so today we have an interesting Malawian Chewa culture.......

Brief about Malawian chewa women,chinamwali,gule....

The Chewa people are descendants of the Bantu tribe, who widely settled in the central part of Malawi. Among many distinctive moral values and cultural norms, the Chewa people are widely known for their highly magnified traditional dances like the Great Dance (i.e. Gule Wamkulu) , beliefs and perceptions towards women in society. 

​Culturally, Chewa women are viewed as having a social life that revolves around defined cultural gender norms. This division centers women being largely engaged in household chores and lighter agricultural activities. The Chewa people strongly believe that there is a high demarcation between women and men in terms of social interaction and work in the community.

Traditionally, grooming a Chewa woman begins right at birth. In a Chewa family, the father’s relatives name the baby, and if it is the last born in the family the parents are not allowed to call their daughter by name. Instead they call her “baby girl”. As a sign of celebration, a Chewa baby is given beads that are worn around the neck, legs, hands, and waist.

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A Chewa girl undergoes a ritual known as Chinamwali, a traditional girl initiation ceremony. It is done soon after a girl hits puberty. The girl is taken into confinement for seven days, where she is counseled by elder women (known as Anankungwi) on a number of issues believed to prepare her into adulthood. The topics discussed during this initiation, include:

• Menstrual hygiene
• Good manners and respect for the elderly
• Sexual abstinence
• Why they should no longer eat eggs, for fear of becoming barren
• Why they should no longer enter their parents’ bedroom 
• How to carry out household chores
• Good behavior towards their husbands once they are married, and to dress respectfully

The initiation is finished when the girl leaves the house after being shaved off all hair, including pubic hair.

Over time, some of the beliefs and traditions about women have been modified, meaning today a Chewa woman does not only take responsibilities at home as a housewife, but can also partake in society as a career woman, taking up leadership roles in the community.

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Zimbabweans celebrates 39 years of independence today..

All roads lead to the National Sports Stadium today for the country’s 39th Independence Day main celebrations where President Mnangagwa  delivered the keynote independence address.

This year’s celebrations are running under the theme: “Zimbabwe @39 — Embracing Devolution for Vision 2030.

Zimbabwean independence

Zimbabwe Independence Day

On this day in 1980, Southern-Rhodesia gained independence from the British, taking the name Zimbabwe. The day marked the end of racial segregation after a protracted war of liberation that claimed many lives. In the ninety year span that Zimbabwe was a colony, it was administered by the British South African Company (BSAC) under the name Rhodesia and the Responsible Government under the name Southern Rhodesia. Both administrative systems were under the British monarchy. In 1965, Zimbabwe became autonomous and was led by a white segregationist government after Ian Douglas Smith made a Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) from Britain. This was after the British government had made majority rule a condition for the independence of Rhodesia from Britain. Smith followed the UDI by declaring Rhodesia a Republic, which however, did not have international recognition. From June 1979, the Republic of Southern Rhodesia was replaced by Zimbabwe-Rhodesia after Abel Tendekayi Muzorewa won the first majority elections. Lacking international recognition, after about three months, the country was taken back into the hands of Britain, as per the Lancaster House Agreement which was meant to facilitate transition. The country once again became a British colony known as Southern Rhodesia. In the April 1980 elections, Robert Mugabe, head of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) won the majority and became the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe. Zimbabwean independence is celebrated on 18 April each year and Robert Mugabe has been at the helm since 1980. Although initially, the ceremony used to attract large numbers of people, gradually, the numbers have been decreasing as more and more people are becoming disillusioned as the promises made during the war for independence are yet to be realised. This disillusionment is also in the context of a declining economy and political turmoil caused by a blend of factors such as mismanagement and corruption and the imposition of sanctions. The day, however, is a yearly holiday and remains formally celebrated by the government of Zimbabwe at both national and district levels. A presidential speech which tallies with current national themes and the nation’s history is read out to the public. The official ceremony is followed by entertainment such music, different kinds of performances and soccer. There is also free food that is shared by the public.  

Zimbabwean culture (a brief about its origin and its languages)

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Culture Name

Zimbabwean

Alternative Names

Shona, Ndebele

Identification.Zimbabwe is named after Great Zimbabwe, the twelfth- to fifteenth-centurystone-built capital of the Rozvi Shona dynasty. The name is thought to derive fromdzimba dza mabwe("great stone houses") ordzimba waye("esteemed houses"). Cultural and religious traditions among the Shona, Ndebele and smaller groups of Tonga, Shangaan and Venda have similarities in regard to marriage practices and the belief in supernatural ancestors. All those groups called on the support of the spirit world in the struggle for independence, which was achieved in 1980. European culture and values indelibly shaped the urban and rural landscapes, particularly in terms of the use of space, and the structure and practice of government. Black Zimbabweans have assimilated more white Zimbabwean culture than vice versa. In these distinct cultures, which generally are referred to as African and European, the most obvious differences are economic. While the white minority lost political power after Independence, it has retained a disproportionate share of economic resources.

Being a Zimbabwean

Could this be a good way of celebrating our cultures as Zimbabweans? Can this be taught as a good Culture?


#food for thought...

Interplay among religion, community and culture

Community is essentially formed by a group of people who share common activities or beliefs based on their mutual affect, loyalty. and personal concerns. Participation in religious institutions is one of the most dominant community engagements world wide. Religious institutions are widely known for creating a sense of community by offering various material and social supports for individual followers. In addition, the role that religious organisations play in communal conflicts is also crucial. As religion deals with the ultimate matters of life, the difference among different religious beliefs are virtually impossible to settle. although direct causal relationship between religion and violence is not well supported , religion is, nevertheless, commonly accepted as a potential escalating in conflicts.

Currently, religions conflicts are on the rise and they are typically more violent, long lasting, and difficult to resolve. in such cases, local religious organisations, places facilitating collective actions in the community are extremely vital, as they can either preach peace or stir up hatred and violence. the peace impact of local religious institutions has been largely witnessed in India and Indonesia where conflicts are solved at the local level before developing into communal violence. while religion affects cultures, it itself is also affected by culture as religion is an essential layer of culture. For example, the growth of individualism in the latter half of the 20th century has been coincident with the decline in the authority of Judeo-Christian institutional and the emergence of "parachurches" and more personal forms of prayer. However, this decline in the authority of religious institutions in modernized society has not reduced the important role of religion and spirituality as one of the main sources of calm when facing painful experiences such as death, suffering and loss. when cultural specifications such as individualism and collectivism , have been attributed to religion, the proposed definitions and functions of religion overlap with definitions of culture. For example, researchers often combine religious identification (Jewish, Christian, Muslim, etc). With cultural dimensions like individualism/ collectivism to understand and compare cultural differences. Such combinations for comparison and analytical purposes demonstrate how religion and religious identification in particular are often relegated to a micro level variable, when in fact the true relationship between an individual's religion and culture is inseparable



happy reading

Saturday food of thought .....
(Allah-God)