Our Zimbabwean Village Neighbors
(download a printable brochure here - PDF)

    Nhimbe for Progress is a project with the following mission: to promote recognition of our spiritual and human relatedness to rural Zimbabwean people by providing appropriate assistance where the need exists, in an ecologically sound, self-sustaining, and culturally respectful way, and by creating opportunity for cultural exchange which encourages unity and cooperative empowerment.

    Nhimbe is a word from the Shona people of Zimbabwe referring to a community working together to help each other in daily life, for example, during harvest time. This traditional word reflects the deep commitment required both in North America and Zimbabwe to create this reality.

Location
    140 kilometers from Harare, there is a road that goes from Beatrice to Mubayira. Here you will find entry to the villages we have opportunity to serve. These seven villages: Zaranyika, Muriritirwa, Magaya, Muchiriri, Zinyengere, Tendai, and Gore, are in the Mhondoro region. There are about 1,100 people who live there. Magaya village is located within walking distance to the other five villages and over many years has become a central point for exchange.

Background
    In 1998, Cosmas Magaya, a master mbira player, beloved teacher and highly respected businessman, was sponsored by Kutsinhira to come to the U.S. and stay with their community in Eugene, Oregon. As part of a cultural exchange, he lived there for 6 months and also visited other communities during his stay. It was during this time that he and Jaiaen Beck of Ancient Ways first talked of their communities' relationship.

    In the fall of 1999, Cosmas was again sponsored to come to the U.S. as part of The Soul of Mbira tour, organized by Paul Berliner. At the close of the tour, he and Jaiaen began to explore building a program to link their communities.

Dumisani Maraire     Ironically, the day that Dumisani Maraire, the pioneer and father of the Zimbabwean music movement in the U.S., passed on was the day Nhimbe for Progress began as a collaborative effort amongst many people. Ancient Ways offers the gift of Nhimbe for Progress to Dumi as well. It was his passion to share his culture through his music that began opening the doors for many people, both here and in Zimbabwe.

    We have chosen to focus on 7 villages with over 250 families (1,100 people) in the Mhondoro area because of our history with teachers of traditional music who live there. Each year we have continued with surveys by interviewing village residents, primary and secondary school headmasters, as well as experiencing, exloring, and examaning the difficult aspects of rural life. In February, 2001, cyclone Eline had just taken its toll on the villagers' homes and crops. We gathered information in the form of data, photos and video footage. We learned many things that define our existing program.

Program Administration
    The Nhimbe for Progress program is being administered in Zimbabwe by Cosmas Magaya, who is not only a world renowned master mbira player and beloved teacher, but also a prominent businessman. He was a manager for the Dairy Marketing Board in Zimbabwe for over 20 years, and has the experience the Nhimbe program needs. Our goal here in the states is to work with him to facilitate funds and/or products reaching the villages as well as help with the administration in Zimbabwe. We are currently researching appropriate technology for cooking, as well as exploring all avenues for helping the people in the area modify difficult lifestyle situations and gain in prosperity, without losing all that is familiar. Personal empowerment is our focus.

    Prioritizing the needs is challenging since every situation can not be addressed in the beginning. We, Zimbabweans and North Americans, are working together to:

  1) improve sub-standard living conditions such as re-building collapsed huts that were destroyed by the floods, building wells, toilets and fuel efficient stoves, providing medical assistance;

  2) offer business opportunity to poor rural Zimbabweans,

  3) sponsor children who are unable to attend school because they cannot afford the necessary fees ($35/yr.), provide teaching materials to schools, establish a pre-school program, and

  4) create a community fund to help with the special needs of the elderly, infants, and orphans.

Interested In Participating?
    If you are interested in helping Nhimbe for Progress, please write to the address below. You, as a member of the "work party" can be a school, community group, a band, individual benefactor, or corporation. Ancient Ways, as a broad community involving several countries, cities and individuals, is a vehicle for this program, but you and your personal interest actually paves the road to progress. Feel free to e-mail bridges@ancient-ways.org or write to the address below with comments, ideas, and your fully tax-deductible donations.