HIFA entered day three yesterday and the fun still goes on and on. The HIVOS Poetry Café keeps getting bigger by the day as the number of audiences increases. I’m sharing a puesic performance (when poetry and music come together) by Kenyan Ngwatilo Mawiyoo yesterday at The HIVOS Poetry Café titled ‘Lesson on Heritage’.

Vision of land         aaaka
Vision of Mulata Ivia kula Nzaui        akaa
Vision of ugali and sukuma wiki    sesesesese
Goat meat goat meat goat meat!

Persistent sunlight over the savannah        aa
dry desolate dust dancing over distance     a
woman’s woman sighing she swallowing
“coulda-done” – she’s moving on
I want Goat meat Goat meat Goat meat!!

And in Nairobi the sidewalks ache
there’s too many people walking crushing cement
maybe roots beneath    mmm  not enough sweepers,
dust rises coating stone buildings brown  Aii
So much struggle, toil, soul moaning Asi!!
Want Goat meat Goat meat Goat Meat!!!

Our foot stamps, prints rock beyond Nzaui,
in South Africa New York Tennessee
England Germany California Texas Ghana India
Tanzania Toronto Bangladesh Trinidad, Canada, Panama,
- everywhere we go, meet you, where you go after
seeking GOAT meat GOAT Meat GOAT MEAT -

So you too can endure
little rain and lengthy travels
and smile     dance
believe.

To see Ngwatilo Mawiyoo and other local and regional poets perform and feel the vibe of the spoken take part in the HIVOS Spoken Word programme. Be part of HIFA through engagement in poetry and music. Ngwatilo Mawiyoo’s first publication, ‘Blue mothertounge’ is on sale.

The Harare International Festival of the Arts opened yesterday with the expected pomp and fanfare. The Festival grounds cover most of Harare gardens and have expanded to include off-site theatre locations like Reps and 7 Arts theatre. I like to shop, and one of my favourite festival locations is the Global Quarter Craft market, located behind the National Gallery. There you find artists and craftsmen who sell items that vary from jewellery and pottery to Zimbabwean stone sculpture.

Some of the craftsmen were working while exhibiting and selling like the potter in the picture above, who was putting the finishing touches on a vase.

And, I didn’t expect to find Carlos Mondlane, who had travelled all the way from the African Arts Centre in Maputo, Mozambique who is exhibiting wooden sculptures at the Festival.

Attend this discussion at the Book Cafe – Thursday 28 April at 5:30pm.

Who can apply
Anyone who has a plan for social change through innovation (fresh thinking that adds value) in the areas of education and technology. Anyone who has a clear vision of a changed (improved) world and their contribution to bringing about this change. The fellowship is not limited to any specific geographic location. However, applicants must be fluent in English. Fellowship applicants must have attained the age of majority by the date of application.

Which topics/disciplines
The Foundation does not have strictly defined areas of funding as we have found this restrictive as people do not always fit into boxes. Previous successful application have come from individuals working in the following areas:

Communication and Analytical Skills in Education
Intellectual Property Rights
Open and Collaborative Educational Resources
Telecommunications
Open Philanthropy
Open Science

The fellowship is not an academic fellowship aimed at research, although research is not excluded. Preference will be given to action based research or practical implementations of innovative ideas.

More here

A friend of mine dropped off a bunch of magazines that she had finished reading. We recycle magazines – eventually they will end up at YOUR GP – but only when all the fashion advice is really redundant, the gardening tips are for the wrong season, the hairstyles are disgusting and the sexperts are old news. The usual suspects were present: “Cleo”, “Cosmopolitan”, “Elle” et al.  Every time I had a break this weekend (to be assured of 5 minutes uninterrupted reading time is quite a feat) I dived, nose first, into the nearest copy to read about how everyone else is doing it better.

People out there are having unbelievable sex (several times a week, if not several times a day – my bum is a biscuit!), they are great parents, successful entrepreneurs, accomplished sports people, over-achievers and ball-breakers.  You put down one of those magazines thinking you have to start that diet, and get that exercise and teach the kids from home and run a successful business and still find the time to make your husband feel like a god.  AND prepare home-made chilli jam and plant an organic vegetable garden and make homeopathic remedies from scratch from the garden.  If I had a super power, that would be it; all things to all people.

Needless to say yesterday morning I did the 5 recommended stretches for want of something better to do. Stretches mind you, nothing as ambitious as the Comrades to start off with, it’s not like I was pushing my luck. I could hardly brush my teeth today. I feel like a dressed chicken, about to go into the roasting tray – you know how you sometimes hold them up by their wings (or is that just me?) and the skin looks all stretched and tight and white (brownish if they are Argentinean) – that’s what I feel like.

Anyway, needless to say, when the alarm clock went off at 5 this morning to remind me to do my stretches – I gave it the finger, from the warmth and comfort of my winter feather duvet.

This year HIFA expanded their reach into the centre of First Street. Pictured above are some of the crowds that gathered to watch a variety of local and international artists bringing theatre to Zimbabwean streets.