back from Zimbabwe

A not uncommon sight of a queue of vehicles waiting to buy petrol.

Our friends at Kufunda told us that before they managed to pre-purchase fuel in US Dollars, they had to queue and sleep in the van for four days in order to fill up.

The African journey was more than we could have hoped for.

Marianne Knuth and the community at Kufunda are doing fantastic work, and my feeling is that they are leading the way and offering wisdom and direction for not only their African culture, but for all cultures of the world as we step into an uncertain future.

With the environmental, social, political and economic landscapes changing ever more quickly in the coming years, we the people of the world will be looking more seriously for better ways to organise and respond quickly to the needs of each regional community, and seeking means and tools to help us become more self-reliant. This small Zimbabwe community has made steady and significant steps in all these areas over the last four years since its inception, while simultaneously assisting several other communities in their region to do likewise.

A thought that kept arising was that these communities, as materially poor as they are may be, are a representation of how our western societies may look when the cheap oil runs out and our artificial or temporary affluence becomes a thing of the past. I only hope we have as much spirit and resilience as these people have when things get tough.

They were truly an inspiration.

Kim and I are immensely grateful for the opportunity to visit Kufunda, and other rural villages who are at earlier stages of this process. We are happy to know that along with a deep learning experience for us, we were also able to offer ideas and practical knowledge which they in turn were grateful for.

This well organised and full 12 day Learning Journey was a two way street, and the small group of five visitors of which we were a part, all came away having received a great deal, that I am sure we will all be processing for a long time to come.

It is my intention to offer some more details about the experience and lessons in the coming posts.