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Do you know how in the West parents just grab a fairytale book from the bookshelf and read to their children about wonderland until they sleep? Xitsonga people sit around the fire and listen to their grandparents tell stories. Gone are those days when at night; we sat around the fire in the village and listened to our grandmothers pass their wisdom to us, teaching us about their life experiences in order to guide us. In Xitsonga, we call these stories “Mintsheketo” known as folktales in English. Before telling the story, our grandmothers would start by saying: “Garingani wa Garingani” and all of us wouldRead More →

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We’ve always heard sayings such as “it is impolite to speak with your mouth full” or “never eat off a knife when having a meal,” these are taboos and are predominantly English. Do you know of taboos from other places or people around the world such as Tsonga people? According to yourdictionary.com, the word taboo refers to “an activity that is forbidden or sacred based on religious beliefs or morals. Breaking a taboo is extremely objectionable in society as a whole. Around the world, an act may be taboo in one culture and not in another.” While English people would say “it is taboo,” TsongaRead More →