Dear friends,

In 2014 we, Coen and Megan, arrived at the Tara Rokpa Centre with a will to learn about permaculture and Dharma while also helping where help is needed. With this ambition, and some naivety, a year later we jumped at the opportunity of starting the Tikologo project. Over the following years we have crafted a space that today demonstrates a large number of principles relating to sustainable living as well as offers an opportunity for people to develop an array of practical skills.

During our time here we have endeavoured to create water security for the site through the construction of various water harvesting structures and landscapes which now store more than 130 000L of usable water and soak millions of litres of water into the landscape every rainy season. We have learnt about and applied natural building techniques, planted hundreds of trees and probably thousands of herbs and this is just to name a few.

However after almost 6 years of stewarding the Tikologo project it is sadly time for us to announce our farewell from TRC and the Tikologo project. The time has come for us to move on to a new adventure and start a new chapter in our lives. This has been a life changing experience for us and we sincerely wish to continue putting into positive practice the vast array of skills and lessons that we have learnt during our time here.

We would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank each and every person who we have met and connected with during our time here. Thank you to all the individuals who have donated to the Tikologo project, your generosity has truly enriched the land and lives of future inhabitants and visitors of the site. And thank you to the TRC Sangha for your kindness and encouragement of good action which has kept us motivated.

Thank you to Tara Rokpa Centre, together with the on-site community and management committee, for hosting us and granting us the opportunity to learn, grow and contribute to the centre.  Finally we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the many Dharma teachers we have had the amazing fortune of meeting and whose wisdom and insight has impacted our lives in immeasurable ways.

In 2020 we will be moving back to Cape Town and look very forward to joining the Cape Town Sangha again. We would like to take this opportunity to reach out and let our community know that we will be searching for prospective job opportunities. Megan is a talented and reliable designer eager to pursue a career in graphic design while Coen would love to put his many years of permaculture design experience to good use.

In response to our departure TRC is currently looking for a new environmental steward/s to take the Tikologo Permaculture Project into its next phase of development. The ideal candidate/s should have an interest in permaculture, be self-motivated and have some experience in training and skills development as this will become a more prominent focus of Tikologo in 2020.  If you are interested in uplifting the lives of the community as well as embarking on your own life changing experience then please do contact TRC for more details.

With love and best wishes to all,

Coen and Megan