| Latest Update - October 2007 |
| October Village News |
| In This Issue -Wedding at Kufunda -Transitions and New Ways of Working -The Dura -Call to Arts -Upcoming: 2008 Calendar ready - and solar power under way! -Visitors and volunteers |
| Wedding at Kufunda |
| On August 18th Paul and Marianne got married at Kufunda. It was a an incredible celebration of love, joy and community. Several hundred people gathered from near and far, community organizers from all of Kufunda's partner communities, together with friends and family from across the world. The ceremony itself took place among the rocks of Kufunda, at the heart of where the learning and community building takes place during more ordinary moment - with community women standing on the rocks singing songs to accompany the couple as they made their vows to each other. The whole crowd together also committed to support this union long into the future. And then the party began. When the powercut occurred ending the amplified music, the tones of the Mbira and the drums called people to dance to the rhythms of Africa- Marianne's elderly grandmother needing her cane on the dance floor, people from the community, foreigners, all coming together in movement and dance. The celebration marked an important transition in Kufunda's young life. From one with Marianne as founder and leader to one as Marianne as partner and collaborator in a much larger whole. The preparation for this shift has been under way for a long time - but the wedding truly marked the crossover. Marianne will be spending a week a month at Kufunda going forward, to support and nurture the leadership that is here in continuing the work and dream of vibrant communities |
| Transitions and new ways of working |
| A f t e r t h e W e d d i n g w e f o u n d o u r s e l v e s f l o u n d e r i n g . I t t o o k u s a w h i l e t o r e - g a t h e r a n d w e r e a l i z e d t h a t s o m u c h e f f o r t h a d g o n e i n t o t h e w e d d i n g i t s e l f a n d M a r i a n n e ' s s h i f t t h a t w e w e r e n ' t q u i t e s u r e w h a t t o d o w i t h o u r s e l v e s a f t e r w a r d s . I n s o m e w a y s w e w e r e b e r e f t w i t h o u t h e r a n d i t t o o k o u r n e x t c o u n c i l c i r c l e t o b e g i n t o r e a l l y a c k n o w l e d g e o u r r e a l f e a r s a r o u n d t h e s h i f t a s w e l l a s t h e o p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r g r o w t h a n d l e a r n i n g . W e h a v e n o w h e l d a c o u p l e o f c i r c l e s w i t h o u t M a r i a n n e a n d o n e w i t h h e r . W e m i s s h e r b u t a r e a l s o w o r k i n g o u t h o w m o r e p e o p l e s t e p i n t o l e a d e r s h i p a n d h o w w e c o n t i n u e b u i l d i n g o n o u r p r a c t i c e o f h o s t i n g a s l e a d e r s h i p . W e a r e t r y i n g t o w a l k t h i s t i m e o f t r a n s i t i o n w i t h i n t e n t i o n , n o t i c i n g a n d a c k n o w l e d g i n g t h e a b s e n c e s a n d p r e s e n c e s , r e a l i z i n g w h a t m i g h t b e o u r n e w o r d i f f e r e n t r o l e s , h o n o u r i n g w h e r e w e h a v e c o m e f r o m a n d k e e p o u r v i s i o n i n o u r e y e s . Z i m b a b w e t o o i s i n t r a n s i t i o n " o n t h e b r i n k o f a g r e a t t u r n i n g " i n t h e w o r d o f o n e K u f u n d e e . M a y b e t h a t t r a n s i t i o n i s n o t a s i n t e n t i o n a l a n d a l s o t h e e n d v i s i o n i s n o t v e r y v i s i b l e . T h e c o u n t r y i s i n a k i n d o f c h a o s a n d w e f a c e n e w c h a l l e n g e s e v e r y d a y , m a k i n g s u r e w e f i n d f o o d f o r o u r p r o g r a m s , f u e l f o r o u r v e h i c l e s , t r a n s p o r t f o r o u r c o m m u n i t y o r g a n i z e r s ; t h a t w e k e e p o u r v e h i c l e s o n t h e r o a d , a n d w e k e e