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GRANDMOTHER USED TO TELL US STORIES EVERY NIGHT BEFORE GOING TO SLEEP:

I imagine myself and my siblings sitting and listening attentively to our grandmother who usually sits in the middle telling us different stories before we go to sleep. We usually sleep in our mats which we made ourselves. Every day after school we used to find our grandmother producing mats using a wooden machine (umgacambongolo in siswati). She used to give each of us his or her mat to make. These mats would be used for sleeping at night, as there were no beds back then. Therefore, each day before we sleep, my Grandmother would tell us stories and we usually ask her questions too.

Looking back, I can work on my own and am not lazy to do things on my own once I am assigned some work. These values developed hard working in whatever I do. I also developed the idea of respecting elderly people in everything, provided I am allowed to ask questions for clarity.

Children were not allowed to eat and drink water while standing at home. This instilled a culture of respect too. However, nowadays due to busy schedules, we eat and drink water while walking or working.

Back then at home, we also washed dishes in terms with my siblings. This instilled the culture of working together in everything we do at home even today as adults. This developed the skill of collaboration even at work as I can work with any person in any team.

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Seluleko: Family Gatherings and Cooking Traditions

Imagine creating a colorful drawing of my family kitchen filled with various ingredients, pots, and family members cooking together. The warmth of the scene captures the joy and connection of these gatherings.

The experience of cooking with my family during cultural gatherings instilled in me a deep appreciation for tradition, community, and the importance of shared experiences. It taught me the value of collaboration and the joy that comes from creating something together. This has influenced my approach to teamwork and relationships in my life today, emphasizing connection and shared purpose.

I learned this tradition primarily from my grandmother, who was the heart of our family gatherings. She patiently guided me through recipes, sharing stories and techniques that had been passed down through generations. My parents also played a role by encouraging my interest in cooking and involving me in family meals. Their support created a nurturing environment where I felt valued and empowered to learn.

I learned not only cooking skills but also the importance of cultural heritage and family bonds. I became proficient in preparing traditional dishes, which boosted my confidence and sense of identity. I would say I was good at it because I approached cooking with enthusiasm and curiosity, eager to experiment and learn from mistakes. This experience taught me resilience and adaptability, which are valuable skills in all areas of life.

While the essence of family gatherings and cooking remains, the context has changed over the years. As family members have moved away or become busier, these gatherings have become less frequent. However, I have adapted by hosting smaller gatherings with friends and experimenting with new recipes that blend traditional and modern influences. This evolution reflects a broader understanding of community and connection, allowing me to create new traditions while honoring the old ones.

Reflecting on this childhood memory reveals the profound impact of cultural practices on personal identity. The lessons learned from cooking with family continue to resonate, shaping my values and relationships today. Embracing both tradition and change allows for a richer, more nuanced understanding of cultural heritage and personal growth.

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Tiffany Banda

I grew up in town but most of the long holidays, my parents would send us to the village to spend time with grand parents and other cousins.

Some of the unforgettable memories of this time were the knowledge that we got at the end of the holidays through stories that were told around the fire at night under the moonlight. Looking back now and of the few that I recall, I am able to draw lessons from them and how they shaped some of the values that I embraced. Some values of which included the value of hardworking, kindness to people, especially strangers and being empathetic.

Another memory that stands out is the practice of preserving foods that my grandmother used. We loved sweet potatoes but by the time we would visit for holidays, it was no longer the season but she could bury them with Ash and they would keep until our holiday time.

The concept of story-telling and indigenous ways of food management are the things that I looked at as part of the cultural heritage.

Not to mention the traditional dances that followed initiation ceremonies that took place during that time of the year.

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I grew up in a rural area (a chieftancy) and the chief happened to be my grand-grandfather. So each year we went in a faraway river to cut material for making mattreses (Lukhwane/umbokoboko). So each year we knew that when school closes for second term we will go collect the material and make mattresses then go and present them to our chief as gifts and a way of appreciating him and his leadership. From the experience l learnt sessions at an early age because the material is available at a particular season. I also learnt the art of appreciating people around me.

So even at this day and age, l make sure that l give our chief a gift every year, it might not be a mattress but whatever l feel l can buy for him since he is more than a chief but my grandfather.

