|
|
|
|
| Latest Update - November 2006 |
| Photography at the village |
| Malene Lunden, friend and photographer from Denmark, has spent the past 2 months with us. She has been active with her camera to capture, document and express the life and work of the village. The result includes a gorgeous - if we may say so - 2007 calendar, which will be available from early december; a book on the story of Kufunda; a collection of postcards, and shortly a lot more new pictures on the Kufunda website. If you would like to order a copy of the calendar or any of the other products, please email jackie@kufunda.org
And a resounding thank you to you Malene, for your work, but just as importantly the love and energy you have lived during your weeks here. |
| Where will we be in 20 years? |
| In the last few weeks our team has begun to live with the question of a longer term vision. The result has been delicious conversations as we have shared each others stories from the future. An important shift in consciousness has come through our remembering and realising Kufunda as a resource for the world. It is easy to loose sight of the larger purpose, and see ours as a development project. And yet we are not working with the rural community organisers because they are poor or because we think they may need us, but rather because they are strong, resourceful, wise, generous people who have made a commitment to find different ways of living and responding to a very tough situation. And in this partnership, we believe we are learning lessons of life and community, that can inspire and inform way beyond Kufunda and Zimbabwe.
Our future-gazing continue as a series of on-going conversations. Recently we had a gathering at Kufunda of people who have much experience in living with nature - people with knowledge about land design, indigenous trees, natural systems, renewable energy and eco-building. They spent a day with us, sharing what they see, exercising their own vision for what Kufunda might become in the next few decades.
Thank you to all of you who are joining us in the tuning in to the future. |
| |
| Learning Journey Magic |
| W e h a v e j u s t c o - h o s t e d a n o t h e r w o n d e r f u l l e a r n i n g j o u r n e y w i t h t h e B e r k a n a i n s t i t u t e . A g r o u p o f 1 2 f r o m m a i n l y t h e U S a n d C a n a d a , a n d o n e v i b r a n t B r a z i l i a n ! r e c e n t l y s p e n t t w o w e e k s i n S o u t h e r n A f r i c a , a n d a l i t t l e o v e r a w e e k i n Z i m b a b w e , i n c l u d i n g a s t a y a t K u f u n d a . I t s e e m s t h a t e a c h t i m e w e h o s t t h e s e j o u r n e y s , t h e c o n n e c t i o n g r o w s d e e p e r a n d d e e p e r . T h e m e e t i n g b e t w e e n t h e K u f u n d e e s a n d t h e v i s i t o r s w a s r i c h a n d j o y f u l .
A l r e a d y s e e d s h a v e b e e n s o w n f o r f u t u r e c o l l a b o r a t i o n a n d e n g a g e m e n t : A l e a r n i n g j o u r n e y f o r p a r e n t s a n d t h e i r c h i l d r e n ( 1 8 - 3 0 y e a r o l d s ) , a i n v i t a t i o n t o P a t r i c i a a n d M a t h i b e d i f r o m K u f u n d a p r e s c h o o l a n d L a p e n g t o v i s i t C a n a d a t o w o r k w i t h o t h e r s w o r k i n g w i t h c h i l d r e n a n d t h e i r p a r e n t s , a p o s s i b l e y o u t h c a m p f o r U S y o u t h t o K u f u n d a , a n d m a n y m o r e s u c h w o n d e r f u l e l e m e n t s a r e c o o k i n g .
T h a n k y o u t o t h e j o u r n e y e r s f o r y o u r o p e n h e a r t s a n d c u r i o u s a n d g e n e r o u s s p i r i t s .
