Women's Integral Role in Restoring the Earth: Insights from UNISA Women Forum
Exploring the intersection of women's identity, Mupo principles, and the restoration of Earth, this insightful discussion by Mphatheleni Makaulule at the UNISA Women Forum emphasizes the intrinsic connection between women and nature, highlighting how reclaiming women's roles through indigenous knowledge systems is imperative for ecological harmony and sustainable living.
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Commemoration of Earth Day 2021 through women Commemoration of Earth Day 2021 through women voice: UNISA Women Forum voice: UNISA Women Forum . . 22 April 2021 Mphatheleni Makaulule
RESTORE THE EARTH:2021 RESTORE THE EARTH:2021 In my view, after learning from elders, I trust and strongly have a firm belief on this, : We cannot define tomorrow and restore the Earth without defining Woman. To define a women cannot be separated with reclaiming back the order of creations, order of natural creations of the Universe, that order in which a girl is created, daughter, mother, grandmother, the breast, and a womb is created. These are the characteristics that defines A LADY.
Order that created Order that created wemoon I would like to thank UNISA Women Forum for giving me the opportunity to be part of this conversation today. Regarding Restore our Earth. wemoon I am driven to be a defender of IKS, our ancestor's knowledge due to concerns I have where I have experienced the erosion of our cultural traditions, erosion of rivers , mountains and sacred sites.(I explained about the way I grow and the meaning of my name) Restoration of our Earth can not be talked about without We-moon. ( He) S--he, (Male) Fe--male , ( Man) wo--man I stand here to raise the voice that we are wemoon not woman This will be for our daily reflections and to put forward a challenge that we should stand up to reclaim our identity. My presentation today is grounded on reclaiming our identity of order in which we are created and our role on Restoring The Earth.
As a result, we cannot understand the role of women on Earth if we do not claim the Mupo role on women. The word Mupo: The word is a very important and a principle to Vhavenda. Mupo' describes the origin of creation, the creation of the whole Universe. When we look at Nature, we see Mupo. When we look at the sky we see Mupo. Mupo means all that is not man-made. Mupo gives every thing a space human have space, all animals have space, reptiles, insects, birds have their space, soil rocks, trees, plants, rivers, mountains, stars moon, clouds have space. Everything is called Mupo and has a Mupo space which have a Mupo spirit. Even our ancestors spirit it is Mupo, the totems which is a wild, such as animals, rocks, reptiles, birds, etc is Mupo. So, women also have their spaces, woman is Mupo creations and she has her indigenous role through Mupo. Woman role is not what is established by human thinking, it is her natural role from tsiko(Universe creations. The creator/ God through Mupo , naturally created that, created her.
Some understanding by Vhavenda on who is a women There is word Makhadzi, meaning a moon vhana vha tshi aluwa hu bvelani nnda ha pfi idani ni vhone makhadzi. Mupo created the moon, while we name a moon makhadzi. Mupo created the flow inside women, while women cycles is flowing with the moon. Mupo created the birth , while a woman gave birth according moon cycles Mupo created the mother while women is a mother because of moon movements to give birth Mupo created the womb while a womb is inside women body Mupo created the seed while seed in conceived in female and germinated grow and given birth by women Mupo created the Earth, while The Earth is called Mother Earth. And in Vhavenda, a woman is a Makhadzi, meaning a woman is a moon. In this implication women is foundation of life, woman is germinator of life and grower of life and bowls of life, in her body that's where ecosystems of all life manifestation. No woman, no life. But still we have been robbed our identity, natural identity, in Mupo manifestation and that creation we are wemoon.
Ndeme Ndeme ya ya mufumakadzi mufumakadzi kha Mupo/The role of woman on Mother Earth woman on Mother Earth AS DESCRIPTIONS STATED WHAT IS Mupo: kha Mupo/The role of Everything life which breath on Earth, from plants, animals and human beings is created by The Creator through Mupo in the manifestations and ampule/ vessel called woman. Even a pumpkin plant, we cannot get pumpkin from male flower,only female flower appears for baby pumkin to develop, (khavhelo a I anwi kha vhuluvha ha tshiduna Some thinking said a women is a weaker vessel, mudzio mutete, In my perspective, a woman is not a weaker vessel , she is a strong beautiful vessel, but a fragile vessel, vessel that cares a lot, but not weak. e.g. pregnancy, is it a weak vessel? If it is weak how can that hold life from fetus nine month while a woman walks , do all home chores, carry a load on head, able to run, walks for miles to reach far clinic, but what is inside is growing inside her until a big tummy reaches 9 months and go the to the hardest pain, all pains and deliver in the labor bed. Does that shows a weaker vessel, like a wine glass.? Is that a human creations , in laboratory, or another human is holding a remote control to protect that process, as even that one who planted that seed do not have that remote control, but Mupo is the one that go on with the cycle through the moon movements, until new life come on Earth.
