Bulungula Community

During our two week stay at Bulungula, we participated in all but one of their community run activities. Apart from all that we learned, the best part was that our money went right into the hands of those who deserve, and need, it the most.

In the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Barbara Kingsolver encourages us to eat local and organic vegetables and animals in order to preserve them. The concept is that in order for conservation, there must be consumption (at least in this specific case). Well, we kind of used that philosophy with Bulungula. We stayed long, and we spent our money on these activities, in order to preserve it, to support it. And lucky us, we got a lot out of it too.

Canoeing was our first activity, and it was good. We, well, canoed, and hiked a bit to and from the river. We also found out that down the river a bit, there live large water snakes… snakes that eat baby cows. We didn’t go that way.

Two days later, we went on a three hour village tour. We visited the sangoma, or elderly medicine woman in her hut. She wasn’t feeling well, and was hunkered under piles of blankets, speaking slowly to us. We ground some corn, and continually batted away the chickens pecking around the floor, and jumping up on the table and blankets in the hut. We then ventured on to visit the house of the recently circumcised 17/18 year old boys. They spend a month living in relative solitude, being helped by their sisters, but bide their time until the final ceremony where they transition from being boys to men. And finally we chatted with and took some pictures of three women chatting on the grass. They loved to pose, and then see themselves in the pictures.

Two days later we went horse riding, in which I almost fell off laughing as Tom’s horse farted every time we went into a gallop. Yes, we galloped, even though Tom’s never really ridden a horse and it’s been a good 15 years since my last encounter.

Next up, the herbalist tour, where we spent a good hour talking to the local herbalist about his life and his trade. We sat amongst old bottles re-filled with his herbs and spices, with bark, and with the oils of turtles and sharks caught by himself or his sons.

And last but not least, I went on the woman empowerment tour, where we re-dunged a floor (as in we wiped cow crap on the floor to keep it from getting dusty). We also made lunch, carried water and sticks on our heads, and hung out with some older woman smoking their long pipes.

In addition to the specific action of the activities, we learned small things. Like why the huts are round (corners are thought to keep bad spirits), and what the men do all day (drink at the shabeen, or bar). We spoke all of the Xhosa (the local language, and one out of South Africa’s 11 official languages) we had learned. It was mainly: hello, how are you, I’m fine, thank you!) over and over again.

Sangoma:

Grinding Corn:

Woman put clay on their face to protect it from the sun.

Enjoying Pictures:

Herbalist:

Dried Turtle (Herbalist’s Hut):

Horse Riding:

Re-dunging (aka spreading fresh cow manure on the floor):

Face Painting:

Women Empowerment Tour Guide (face paint included):

Smoking (women and men smoke separately):