Africa 17: We visit a Zimbabwean Village

Zimbabwean bush villages largely consist of a series of huts in a large open area.

Although the huts may look crude, they have been carefully engineered to be cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

Roof supports shown from the inside.

They grow corn and other crops in communal gardens during the rainy season.

Before the corn can be eaten, it must be ground into a powder.  These are kernels of corn before grinding.

Grinding the corn is considered women's work.  Most of the cooking is a communal effort as well. 

Corn powder after grinding.

Local women hosting us in the communal kitchen hut, which is separate from sleeping huts.

People have been successfully living like this for centuries. It's a simple life but it sustains them.

Village grain silo.

Concerted efforts are now being made to find ways of keeping people living in villages like this.

Community shower.

The idea makes sense because there would be no jobs if the country's people all left their villages and moved to the cities.

Aid organizations brought potable water into this village. 

Potable water in the village compound saves the women hours each day from having to walk sometimes miles in order to fetch it, as these women from another village are doing.

Home made hand tools.

Finding a balance between modern life and tradition isn't always easy.  Once concession to modern life many traditional villages are making is sending their children to school.

Home made plow pulled by oxen.

That was the case in this village.  We saw no young school age children when we visited here.  They were all attending classes.

Next time, we have close encounters with rinos and elephants.

 Continue on to Post 18: Close Encounters with Rinos and Elephants, by clicking here.