Imraan Samuels was anxious about his future and that of the planet. After dropping out of high school due to lack of funds, he was desperate to do something that would better himself and the natural world. Samuels went back to basics, finding purpose in permaculture. Through the method of agriculture, he’s cultivating hope and showing others how to grow awareness from their homes. “The environment needs us to collectively take action towards living sustainably,” Samuels says.
Permaculture is an approach to agriculture that focuses on minimising our impact on the environment through sustainable ways of living. Having implemented its tenets in his own life, Samuels is eager to share his knowledge with others. He co-founded Guerilla House, a training space in Cape Town where he teaches people everything from how to ferment their own food to harvesting rainwater. Samuels demonstrates the possibility of leading a harmonious life with simple practices that can be applied at home. The benefits are widespread. “Through permaculture you can couple economic opportunities as well as social connection and ecological upliftment,” Samuels says.
Since he began the organisation with Joshua Potgieter in 2015, Samuels has successfully planted over 15 000 florae and reached nearly 1 000 people. “The more minds we can educate about living sustainably, the more accountable we become as a nation,” he says. Seeing people inspired and applying his methods motivates Samuels to keep building connections with others, and the earth. “I hope to empower others to take action,” he says. “I believe we need to work with nature.” Whether it’s through making your own soap or growing your own food, the future is in our hands.
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