Friday, May 26, 2017

It takes a Village to Build a Village


In one Sufi story, a man on his deathbed decides to leave his son with words of wisdom. He says to his son, “when you eat, eat sweet; when you sleep, sleep on silk and everywhere you go build a home”. With the last word, he passed on. The young man followed his father’s words, he went on a diet of sweet food, slept on a thin cloth made from silk and wherever he traveled, he built a new house, thanks to some funds left by his father. After a while, the young man ran out of money, he was sickly from eating too much sugar and not sleeping well. It dawned on him then that he might have been given the wrong advice by his father. In great anger, disappointment and despair he visits his father’s friend to whom he complained about his deceased father. Upon listening to this young man, the father’s friend said, “ you did not hear your father well. All he said was, eat when you are hungry, that way food will taste way more delicious, that work hard everyday so that when you got to sleep you sleep solid and deep, and that wherever you go make friends so that their homes will become your home”

I am calling on you, friend in the spirit of Ubuntu ( togetherness) to help us build Ubuntu Learning Village, that will also be your home in Zimbabwe.

Over the last 5 years, myself, family members and friends have been working tirelessly to create a grassroots movement in rural Gutu, Zimbabwe which has come to express itself as the Ubuntu Learning Village. Our intentional dream is to curate a physical space where local and global community can gather to learn, share and collectively create ways and systems for sustainable well-being. Over the years we have seeded and grown many beautiful projects, we have: grown our own food, made our own medicines from local plants, facilitated conversations about justice and community wellness, started an Arts School (Mbira, Dance and Song), shared the power of Mbira and theatre in sacred ceremonies, at schools and other venues . We have also built housing in the village to accommodate Ubuntu Village community members who are currently living there.

The next phase of our movement is to continue to grow in inclusive and sustainable ways. We have a lot of assets: 80 hactres of land, people who are committed and work hard, food, animals, natural clay bricks and a lot of excitement. With approximately $20000 US we will be able to:
· Build a large space to host the Ubuntu Early Childhood Learning Center
· Build accommodation to host approximately 20 people at a time, a large gathering space, a larger kitchen, 4 arborloos ( Compost Toilets), 3 shower rooms.
· To buy materials to build beds, shelfs, chairs and small tables
· Add more solar panels and batteries for electricity

We are asking for financial support in order to purchase materials and pay community members for the skills and labour they bring to the village.   

Please forward your contribution via email money transfer using this email: rainosm@gmail.com, or via paypal.me/rmutamba 

Your support is greatly appreciated and we would be happy to continue to share stories of our learning and growth with you.

Please stay connected with us:
Here is a link of Ubuntu Mbira Group enacting a ceremony in honour of the Njuzu, the water spirit.
   

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