This practice is now my culture, in such a way that if l haven’t done anything for my parents, chief etc l feel a heavy burden that there is something l didn’t do.

Over and about that, from the experience l learnt that from the environment we can earn a living. Making mattresses and selling them to people makes much money. Also, l learnt about sustainability at a very young age, this is because my mother would say to us, “hey make sure you do not uproot the plant but cut so that even next year we get some”.

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Back when I was a child and I visited the region where my family comes from, in León, Northern Spain, I used to see my grandmother organizing communal work together with her neighbours. They would get together to clear the bushes from the paths, cleaning the areas where they would later meet in the town square or helping one of them in fixing a wall in their gardens. This collective action is called "Hacendera" and it is still organized in rural areas in Spain when someone needs help, or to take care of communal spaces. These neighbour-driven actions are now being revived by the youth who decide to leave city life to settle in small towns in the mountain, like ours. It is beautiful to contribute to the common good through everyday tasks, to learn about each other's lives while learning about different techniques to clear, fix, build... it has definitely taught me about the importance of looking out for each other's needs and being ready to contribute to the spaces that belong to all of us.

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I grew up in the village where we used to work very hard looking after goats and working in the fields.

We were taught to work very hard at a tender age.

Making a mistake of missing goats or failure to finish work given attracted punishment from elders.

One day we were given a portion to plant maize seeds.

lt was too hot that day and we couldn't make it . l thought of an easy solution to finish the job.

zWr put all the seeds into one hole and went home.

Mothet was happy to see us back and we were given sadza as a thank you.

Guess what came out after 7 days....it was disaster l tell you.

You can guess what followed.

From this experience l learnt a lot that made me to be who l am today

zWel

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One of my clearest childhood memories is making tea for visitors. Even though I didn't like it back then, it taught me the value of ubuntu—being kind and connected to others. My grandmother showed me how to make the perfect cup of tea, and through her guidance, I learned responsibility and the joy of giving. This experience taught me patience and the importance of small gestures in keeping relationships strong. Although making tea isn't as common now with our busy lives, the spirit of hospitality and sharing still remains. This memory has shaped me to value generosity and living with a sense of abundance

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Growing up as a small boy I looked forward to green mealies harvesting time. We would gather under moonlight share stories and experiences with our elders.

In those times we learnt a lot about adulthood. Priceless moments. One crucial lesson I learnt is a problem shared is a problem solved.

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https://padlet.com/shangasn/storyboard-1lwajfdadz57ccai/wish/dMA1W8JwDgRvQ4OV

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I grew up from a deep rural village in the lowveld of Eswatini. This region by then(before too much herbicides and insecticides usage in arable farming) had a lot of bees and as young boys herding cattle in the forest, honey harvesting was a great experience as we would enjoy free honey ( iyoo so nice and fresh). But the story is, it would require bravery to get the honey as the bees would fight for their space. Sometimes we would organise matches and make fire to burn the bees but one good day we were severely beaten by an adult who taught us never to burn the bees for we would not have future supplies of honey if we destroy the producers. It taught us a lesson. Secondly we were also warned to leave some honey combs in any beehive we get so that the bees would not leave the spot, giving us a continuous source of supply again. Through the influence of adults and as peers we learnt sustainable living in our young age. This experience even today makes me realise our society had powerful knowledge that considered the future, thus I live a life of conservation and sustainable living even today. Heritage is indeed bliss..by Dlamini Bongani B.

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Pounding pearl millets / Mahangu

Mahangu crop is one of the staple food among Aawambo people living on the northern part of Namibia. In Aawambo traditional society pounding was mainly a job for women. I learn how to pound mahangu from my mother and auntie. As a teen girl growing up in a house full of boys it did not sit well with me as pounding was sorely my job. I use to get angry when ever mahangu flour get finished up fast since I have to prepare 3 meals a day which require the use of mahangu flour. This exercise made me to cry sometimes thinking I was being abused. Sometimes in the absence of anyone I would throw away some millets because I can't finish up pounding them on time since it makes me fill tired. The positivity, I could make my traditional bread and enjoy without the knowledge of the boys.

This experience has taught me to be resilience and tough at handling difficult situations. It also made me understand the process of making flour using simple tools from locality

In modern society pounding of mahangu is no more common due to the introduction of mahangu meal crusher machines.

