Nompondo Village

Nompondo Village

Most of the 10,000 people live outside the main village on their family compound. We arrived on the day that government checks are issued to the unemployed. This is a big day in a region with 70% unemployment, so the village market was busy even if small. Food, clothing, and material were for sale along with a variety of cooked meats and vegetables. We walked through after our guide taught the proper Zulu greeting. When meeting someone, you say, “Sonnybona. “ The proper response is, “Yabo.” We got to practice as we walked through. The people were clearly used to outsiders like us.

The Hill Where School Began in Nompondo

We also stopped in the little store next to the market where you could get cold drinks and larger staples like rice or flour. A mother was taking advantage of the coolness of the shop to bottle feed her young baby.

Land rights are interesting and we are still working out the details. It seems that all the land belongs to the king who grants the right to occupy the land and farm it. 

Nompondo Village Market

Nompondo Village Store

We visited one family compound. Sadly the grandmother who lives there and accepted our house greeting is unable to walk because of her bad knees, she gets around on her hands and knees. As visitors we were expected to speak a greeting to the house to show we come in peace. Then the occupant would reply and we would be allowed to visit. We went into the ceremonial building where we could see the incense used to prepare the building for use and the bones and gall bladders of goats which provided evidence that the ancestors were well-honored. Among other things, we learned that women would eat more because they worked harder and men drank more beer because they did not need their energy.

Zulu Home Compound

Our Guide Showing How Men Drink Beer

We also visited the separate building used as a kitchen. The stove in the corner is no longer used because it uses more fuel than the open fire. Getting firewood for heating and cooking is a problem in much of Africa as is access to clean water – or in some cases any water at all. Some women still walk daily to get the water from a river or water hole. Things are much better in South Africa, but there are still areas where getting the basic water and power needs is a problem. We left the village with a feeling of thanks for what we have provided for us so easily. 

Checking the Corn Meal for Dinner

Inside the Kitchen

On the way and back, we came upon African stop lights – cows, donkeys and goats in the road.

Nompondo School

Today we took a break from the twice-daily safaris to visit Nompondo village and school. The elementary school is just up the road from the center of the village. We met the administrator (school secretary) who answered our questions before visiting a classroom and the kitchen.  K-12 school is free and includes a lunch. Today they were having a fish stew and cabbage. One nutritious meal in a village with 70% unemployment and where some of the employed are self-employed street vendors.  The kitchen was designed to allow cooking in two large pots – large enough to feed all the students, about 300.

Marcia Rinta with our Guide for the Day

The student day begins with math in every classroom. They begin learning English in first grade. While there are eleven official languages, English is the language of business and government so everyone must learn it to get ahead. Our guides have all spoken at least five languages and will switch between languages mid-sentence. Rohan, our guide here at Zulu Nyala, provided an example of a simple sentence in which he used three different languages. 

Class sizes are a problem. The first grade class had 71 students. The smallest class still had 34 students. We visited the sixth grade class with 43 students. They were doing a literature lesson which stopped for us while they sang us a song that used to be sung by the miners on their three-day semi-annual trip home from the mines. “Shosholoza” which is asking the train to go faster is now the national sports song. It is the song they sang after winning the Rugby World Cup made famous in the movie, Invictus.

The school year is slightly longer than ours in the US and uses the exam system to move ahead. Unfortunately, most of these children will not go on to college or university, but that is something the government is working to improve. They have come a long way since 1994. The school we visited is the oldest school in the village. Prior to its construction in the 1970s, the school met in a field at the top of the hill overlooking the village. 

No Students - They Are All In Class

In the picture, you can see the two classroom buildings. The bathrooms are to the left in a separate building. The kitchen and administration buildings are also separate. Notice the large green catch basins to store the rainfall. Nothing goes to waste.