F o r t h o s e w h o w i s h t o j o i n u s o n f u t u r e j o u r n e y s w e w i l l b e a n n o u n c i n g t h e s c h e d u l e i n t h e n e x t n e w s l e t t e r . |
| Community Planning Workshop |
| S o o n a f t e r o u r o w n t e a m r e t r e a t w a s o v e r w e h o s t e d a t h r e e - d a y w o r k s h o p f o r r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s o f e a c h o f o u r p a r t n e r c o m m u n i t i e s . D u r i n g t h r e e d a y s o f b u z z i n g , c o m m u n i t y o r g a n i z e r s s h a r e d e x p e r i e n c e s f r o m 2 0 0 5 w h a t h a d w o r k e d , a n d w h a t t h e y h a d l e a r n e d t h a t t h e y w i s h e d t o f u r t h e r i n 2 0 0 6 . T h r o u g h t h e u s e o f o p e n s p a c e t e c h n o l o g y a l l t h e p l a n n i n g a n d w o r k - g r o u p i n g w a s e n t i r e l y s e l f - o r g a n i s e d a r o u n d t h e a r e a s a n d p r o j e c t s t h a t p e o p l e f e l t t h e m o s t c o m m i t t e d t o a n d p a s s i o n a t e a b o u t . P l a n s f o r 2 0 0 6 c o m p l e m e n t e d m u c h o f w h a t t h e v i l l a g e i t s e l f i s d o i n g . I t i n c l u d e s d e e p e n i n g t h e w o r k w i t h t h e a i d s o r p h a n s i n t h e c o m m u n i t i e s t h r o u g h t h e p r e s c h o o l i n i t i a t i v e s a s w e l l a s t h r o u g h h e r b a n d n u t r i t i o n g a r d e n p r o j e c t s . T h e r e i s g r e a t e x c i t e m e n t a r o u n d t h e s p r e a d o f t h e j e n g e t a h u n i s t o v e s , a s w e l l a s t h e c o n t i n u e d s p r e a d o f t h e c o m p o s t t o i l e t s .
|
| Education Fund Update |
| I n 2 0 0 5 t h e K u f u n d a E d u c a t i o n F u n d s u p p o r t e d 1 1 8 c h i l d r e n , m o s t o f t h e m o r p h a n s . W e h a v e b e e n a b l e t o i n c r e a s e o u r n u m b e r s a t t h e b e g i n n i n g o f 2 0 0 6 t o 1 8 5 c h i l d r e n f o r t h e f i r s t t e r m . 4 5 a d d i t i o n a l c h i l d r e n a r e l i k e l y t o b e a d d e d t o t h e f u n d f o r t h e s e c o n d a n d t h i r d t e r m s . T h e t o t a l f e e s c a m e t o 8 5 5 U S D . W e a r e c o n s i d e r i n g a l s o p a y i n g f o r e x e r c i s e b o o k s f o r t h e c h i l d r e n a s w e h a v e r e a l i z e d t h a t m a n y o f t h e c h i l d r e n c a n n o t a f f o r d t o b u y e x e r c i s e b o o k s , a n d s o a c t u a l l y d o n t h a v e t h e n e e d e d b o o k s t o u s e f o r t h e i r d i f f e r e n t e x e r c i s e s a n d a s s i g n m e n t s . A n o t h e r p l a n o n t h e h o r i z o n i s t o s u p p o r t t h e p r e - s c h o o l s t o b e c o m e l e a r n i n g c e n t r e s , w i t h s m a l l l i b r a r i e s a n d l e a r n i n g s u p p o r t o f f e r e d t o t h e s c h o l a r s h i p c h i l d r e n b y t h e c o m m u n i t y o r g a n i z e r s . I f a n y o n e i s k e e n t o h e l p w i t h b o o k s a n d o t h e r s i m i l a r r e s o u r c e s , 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
W e w o u l d l i k e t o u s e t h i s o p p o r t u n i t y t o t h a n k a l l t h o s e p e o p l e w h o h a v e c o n t r i b u t e d t o t h e e d u c a t i o n f u n d , a n d a l s o N a t i o n a l W o m e n ' s S t u d i e s A s s o c i a t i o n J o u r n a l ( o f t h e U S ) w h o h a s r e c e n t l y m a d e a l a r g e d o n a t i o n o f b o o k s , w h i c h h a s k i c k s t a r t e d t h e K u f u n d a V i l l a g e l i b r a r y . |
| Yet another meditation retreat |
| In September we held our fourth meditation retreat at Kufunda. Sitting in early morning silence with Sophia, HIV positive woman struggling simply to live, and working hard for others living with AIDS; with Auntie Emma - great aunt of the village; Patrick, old wizened man from Rusape, black smith and farmer, and many more.
Learning to be still, learning to quiet and focus the mind, learning a technique that purifies as we begin to let go of our many attachments, and simply be. In the meditation we are learning that we can choose how to hold a situation. With great distress, tension and anger, or with the calm of acceptance. It does not mean not to do anything about situations that are wrong or harmful, but what is is, and so as we learn not to work from a place of aversion or craving, we experience great freedom.
