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Tidbits from iNzinga

Friday, June 26th, 2009

Tidbits from iNzinga

Getting here – I left Atlanta Tuesday evening, and after gaining 6 hours in time change, arrived in Impendle (closest small town to iNzinga) at 1:00 PM Wednesday, just in time to attend the last hours of regional planning meeting. The meeting was chaired by Sam, who set up our original volunteer time here last August. It is still a somewhat interesting feeling to walk into a remote Zulu town or village and be recognized and welcomed.

Hitting the ground running – The meeting was very productive. I met two new people with key local government agencies (Impendle area Municipality, Department of Agriculture). They are very excited about what we’re doing, had heard good things about how we handled ourselves last august, and are eager to work with us going forward. Interestingly, the feeling from them is that by us bringing outside resources to the area, it will help them get more support from others in the government. So, now off to see the Inkosi (Chief).

Inkosi’s Blessings – Mr. Zuma guided me through the meeting and we got his blessing and support for our plans. I’m not sure he yet knows fully what that means in terms of how often I am going to show up to ask his permission, but more importantly, his support; asking him to use his leverage with the community to help make sure our programs are implemented with maximum impact.

Bheki from Cedara – I also spoke with Bheki from Cedara College of Agriculture. He’s going to meet me in Impendle Monday morning because I’m going to have to show him how to find iNzinga. We are going to scout all the locations we are going to do gardens in August and make sure we have the exact list of materials. We’re also going to nail down a location for the gardening training in august. Response to that has been rousing so far.

Back to school – Today we met teachers and principals at the secondary and primary schools. I am again blown away by how hard these people work, how much desire they have to get the things they need for their kids, how hard they work to make up the difference, even when they themselves are relying on an Apartheid-era education that did not fully prepare them for their jobs. The list of needs is long, but we had good prioritization sessions and we know just what we need to get with the funds we’ve raised so far.

Getting to the Internet – Finally today (Friday) we drove an hour and 20 minutes to the small town of Howick where after trying three places, finally found a wireless connection that allowed me to access the Net from my laptop.

Odds and Ends – It is really cold and last night very, very windy. There is snow on the local Mountains. It is beautiful. It is so good to see the Zuma family again. Amahle is a year older. She has asked me about “Mo” (Miranda) several times, and she now calls me “Malume Tommy”, Uncle Tommy.

More as time allows…

Hungry People Everywhere…

Sunday, June 21st, 2009

Friday, Miranda and I were lucky to have over an hour with Janice Reece, the Marketing and Projects Director at the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Janice was kind enough to take us through their operations and share ACFB experiences and lessons learned from 30 years of helping feed the hungry right here in Atlanta. While there are many differences in terms of the causes and solutions, unfortunately, too many of the issues surrounding hunger are the same all across the world.

Interestingly, in some ways, the issues in South Africa are more similar to America than even some other African countries. For example, some people seem surprised at the level of hunger and poverty in South Africa, having heard of so much of the success of the economy there, seen photos of Cape Town, know of their great wines, beautiful beaches, etc. And South Africa has attained “middle class status” for a 3rd world country, with average household income of over $4,000/year. Yet South Africa has the highest income inequality in the world, and something near 60% of South Africans live on less than $2/day. The same is true for America; the world’s wealthiest nation has some of the highest levels of hunger and poverty, and among the highest levels of income inequality in the developed world. And, like Isipho does in Nzinga, ACFB, through their Community Gardens project, helps many people grow their own food as part of a long-term solution.

We are lucky that people like Janice, who work so hard to make a difference in their own back yard, have such empathy for hungry people anywhere that she would take some of her time to give us insights and advice. Please, if you are more inclined to helping those in need locally rather than the other side of the world, consider giving to the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

Our forefathers grew up through soil cultivation…

Sunday, June 14th, 2009

On June 11, 2009, King Goodwill Zwelithini spoke to the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature and declared “The provincial government [and civil society] must initiate programmes aimed at encouraging people to plough the land. This will go a long way in feeding families and distributing nutritious food at low prices to those who battle to make ends meet.” This was an important speech from the Monarch because of the unofficial power he still has.

In South Africa, the Ubukhosi, or traditional leadership infrastructure from pre-colonial days, is recognized in the Constitution. The individual village Inkosi (Chiefs) have no official government power or authority. But they have a traditional leadership role that is still very powerful, especially in rural villages. In my experience, very little happens without the Inkosi’s approval, and much happens with his support. The Zulu King is the leader of the Ubukhosi, and therefore, his word makes it easier for us to get the support of the local Inkosi, and the village. For Isipho’s model, this is critical because our plan is to make these programs theirs; ultimately, the success is dependent on their work and leadership and commitment to turning our catalyst into a self-sustaining, long-term solution.

The King went even further, also addressing another issue that is common across all of Africa, and one we are trying to alleviate in Nzinga. Much of the aid in Africa over the last generations has created a dependence which has often had the unintended consequence of trading dignity and self-reliance for food. King Zwelithini said, “Our forefathers grew up through soil cultivation and we also grew up in the same way. Why do we allow our children to strive on raiding rubbish bins and not chastise them when they beg?”

The Zulu are a strong, proud, smart, and hard-working people. Decades of Apartheid and poverty, fathers having to leave families to work in cities, the crushing impact of the AIDS epidemic, have cost much. But I think the biggest cost has been to the fabric of their culture that has supported them for hundreds of years. Reminding Zulus of their past, of the benefits of working the land, of self-reliance and self-respect, is tremendously valuable and important message to hear from The King.

Our desire is to play a role in making his hopes and plans come to fruition.