Nourishment With all the hardships, a baby, children born need food, water, fresh air to breath, should care about every months, looking after fountains,,,,,,, mufumakadzi u vhavhalela mupo u ri a si bebele nwan kha NDALA,, kana a fema muya wa malasha ,earthquake I de I mu mupwashekanye, So, my perspective is that a women contributed and are still contributing for Mupo to continue life. If all women on Earth can be vanished, shall we have a human being on Earth? As the Late Mugabe said a women is a special breeding stations, Can we human being life continue without a women, can Mupo continue to let human life to be there. SO, Can the moon still continue to move around the globe for conceiving and birth to happen? Is this not how woman contribute to the Earth? Do we have the Earth without woman.
Nourishment cont,d Damu, Mukapu, Mugade.responsibility is the hands of a women, by Mupo creations. To the food , mother, woman is there, cultivation, planning, reaping, harvesting, saving , selecting seed , storing seed The responsibility is in the hands of a woman When no rain, or when season no longer comes as expected, wemoon is it not the first line to be affected. Who created that cycle Mupo creations of the Universe like that?. Cooking , preparation for eating all those home chores, where in some body say a women s place is in the kitchen,,heela nandi wee, ndi zwone izwo, on my perspective this was wrongly interpreted, it was to say,,,mufumakadzi ndi mulimi ndi mubiki MUFUMAKADZI U A IMELA TSHIGIDI , ARI KHA MUNNA WANGA HAI..U ITA URI LI LALE
To the decision makers . This is in line with Terry( 2009) who indicates that the marginalised women face multi gender specific barriers that limit them to cope and adapt to changing climate. These are the Women experiencing hardship due to climate change. Due to policy in place that does not consider women voice therefore most women benefit more from ploughing, harvesting. So the disturbance of the climate have more major negative impact on women. This implies that decision makers should go back to rural areas and see how marginalized women are nourishing the nation, those called small scale framers, house hold farmers. Is a request from woman , when celebrating Earth day.
Seeking understanding from knowledgeable Seeking understanding from knowledgeable elders(men). elders(men). Vhavenda elder man, Chairperson of Dzomo la Mupo stated vhutali vhune ra vha naho, ro funzea zwi tshi bva kha mikando ye ra mama kha madamu a vhakegulu Damu ndi tshithu tshihulwane, ndo wana luambo kha damu,mikhwa na shirunzi zwi bva damuni,nne thi ambi zwa dzibuguni, zwa university ngauri aho noy aya tshikolni nda isa kule fhedzindi amba zwe nda mama kha thuphana ya mupo, ndi damu. Mupo wo sika damu na mbumbelo na mbebo , zwothe zwa vhewa kha the woman,female ,daughter, girl, as a bowl.
Wemoon Wemoonas the center of as the center of Mupo Mupo creation creation Even a President, Dr s, Professor, pilot, pastor s ,chief, principal, director minister etc. is born by a woman, or do we have someone called a human being on Earth who never pass through to this Earth without a woman. not disagree the man-made sperm test tube process, question for another, time. Remember even a tiny sperm , is first placed on woman until a baby plays and first during given birth, all is attached to woman,muthu u swika shangoni o namabatela (mme a thukhuliwa ) first seen by woman, suck first taste in the tongue by a woman. That is why Mupo also placed, created language from the breast : luambo lu bva damuni: Kani nwana ha thomi ipfi la u thoma nga m, mma, mama, and mama is the breastfeeding, nwana a nga si thome sound without M.no one can start talking by sound z, r, f etch , but MM MM, M That is why even president up to the baby , when pain come , scream is mmamwe.MOMMY, MOTHER
2021 Earth day celebration : Restore the EARTH. WEMOON CELEBRATION. We-moon are the root of everything,If you want to see something to quickly die, cut the root,wemoon are like the roots of life, we cannot restore the Earth without the WEMOON knowledge, woman is a germinate of seed, seed selector, planter , harvester , food preparation,,, a pain intuition calls mamwe, , mmawe, same as he or she learnt from the breast We are wemoon. Aaa.
. RI A LIVHUWA. Aaa. Thank you.