We have noticed that the community organisers who come to our retreats regularly, and who make the practice a part of their daily life are working from a more cheerful, balanced place. We have noticed that although it has not been in our official proclamation of who we are, it is in fact a part of what makes us different: That here time is taken to finding practices that ground and centre us. It is not about religion, it is about learning to live with more peace and joy.
May we all continue to learn our way into this. |
| Caregivers Workshop |
| T o g e t h e r w i t h R o k p a , a H a r a r e b u d d h i s t c e n t r e w o r k i n g e x t e n s i v e l y o n s o c i a l i s s u e s , w e h a v e b e e n r u n n i n g a s e r i e s o f c a r e g i v e r s w o r k s h o p s . T h e w o r k s h o p s a i m t o s u p p o r t w o m e n l o o k i n g a f t e r A I D S o r p h a n s - b o t h w i t h a d d i t i o n a l s k i l l s , b u t a l s o m o r a l a n d p r a c t i c a l s u p p o r t . A s u s u a l w e a r e b l o w n a w a y b y t h e s t r e n g t h a n d c o m m i t m e n t o f s o m a n y w o m e n , w h o t a k e t h e t i m e t o l o o k a f t e r t h e m a n y m a n y c h i l d r e n i n i n c r e d i b l y d i f f i c u l t s i t u a t i o n s . B e l o w f o l l o w s a p o e m b y S i l a s l u s i a s , w h o h a s b e e n s u p p o r t i n g t h e p r o g r a m m e , a n d w h o - i n h i s o w n w o r d s - h a s b e e n h u m b l e d b y w h a t h e i s l e a r n i n g .
B e a w i t n e s s &
W h e n t h e w o m e n s h a r e t h e i r g r i e f a b o u t t h e l o s s o f t h e i r h u s b a n d s a n d t h e i r c h i l d r e n t o H I V a n d A I D S
W h e n f i n d i n g d a i l y f o o d b e c o m e s a m u s t d o t a s k a n d a p i p e l i n e d r e a m
W h e n s e n d i n g c h i l d r e n t o s c h o o l b e c o m e s a l u x u r y
W h e n t h e a b u s i n g o f t h e c h i l d r e n s a f e h a v e n s ( h o m e s ) b e c o m e s a p a i n f u l r e a l i t y n o t a d i s t a n t a b s u r d i t y
B e a w i t n e s s &
W h e n w o m e n c o m e t o g e t h e r t o s h a r e a b o u t t h e i r b e r e a v e m e n t a n d s o r r o w s
W h e n c o m e t o g e t h e r t o s i n g a n d d a n c e t o c o n s o l e e a c h o t h e r
W h e n t h e y c o m e t o g e t h e r t o l o o k a t t h e p o s s i b i l i t i e s o n t h e h o r i z o n .
B e a w i t n e s s t o t h e o r d e r t h a t i s e m e r g i n g f r o m t h e c h a o s a r o u n d , b e a w i t n e s s
C o m e a n d c e l e b r a t e t h e l i f e a n d t h e s t r o n g h e a r t s o f t h e w o m e n , o u r m o t h e r s , o u r s i s t e r s , o u r a u n t i e s , o u r g r a n d m o t h e r s
L e t s c e l e b r a t e |
| News Tidbits |
| A new baby was born to Kufunda. Ayemu, a little boy, was born on the 18th of September this year. We now have three Kufunda babies in our midst :).
Marianne joined a group of social and corporate leaders in Vancouver in September with his holiness the Dalai Lama. The gathering was a part of several events taking place in Vancouver to announce the beginning of the Dalai Lama centre for peace and education. It was a reminder that what we need lies not only in more technical solutions, but in education of the soul.
Soeren Hermansen has joined us for a short visit (Malene the photographer happens to be his wife!). He has incredible experience around renewable energy. We are realising that we can take baby steps towards becoming a truly sustainable village, with sun and wind energy. If there is anyone out there who would be interested in helping us make the first investments into renewable energy - please get in touch with jackie@kufunda.org. Hoping to hear from someone :).
We received money for our pick up truck! Thank you to Derek and Sandy from the UK, and to Teresa and Steve for their generous support for our general Kufunda pot - and to everyone else who is contributing to the life of the village with many different kinds of support.
We love being in this work with you all.
And please come and visit us! |
|
|
|
