Not sure of what to do today? Try borrowing a human book!
After spending the greater part of a month indoors I needed to escape. I wanted to explore another corner of the earth, a different culture, to see what they were doing and how they were coping with this evolving threat of the pandemic.
Leveraging the concept of The Human Library which offers access to people who wish to share their stories, and a referral from a friend, I had the privilege of meeting Lotus. We spent almost an hour chatting, discovering life in a tribe in South Africa where he offered me a tour of his home, his culture, the work he was doing with the villages.
This is cheating a little as I am no stranger to South Africa, but I know very little about tribal life and as far as social experiments go, sometimes a sense of familiarity gives the perfect chance to try something new! Here is an extract of what I learned.
The north-east corner of South Africa is largely a vast, untamed world full of canyons, waterfalls and high-altitude grasslands. Mpumalanga, a local word meaning “the place where the sun rises”, is on the border of Mozambique and Swaziland and hosts half the famous Kruger National Park. It is also home to the Tsonga-Shangaan people, who live in the rural villages under the leadership of their Chief.
The Tsonga-Shangaan are a small migrant tribe gathering people from the neighbouring country Mozambique, and Kwazulu-Natal. They have evolved into a humble and adaptive community fluent in many languages and dialects. This chameleon-like adaptability helps the Tsonga-Shangaan hide in plain sight during Xenophobic attacks and inter-tribe violence by switching language and fluidly adopting the culture of their neighbours.
Historically, the community has been self-sustaining with very limited need or access to services. Family lived together and took care of each other. If someone fell ill, lemon-tea would cure the flu or root vegetables would treat stomach-ache. A person would need to walk more than 10km to the nearest Government hospital if they need more advanced healthcare. Women were the carers of the community, responsible for cooking, cleaning, and fetching water, while men were responsible for duties requiring strength like building houses and raising cattle.
But as life is evolving, so are the villages. Natural water sources have become polluted. The villagers rely on a weekly water tank from the local municipality for clean water and there is never enough for everyone. When this runs out, they go back to sharing the rivers with cattle and risk the waste from whoever lives upstream. Younger, stronger people gather in crowds for water and need to fight for their place; the old or timid just get pushed out of the way. Scarcity brings the fight out in even the most humble and empathetic villagers. With one tap supporting a thousand families, concepts like social distancing seem like a luxury they just can’t afford.
Natural remedies no longer work as effectively with the introduction of sugar and related health issues like diabetes. The people now need to rely on the work of non-profits and financially strained municipalities to build clinics and hire nurses that they need and the lucky few now benefit from these basic services. A new resource in the fight of emerging disease, these clinics and schools create a foundation to teach people about basic hygiene ahead of the virus — something that was never as much of a threat before.
The Tsonga family is also changing, many of the younger villagers are lost to HIV/Aids or are moving to the city in search of a better life. For the first time, Tsonga villages are creating homes where volunteers and carers can take care of the elderly and disabled in the absence of family. This is a new concept for them but crucial, as simple activities like bringing water from water sources become exponentially more complex for the vulnerable. Men are stepping up to help with collecting water, and women are sometimes left alone to raise families of small children as their husbands go to work in the cities.
And in a heartbeat life has changed for the whole world, adjusting to the new threat of the airborne virus COVID-19. While much of the world is learning to cope with a new sense of loneliness and survival through community, the Tsonga in rural South Africa are learning the concepts of hygiene for the first time. They are learning about new systems of healthcare and new tools like the hand sanitizers and the masks that we are so accustomed to having as a basic commodity. The few, very basic clinics have no ventilators. The villages currently rely on their remoteness to protect them, but the threat is coming closer, and the best they can do is hope it will pass by and leave them unscathed.
But like with all communities, COVID-19 is forcing governments and societies to find ways to bring basic health services and infrastructure closer to the people. Communities are finding ways to make themselves more resilient. People hear about the threat and they learn the importance of taking care of each other. With the great tragedy of COVID-19 brings great hope that perhaps these new measures will stay, and in the longer term, the Tsonga people will have better access to clean water, to health care, and a stronger system of care for their vulnerable.
And as for the rest of us, if you find yourself restless with nothing to do in this period of isolation; I highly recommend a human book. So many people in so many countries are isolated, unable to work and would gladly share their stories. And if you can, thank them with a donation.
Looking for a human book?
Adopt a grandparent with this wonderful site: https://chdliving.co.uk/adopt-grandparent
Or, alternatively, ask a foreign friend to put you in touch with someone from their home. Most of the world is feeling alone and its not difficult to find a connection.
Want to get involved?
Lotus represents the Africa Foundation, with many projects supporting the Villages of the Tsonga-Shangaan. Reach out to any of the organizations below if you have the urge to help.
