Dear friends, I have been missing this space, and am so happy to welcome you back to Living Stories! Please forgive my long absence. In this post, I turn my thoughts back to a visit I made last December to a place called Kufunda Village near Harare, Zimbabwe. I visited with my colleague Prof. Adipala Ekwamu, who was retiring from leadership of a pan-African network of universities engaged in agricultural research and food systems that I work with. Our purpose was to learn, connect with and gather ideas and inspiration from visiting a community dedicated to practicing the values of ‘healing through community’ — with emphasis on childhood learning and development, biodynamic farming and building an engaged, participatory way of life among a small community of about 80-odd people.
This really spoke to me Megan! Thank you!!! I too struggle to feel that I belong to any cohesive community. Spread out across the world, focused on earning a living, feeling perhaps you aren't in the right place. I recognise how I sit on my own and wonder what to do with my passions and abilities - my life. At times I feel I have lost my passion and doubt whether I have any unique or valuable abilities. And I think its because I perceive myself as an island, an individual among billions, and that what I do is a prescribed job that could be done by anyone. Output, with very little positive feedback or input. A transactional approach to life. How do we connect? I sense how challenging it is to step outside of our safe little bubble and make ourselves available, and so too, vulnerable.
This really spoke to me Megan! Thank you!!! I too struggle to feel that I belong to any cohesive community. Spread out across the world, focused on earning a living, feeling perhaps you aren't in the right place. I recognise how I sit on my own and wonder what to do with my passions and abilities - my life. At times I feel I have lost my passion and doubt whether I have any unique or valuable abilities. And I think its because I perceive myself as an island, an individual among billions, and that what I do is a prescribed job that could be done by anyone. Output, with very little positive feedback or input. A transactional approach to life. How do we connect? I sense how challenging it is to step outside of our safe little bubble and make ourselves available, and so too, vulnerable.