'Urban Hijau' - Malaysia's Lockdown Permaculture (Video)

Urban Hijau in Kuala Lumpure is a permaculture farm. The organisation has been eco-training local communities and is feeding its most vulnerable citizens during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Eco-Muslim Abdur-Rahman McCausland reports from Malaysia during the pandemic, where Urban Hijau is putting plans into practise to support people in the long-rung.

With global lockdown, food security has become a big issue around the world, even in Malaysia.

Over here, vulnerable groups such as refugees and stranded migrant workers have no means of income and are really suffering.

Gratefully, I am at Urban Hijau a one-acre urban farm and Permaculture Training Centre in Kuala Lumpur.

Urban Hijau was created in 2013 by permaculture students who wanted to make a real difference

Under the lockdown, I have not stepped off the site for the past six weeks.

But I can eat healthily from the farm, harvesting from 150+ species of vegetables, fruits, herbs, and spices.

True, I do get some extra supplies like milk and yoghurt, but even if I didn’t receive them, I wouldn’t starve.


Compare that with a vulnerable urban household in Malaysia, who have to leave their home to shop for food, but can’t work to get the cash they need under this lockdown.

Drone-photo of workers at Urban Hijau

Our 3-Part Green Plan

So Urban Hijau has come up with a three-part plan to help marginalised people in Malaysia, both in the short and long term: Feed from the farm, Teach how to garden, Upgrade our eco-systems.

We are currently fundraising to improve our permaculture systems and increase our impact for these families: Launch Good donation page.

Our three-part plan:

Green Plan 1.

Supply lock-down food assistance from the farm to whoever needs it, during and after Ramadhan

Green Plan 2.

Give them training in sustainable gardening techniques once the lockdown ends.

Green Plan 3.

Upgrade growing systems at Urban Hijau for better working models which we can replicate to establish livelihoods for people we’ve trained in the future.

Our partner in this initiative is the Geutanyoe Foundation. They work with a range of refugee communities in Malaysia and will deliver our produce where it is most needed.



Urban Hijau has several group activities and programs to get the youth involved, like children's farm tours and team events. Once the lockdown restrictions have been reduced hopefully these opportunities can keep going.

Aquaponics: a self-sufficient ecosystem

Another growing system used here at Urban Hijau is Aquaponics. Put simply that means growing vegetables in water fertilised by fish manure, which also cleans the water for the fish, so everybody’s a winner!


Video link: Feeding People In Malaysia Through Permaculture

We want to upgrade the system but need to add some equipment. For this, we need to raise some funds. In addition, what we pledge to do at UH is donate the same amount of money we raise, as food, to people in need right now, insha-Allah.

We want to harvest 400 fish and donate them to refugee centres and orphanages this Ramadhan! 

Down the line, Urban Hijau will keep donating more food to the refugees too from the improved output of fresh fish and veggies.

Training Future Gardeners

What’s more, after this lock-down, Urban Hijau will give training to those refugees in 'sustainable growing'. This will give them the skills and knowledge to make compost at home, and plant container gardens to grow vegetables, herbs, and spices for fresh healthy food all the time.

Then, even further down the line, we want to help them set up growing systems like ours, at their own projects, so they can turn the skills they learn from Urban Hijau into livelihoods and stay food secure even if another crisis comes along.

They used to say, “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for life.” At Urban Hijau we say:

 “Give and man a fish, teach him how to do urban farming AND feed him and his family for life, inshaAllah!”

Please support us by chipping in to our Launch Good fundraising page or just share this post and the link. May Allah bless you all!

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