. We have also included large storage tanks in our infrastructure, built a dam, and will recycle our greywater. (It took three years for our local authorities to pass our proposal for a wet-land greywater treatment system. At last we are now able to get on with it.)

The Kuthumba community is forming itself around ethics that relate principally to a love of the earth and a desire by its members to honour the unique expression of that love through each individual - thus forming a bond of unified purpose. Kuthumba has been established through the sale of free-hold title plots. This will not be the only means by which people are able to become part of the community but it does form a structure through which people retain their individuality and their financial independence. At the same time it has also created a format for group decision-making through the Home Owners' Association.

Our first Home Owners gathering occurred on the Easter weekend this year, and brought a major shift for the community. All the committed Home Owners made the effort to travel to Kuthumba for the occasion. Even the few people with options to buy came and we had a barn full of excited, enthusiastic people making friends with their future neighbours. It was amazing to see how open and loving these supposed strangers were to each other - the first move to integrating as an intentional community, having been drawn to participate in this community by the resonance of this land.

At the moment Kuthumba is a hive of activity as services are laid, the dam is being built, trenches for water and electrical services are dug, the roads pushed and gravelled, and houses are being built. All houses will be built of natural materials. Many will be wattle and daub, and clay, with a good measure of cow dung thrown in - which has proved invaluable in our climate!

Bruce and Helen Varney, our first buyers, are well on their way with the building of their wattle and daub house. Alec Brown has moved onto the property and is preparing to build his log cabin. Elzunia von Maltitz is now living in the area, waiting to build. New homeowners are all in different stages of preparation to relocate. There has been a general acceleration in activity, and we have only five more plots to sell.

We are very privileged to have Ron and Avice Hindmarch heading up our permaculture farming program which will begin later this year. Other major tasks include finding the people to develop our Healing Centre, and establishing the Skills Training Centre

We look forward to connecting with other eco-villages, now that the groundwork has at last been done and we have the right 'bits' of technology.

Patti Ovenstone