p o u r s e l v e s h e a l t h y a n d l o o k a f t e r e a c h o t h e r . A t t i m e s l i k e t h e s e w e n e e d a n d a p p r e c i a t e o u r f r i e n d s f r o m a r o u n d t h e w o r l d m o r e t h a n e v e r , a n d t h e s e n s e o f b e i n g h e l d t h a t c o m e s f r o m b e i n g p a r t o f a l a r g e r c o m m u n i t y . W e a l s o r e a l l y a p p r e c i a t e t h e f i n a n c i a l c o n t r i b u t i o n s t h a t c o m e f r o m s o m a n y f r i e n d s , a n d i n v i t e y o u t o c o n t i n u e s u p p o r t i n g o u r w o r k . F o r w a y s o f j o i n i n g u s m o r a l l y a s w e l l a s f i n a n c i a l l y , p l e a s e c o n t a c t j a c k i e @ k u f u n d a . o r g |
| The Dura |
| During the course of this year we have been working on ways of taking into the communities Income Generating Projects. There is a grant to Kufunda for this process to get under way and Robin Wild, one of our trustees, is supporting the process. Instead of imposing our ideas on our partner communities, we invited them to join us in July to sit together and find a solution. People came with expectations that they were simply arriving to collect money for projects but instead found themselves, together with Silas, Ticha, Jackie and Robin struggling through a 2 day meeting to create a workable scheme. Everybody worked together very constructively and by the end had invented what the experts call a ROSCA (Rotating Savings and Credit Association) and what the communities are proudly calling a Dura (granary). The communities are now receiving small start up capital, hand operated machines or tools, and record books which they will manage in mutually supporting production activities for peanut butter and sunflower oil, coffins, dressmaking and crochet work. We have just come together again for the follow up workshop and have heard the stories of the struggles and successes of the last couple of months. It was a really constructive learning process for all concerned. The group is now really cohesive. We have worked out some basic 'rules' together and will gather again at the end of the year to continue strengthening and expanding these schemes as community resources. |
| Call to Arts |
| W e h e l d t h e C a l l t o A r t s j u s t b e f o r e t h e w e d d i n g o f M a r i a n n e a n d P a u l . W e h a d b e e n w o n d e r i n g w h e t h e r o r n o t t o g o a h e a d w i t h t h i s p r o g r a m m e a n d w e r e a s k i n g o u r s e l v e s w h a t w e r e w e d o i n g p l a y i n g a s s h o p s h e l v e s e m p t i e d , f u e l d r i e d u p , a n d p a n i c b u y i n g o f t h e f e w g o o d s a v a i l a b l e s e t i n . P l u s t h e p r a c t i c a l q u e s t i o n s o f w h e t h e r w e w o u l d b e a b l e t o f i n d e n o u g h f o o d f o r p e o p l e a n d w h e t h e r t h e y w o u l d f i n d t r a n s p o r t t o g e t t o u s . W e d e c i d e d a n u n e q u i v o c a l " Y e s t h a t i n t i m e s l i k e t h i s i t i s e v e n m o r e i m p o r t a n t f o r t h e c o m m u n i t i e s t o c o m e t o g e t h e r a n d t o c l a i m w h a t w e d o h a v e a n d w h a t a r e o u r d r e a m s . W e w a n t e d t o l o o k a t w a y s o f u s i n g t h e A r t s t o a c h i e v e t h e s o c i e t y w e w a n t ; f o r h e a l i n g , c o m m u n i t y b u i l d i n g a n d i n s p i r a t i o n ; a s a w a y o f i n t e g r a t i n g u r b a n a n d r u r a l a n d a s a n a v e n u e f o r u n i t y a n d c e l e b r a t i o n e v e n ( a n d p e r h a p s e s p e c i a l l y ) i n t h e m i d s t o f d i f f i c u l t y a n d m i s e r y . W e h a d t h r e e r e a l l y g o o d d a y s t o g e t h e r i n c e l e b r a t i o n a n d a s h a r i n g o f s k i l l s , p r a c t i c e s a n d i d e a s r a n g i n g f r o m p o e t r y t o p o t - m a k i n