170811, Wednesday, Ubuntu

I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned the Ubuntu – factor before?  It is something very much alive and well here in the old Transkei and a basis for the lives of all people around here.  Us, Westerners can definitely attempt to learn something from it.  What I’ve experienced of Ubuntu around here can be seen often and everywhere you go.  It is found in the small things and is priceless. 

 ‘Abantu’ is the Xhosa word for ‘people’.   ‘Ubuntu’ can be directly translated as ‘humanity’.  I remember years ago when I stayed in Observatory there was some graffiti on this one wall that said: “If everyone took just what they needed and gave to their neighbor what they didn’t need, everyone would have what they need”.  I think that is a good summary for Ubuntu.  Also the commandment:  “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”

 This is a place where a lot of people live together in close proximity and harmony.  If someone has an orange or an apple to eat, they are most probably not going to eat the whole thing themselves.  No, they are most likely going to share it with everyone around them.  Yes, we sometimes do that as well, but it flows over onto every aspect of these people’s lives and I think it’s in our nature to be a little bit greedy and to want to keep our own things to ourselves, out of fear that we might not have enough for ourselves. 

 But this sharing thing works out pretty well if you give it a chance.  It’s like when Jesus fed the masses with 5 loaves of bread and two small fish and afterwards there were how many baskets left!  It’s like a miracle in faith time and again!

 Other examples of Ubuntu can also be seen in the way the people look after each other’s things.  I’ve met people in Cape Town who have been living there for something like 20 years.  They might have a house in the Transkei.  They know that when they go back someday, everything will be fine with their house because their neighbors have looked after it for them.

 It’s happened many times around here, when I was sitting with the mamas and someone bought some amagwinyas, that they would share it with me.  Or, if someone had some cooldrink, they would share it with me too.   Also, the times that I perhaps took a bag of raisins or something, and gave it to one person, that person would always share it with everyone else.  No-one is hording riches for themselves. 

 Even last month on pension day, one of the mamas put 2x R2 coins in my hand after she received her pension.  That doesn’t sound like a lot to you, but around here you can buy 4 oranges with that money!  That was one of the most special moments I’ve had around here.  I felt like a child who received ice-cream money from my grandmother!