However, with this trend it's necessary for the parents to introduce the same activity to the teens to learn and understand the process of preparing flour for making pap and other meals without the use of advance technology and learn the way to preserve through by making sure you survive in your own simple village life.

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Playing music with my counsins at my grandmother's house. 

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I'm going to include an image that represents the collective music making that happened in my family growing up.

I'm someone who loves singing and making music in groups and I think it has helped me in my musical abilities.

I learned it by joining in with other cousins and family members and just doing it. Playing familiar tunes and coming up with new harmonies and variations.

I've learned how to be in an ensemble, to feel different musical structures and how to sing in different languages, how to feel peace in my heart and comfort in my body.

While it is sort of the same today, we are mostly grown up and have less time to do this kind of music. A few years ago we made a digital group singing video by making our own videos in different parts of the world.

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I was born and raised a city girl but I have had the unique privilege to have grandmothers living in villages and preserving their cultural heritage with an enviable passion.

My most precious memories from my childhood come from the times I was visiting my grandmothers during Easter or Summer Holidays.

I remember helping with "Φλαούνα" making (traditional Easter cheese pie), decorating the Επιτάφιος with flowers (Jesus Grave), picking logs to prepare for Λαμπρατζιά (fire to burn Judas) ...

I remember learning how to make "Χαλλούμι" (traditional goat cheese) by helping my aunt ...

Most vividly, I remember helping out at a very young age, preparing for the "Παστέλλι" Festival (Carob candy and Carob Syrup) for which my late mother's village is famous.

This exciting background has urged me to abandon the city and move to my late grandmother's restored village house. I have been living in the village for over 17 years now. My house is like a small museum of Living Heritage.

For the past 5 years I have been using elements of Living Heritage to teach new Mathematical concepts.

For example, teaching:

Scalar and Vector Quantities using Carob Syrup Making.

Vector Addition using Carob Candy making.

Truncated Cone using wine making.

Cylinder and prism volumes using Χαλλούμι making.

Rate of Flow and Trigonometry using the old Wind Mills.

Probability using pottery making and the old bridges around the island.

and the list just goes on and on ...

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I have a solid rural background, raised in the Matema Village of Nyanga., Zimbabwe. The place was frigid and received rain throughout the year. Wood fire in a round hut was our main refuge when we were not busy outside. The wood used was mostly from exotic trees such as pine and wattle that did not keep fire when it was not tended. Therefore, every morning when we woke up and every evening when we returned to the homestead, we had to start afresh to make fire. My mother was very strict with the fire-making process as she taught us to avoid spending too many match sticks. One matchstick was expected to light the fire.

She taught me that I had to use dry grass. On top of the dry grass, I had to lay thin, dry twigs. I also had to ‘introduce’ the thicker firewood to the fire. By this, she meant that the thick pieces of firewood must not be piled on the starting fire. Their ends were to be at the edge of the grass and twigs. In addition, the wood was to be arranged such that the top part is left open and the part of the fireplace that faces the doorway must be left open. Only when the fire is fully alight and the ends of the firewood are burning does one have the freedom to bring the firewood together.

Today, I am very good at making a fire, even though I may not be the best when braaing meat.

When I became a science teacher, I started noticing the relationship between cultural practices, including the making of fire with classroom/ curriculum science. This example showed me that my mother knew that fire can be extinguished if air does not leave it. Today I can ascribe that to carbon dioxide which extinguishes fire, if air that is rich in CO2 is not allowed to rise. I also can explain that the opening in the wood that faced the doorway allowed for air to come into the fire by convection processes.

For this reason, I am asking myself, “How can I as a teacher assess a learner’s knowledge of correctly and effectively making a woodfire without adding petroleum fuels since they are applying and practicing the notion of convection currents?”

