Landing into an Oasis Game

As I arrived at Kufunda I felt completely lost. Coming from the quiet, punctual and already cold Germany I was feeling as a fish out of water. Yet Kufunda looked to me a very beautiful and welcoming place, a village situated in the ancient forest with its little typical african round huts. The 18 youth of the leadership programm welcomed me warmly and I was introduce straight on to the Oasis Games, since my arrival was casually combined with the beginning of them. I could not really understand what kind of a game they were untill I experienced them directly.

Something I´ll never forget are the trips to get to Chitunguiza!! Squeezed in a combi the youth were singing and dancing for the whole trip every day. From outside it was possible to see the combi bumping up and down at the rythm of the drums!! Such a vitality and joy of living I never experienced before in such a little space!! In Chitunguiza we went through a very interesting and intense process. Divided into groups we walked in the community to discover and collected the dreams and wishes of the members of Chitunguiza. Together with them we analyzed what we could achieve together in 3 days and which resurces wereavailable. The final decision fell on the cleaning up of a little park, that more than a park at the beginning looked like a dump... The encouragement level at the beginning was not very high. It was hot and some bureaucracy and permits were not completely through. After the first challenges the work-game started and after 3 full days we managed to see results!

At the end we were satisfied of the work done, and also the kids showed their apriciaation by playingin inthe new area! I enjoyed the process and for me it was a wonderful oportunity to discover the surroundings and meet people. I also had the oportunity to be part of the conclusion of the Leadership programm and for me was really beautiful to hear feedbacks of people who learned and who apriciated the change, altough sometimes challenging but at the end good and enriching changes. I had a little quick taste of the process the youth went trough from the flowgames, the daily worldcafé and open spaces, and from the practical works as permaculture and herbprocessing.

The youth left and the village got quiet and as a couclusion of the year the Kufundees met to evaluate, apriciate the ending year and plan for next one. I experienced the retreat as an oportunity to really meet the Kufundees together as a village, as a community, and to discover the many and interesting projects that are going on on a regular basis here. Now is christmas, a quiet moment to recover energy and to stay with the family! I´m looking forward to experience, explore and learn here at Kufunda.

Rebecca