In Oct 2019 when I decided to root in Kutama, Zvimba District I had seen a lot of possibilities being based home, here in Zimbabwe. My gut assured me that if I stayed, for once this time would be different.
I am the flight type when it gets a little difficult or too boring. I left Zimbabwe in 2008 when I was only 22. I have lived in South Africa, Malawi went back to study in South Africa at University of Witwatersrand and ended up in Germany.
Then, I was more into performance arts and development of arts in Africa. The arts have allowed me to perform and work in more than 16 countries. In the decade of being up and about, with the arts I never felt I would settle back in Zimbabwe, this country doesn’t have a viable arts industry. Home meant visiting my family and catching up with friends.
It’s only after becoming a permaculture designer and diving into environmentalism, that I was opened to new possibilities of being home full time, working the land and sharing the knowledge with communities. My small attempts of wanting to contribute to changing livelihoods focusing on food security at household level. I love working with women and children. These were going to be my little steps in community development work.
Here I thought I would make a difference; creating concepts and projects that seek to address food insecurity, deforestation, pollution and wasted management etc. I dreamt of working and collaborating with so-called organisations dealing with women empowerment, be it NGOs, Government departments, Corporate Companies. I even founded a small community organisation (Barely made it, story for another day) . I would smile thinking I am a tray of hot buns.
That’s not the case. I haven’t really done the work I long to do. I haven’t had a chance or been allowed to serve communities in a way that leaves me fulfilled. This country has taught me to stop thinking about community or collective work. It has taught me to become more focused on myself and do whatever works to feed just my family, the rest don’t matter. I have sat in countless meetings, sent concept notes that I am sure someone out there has used to source funds for their own endeavours, I have reached out to many organisations and all has been fruitless. 18 months of scratching surfaces.
Its been a hell of a crazy journey, wanting to root and making it work. This is the time when a girl takes a bow and says I TRIED!!
With love that is all Green
From Kutama!