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I grew up in a very remote area in the northern part of Botswana (Kalanga tribe) a village called Mapoka long time back. I stayed with my parents, who respected their culture and taught us all the cultural practices(music and dance, games and food). My mum is my role model. she taught me how to prepare the Kalanga dishes such as Thopi (millet meal cooked with melon), Delele (similar to okra), Chimoni (samp mixed with jigo beans and stiffened by groundnut powder), dobi (dried cooked pounded meat mixed with groundnut powder), Mxanga (cooked maize with melon). I learned that no oil was added to all the above dishes, which helps in lowering the non communicable diseases. Furthermore, there were no fridges by then and food preservation was done in many ways. The picture above shows preserving meat using drying method which I did two weeks ago at the cattle post, I also make morula jam and melon jam. Learning of this traditional dishes had an impact in career path, I did Domestic Science at school and also trained as a Home economics and Music teacher. In addition, I value Kalanga cultural dishes and I have also taught my children how to prepare them and also teach colleagues. I also make and sell preserved food.

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Sibonisile Dlamini: My living heritage experience would be, when we were younger, me and my siblings would sing traditional songs and dance for our parents. It was fun and they were encouraging us and me being the youngest would be encouraged more. It made me develop good attitude towards my culture. Nowadays, it is us who are encouraging our kids by singing and clapping for them while they dance. So this is still happening and it can continue from generation to generation.

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Sindisiwe Malindzisa: August is used for the cultural heritage of Umhlanga Reed Dance in Eswatini. Hundreds of maidens gather at the royal traditional palace to fetch reed from the significant wetlands, for use as windbreakers for the traditional huts. The cultural dance is used as prayer for the first rains, which are expected to follow in September so that farmers can start to plough the fields.

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Growing up in our village with grandmother and grandfather, we would look forward to the evenings and make sure there is enough firewood for the night story time which our grandparents exchanged to tell folktales. I and my siblings would gather inside our round, stick-and-mud hut in winter and outside in the enclosed area in summer, excited to hear the stories. I love Themba's story. Khulu would always start by clearing his throat as the flickering firelight created swirling shadows on the well decorated mud walls creating an enchanted mood. "A young man by the name of Themba once lived in the villages next to the mountains. In addition to being a great hunter, Themba was also good-hearted and well-liked by everyone in our village." Shortly after he says the initial sentences, we would incline closer as he would change his voice to capture us. Khulu narrated Themba's adventures, creating vivid images in our heads. The stories had important lessons about bravery, empathy, and community cohesion. Grandfather made sure that Themba imaged as a hero in the story. I still cherish the priceless times spent with family and taking in the intricate oral traditions of our culture that influenced who we are now. Generation after generation of teachings from the past serve as a beacon of hope, reminding us of our heritage and the principles that define what it means to be a true Zimbabwean living in a community.

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Boys of my age from my rural home in the Midlands Province in Zimbabwe would each have a different tale to tell on their experiences trapping mouse with the 'riva' (mouse trap) shown on the picture above. I learnt about the seasons of the year (mwaka ye gore); spring (chirimo), summer (zhizha), autumn (matsutso), and winter (chando) through our mouse trapping activities. Normally we would do mouse hunting in autumn during harvesting period, in winter and spring it is much difficult to trap the mouse because of the cold weather and also because they won't be food in the fields. The other experience associated with mouse trapping was swimming and because we were not allowed to swim especially in the big river near our farming fields we learnt as young boys to collaborate and help each other to avoid any accidents, and until today I still use those collaboration skills and competences. The mouse trapping activity also help me to appreciate the value of indigenous proverbs as there are a lot of proverbs that are associated with animals (mouse in particular); 'mbeva zhinji hadzina marise' [Too many mice/mouse in one nest have no lining for their nest], 'chinoziva ivhu kuti mwana wembeva ari kurwara' [Only the surrounding soil knows that the baby field mouse (pinky or pup) is sick]. The rich teach that comes with use of proverbs motivated me to develop the Afrophilic philosophy for children curriculum deriving from the heritage-based artefacts and practices.

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I come from the mountains of Cusco, in Peru. The three coca leafs are a "k'intu". We use these leafs when we want to offer to the earth to thank her for everything we give us. It is an expression of gratitude and connection with the universe. This has shaped me in how I am, in my way of relating to the world and all the being surrounding us. I learn do to a K'intu by imitation, seeing how the people around where doing it, I learn from elders but also my pears, when we gathered to do earth offerings together. Today, we continue doing it, in the month of August which is the month we thank the earth, but during other moments of the year too. Whenever is a special moment to be grateful