g , s t o n e s c u l p t u r e t o m b i r a p l a y i n g , k n i t t i n g , j e w e l l e r y m a k i n g , i n t e r i o r d é c o r , d r a m a a n d a n i n t r o d u c t i o n t o m e d i c i n a l t r e e s . T h e y o u n g m e n f r o m t h e U h u r u g r o u p i n H i g h f i e l d i n s p i r e d e v e r y o n e w i t h t h e i r c o m m u n i t y j o u r n a l i s m a n d e a c h c o m m u n i t y w a n t s t o t a k e t h i s f o r w a r d i n s o m e w a y . I t l o o k s l i k e 2 0 0 8 c o u l d b e t h e y e a r o f c o m m u n i t y m e d i a . W e p l a y e d , w e c e l e b r a t e d , w e f o u n d w a y s t o s h a r e a n d c o m e t o g e t h e r a n d , t h a n k s t o U h u r u , w e w i l l h a v e a v i s u a l r e c o r d . |
| Upcoming: 2008 Calendar ready - and solar power under way! |
| Solarisation underway! The power is out for long periods of time all over the country, which has made us more determined to take forward the solarisation of Kufunda. We have made a small start in that our satellite internet is now solar powered and we are developing a plan for the whole village to be self sufficient in power generation. We are working together with Kufunda Denmark - our new friendship association in Denmark to develop a model solar solution at Kufunda. |
| 2008 Calendar ready |
| Our 2008 calendar is ready for orders. It is once again full of imagery from life at Kufunda and our partner communities. It is selling for US$19.95 plus postage (from the US). To order please email Claudette Check out the calendar! |
| Visitors and volunteers |
| W e c o n t i n u e t o b e b l e s s e d w i t h m a n y v i s i t o r s . C u r r e n t l y w i t h u s i s A n d r e e a N e a s c u , a y o u n g R o m a n i a n v o l u n t e e r w h o w i l l b e w i t h u s f o r a c o u p l e o f m o n t h s , h e l p i n g e s p e c i a l l y w i t h t h e r e n e w a b l e e n e r g y p r o p o s a l , b u t a l s o i n t h e h e r b t e a m w i t h g a r d e n i n g a n d p r o c e s s i n g . N e x t w e e k w e w e l c o m e a n o t h e r D u t c h v o l u n t e e r , M i c h i e l , t h r o u g h P e o p l e 4 C h a n g e . H e w i l l h e l p u s w i t h p r o j e c t m a n a g e m e n t a n d p l a n n i n g , a r r i v i n g a t j u s t t h e r i g h t t i m e t o j o i n u s f o r o u r p l a n n i n g r e t r e a t a t t h e e n d o f t h e m o n t h . N o v e m b e r b r i n g s u s f i r s t l y K i m R o g e r s f r o m t h e U S A w h o i s v i s i t i n g Z i m b a b w e a n d K u f u n d a a n d w h o w i l l h o l d a c r e a t i v e w r i t i n g w o r k s h o p i n t h e v i l l a g e . L e t s h o p e f o r s o m e s t o r i e s f r o m t h a t i n o u r n e x t n e w s l e t t e r . S h e w i l l a l s o h e l p u s w i t h o u r b u s i n e s s w r i t i n g s k i l l s , r e p o r t s , m i n u t e s a n d s o o n . A t t h e e n d o f N o v e m b e r w e w e l c o m e a g r o u p o f v i s i t o r s f r o m S o u t h A f r i c a f o r a s p e c i a l L e a r n i n g J o u r n e y . T h e s e i n c l u d e o l d f r i e n d s t h e G r e e n h o u s e P r o j e c t . S o m o h o ( S o w e t o M o u n t a i n o f H o p e ) . S K Y ( S o w e t o K l i p T o w n Y o u t h ) , t h e F i s h e r w o m e n s A s s o c i a t i o n f r o m C a p e T o w n a n d o n e o r t w o o t h e r s . W e w i l l c o m e t o g e t h e r t o c h a r t o u r w a y f o r w a r d f o r t h e b e g i n n i n g o f a r e g i o n a l n e t w o r k o f L e a r n i n g C e n t r e s . I t i s a b l e s s i n g t o c o n t i n u e r e c e i v i n g p e o p l e i n t h e m i d s t o f t h e c r i s i s o f o u r c o u n t r y . A s m a n y h a v e n o t e d i t i s a p o t e n t a n d p o w e r f u l t i m e t o e x p e r i e n c e Z i m b a b w e a n d h e r p e o p l e . |
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