Happy Simply – sustainable lifestyle model and education project. Healthy, happy and with lots of friends. Debt free. Where the best things in life are not things. You get it eh …!
- Sustainable living – shelter, food, water, energy, transport, waste, environment
- Community participation – volunteering, active citizenship
- Education – learning, simple sustainable choices, rich experiences, simply happy!
Food water shelter – environment, community and family = Happy Simply
A model for life and an educational project to learn from with information and inspiration.
A showcase of how one person can live happily in almost subsistence and highlighting the importance of community and the fulfilment that comes from being an engaged and active citizen. It is not necessarily a model people will adapt in whole but more a display of possibilities for a more active, engaged and sustainable life. People can then see what is possible and choose to adopt one or more of the ideas and move themselves along their own subsistent and simply happy spectrum.
As an educator of 11 years, mainly in developing countries, I wish to incorporate rich educational experiences into this model of living. I aim to offer all people, in particular school students, the chance to challenge, learn, debate and take action around this example of near subsistent living and community participation.
Why?
Since graduating from university in Adelaide, Australia in 2000, I have volunteered, taught, learnt and travelled to over 50 countries. What I have experienced is that we can be happier, more content and more connected with each other, our natural environment and with less as we voluntarily take on some of the attributes of people and communities in developing countries.
What?
The sustainable life model and education project will feature:
- Simple small dwelling made from ecological, reusable, recycled materials (about 10m²)
- Renewable energy, not reliant on the grid
- Water catchment and storage, again off mains water
- Edible garden for majority of food requirements – best sustainable gardening practices
- Waste system that is not dependent on outside sanitation services – compostable toilet
- Transport that has no or little emissions – walking, cycling and public transport
- Volunteering in the community each week
- Education component to share learning, skills and outputs for others to adopt as wanted
I want to collaborate with a community and a number or contributors to make a successful and meaningful model and educational experience. The process and journey to make the model and project a reality is as important as the final product so there is a sense of community ownership and affinity.
Collaboration
Namely I hope to collaborate with:
- Local and regional council and if possible national government and relevant Ministries
- Renewable energy device provider(s)
- Ecological, small and simple dwelling producer such as SHAC: 10m² batches
- Water capture and storage provider
- Organic edible gardening person/group
- Compostable toilet provider
- No or low emission transport providers – walking, cycling and public transport advocates
- Volunteer and community associations, organisations, groups and clubs
- Educators and providers – schools, universities, organisations and other communities
Benefits
- Community – active citizenship and community participation community collaboration
- Community – working together to produce a way of life benefiting all
- Community – giving to the community through volunteering at least one day a week
- Council – showcase to other people, communities & councils, community & sustainability
- Education – hands on experiential / discovery learning with visible application for actions
- Environment – living within the natural limitations of the local and global environment
- Business – promote the businesses, organisations and collaborators, a model to others
- Tourism – attract passing tourists or engage tourists already in the area
- Energy/water consumption – how little we need and how simply we can supply ourselves
- Waste – less waste practices: reduce, reuse and recycle, minimal waste and landfill
- Transport – advocate walking, cycling and public transport and the important role it plays
- Health – healthy lifestyle of diet, nutrition, exercise and interaction with others and nature
- Volunteering – the best gift is giving and receiving to/from others
- Emotional – people, community and nature, we can everything we want and be happy
- Personal – fulfilment, happiness, laughter and learning – simply happy!
- Spiritual – a greater connectedness with people, community and the environment
Sunsets, experiences, places, people, community, family, running, walking, riding – simple, free and happy!
Possible Support and Sponsorship
I am and have been a full-time volunteer for many years and want to bring this collaboration together to showcase a number of good people doing good things. I am looking for the support/sponsorship needed to make this a reality, specifically:
- A collaboration, already existing, or to be formed to take on the shared approach
- Community support and volunteers
- Approx 30-100 square metres of land
- Renewable energy device(s)
- Water capture and storage devices
- Compostable toilet
- Mentoring, support, and if keen, helpers to establish an edible garden
- Bicycle and trailer in conjunction with the local public transport provider
- Support from schools and local council to promote the idea and education of the project
With the wide promotion and awareness that will come from the modelling and education of the project I would hope most things could be donated from relevant orgs and people.
‘Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication…’
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This is a simple and small idea from which big things may grow (support from others not size of the house!)…
I would appreciate any inputs, ideas and feedback on:
- The concept and model
- How and who to present it to
- Any pictorial representation of this model – please… as you can see I am a dot point guy
Happy Simply – a sustainable lifestyle model & education project 