Dorcas Shava
Dorcas was born in Chiweshe to the Mufuka-Makandyera family. She is one of twelve daughters (only) born to her parents and one of six who are still living. Her family moved to Mabvuku where she was then raised and met her husband with whom she has four children.
Marrying into a pastoral family, Dorcas was surprised to find that her father-in-law would be the first to wake and prepare food for the family. This was different from the family she was raised in, where women were meant to rise before the men and cater to them. She always tried to beat him to the day and never won. In turn, she would greet her in-laws the traditional way, which was unfamiliar to them, and it took a while for them to accept.
Dorcas always strives to keep a balance between tradition and religion. "Before COVID-19, you'd be accused of witchcraft if you were caught making Zumbani tea or steaming herbs. COVID-19 has made our traditional ways 'acceptable' to the public eye as steaming some of these herbs is said to help prevent infection". Her grandchildren only eat sour porridge, which has contributed to their healthy eating, synonymous with her upbringing.
Today, the meal plans she grew up on are the priciest and labeled as Keto diets. Dorcas believes that we shouldn't have to wait on a foreign entity to determine when our culture is "acceptable" and when it should be disregarded.
She shares two nganos, one of which she has ceded to Emily Katombo, who could not share one. Through her ngano about Tsuro (rabbit) and Gudo (baboon), Dorcas advises us to be wary of the friends we have and how easily they may use us and leave us in varied predicaments. She advises us to protect ourselves at all times.
[Whispering Silence] This project was made possible with support from Africalia and the Directorate-General for Development Cooperation of Belgium.
