31yo SBF daring to be different

Hi. I am an extremely shy Zimbabwean (in Southern Africa) female and I am still new to permaculture. I believe my purpose is to make a magnified input in poverty alleviation and I am trying this through application of mostly permaculture principles, coupled with harnessing the potential that is in each individual (regardless of social class or background).
I am currently trying to introduce a sustainable lifestyle (based on permaculture) to my community because I know it will definitely solve half of the challenges, at minimum costs and probably in a space of time shorter than can be imagined ( I might be wrong but it is a strong gut filling). I see the world differently especially on the definition of success and the value of money. I think because we live in a capital based world, money makes it convenient sometimes, but I think the value we have given it is far much greater than its actual value.  It would be a great thing if there are people who have managed to become, or are on the road to being self-sufficient and are willing to share their experiences, for it can be overwhelming when building something as an individual. Finding a partner along the way who has permaculture values and has love as a core value, will be a bonus and will be more than welcome.

Good for you !  Must be quite a challenge in your country , but it was known as the bread-basket of southern Africa if not all of Africa at one point ?  

I have family in Kenya actually, but have never been to your continent. Quite different from Canada and Scandinavia where I operate... fascinating though !

Hey! Hope you are well.

Must be quite a challenge in your country

You can say that again. The fact that the place used to be a bread basket is kind of my green light. It means whatever is going on has nothing whatsoever to do with lack of resources(due to geographic location), because the same place which was a bread basket is now the complete opposite.
I could not view the image you sent, it must be my connection. Will keep on trying.

Hi again,   Thanks yes doing great !  This time of year everything is starting to wake up after the winter dormancy/hibernation . Hope you are well too!

Yes you really have all the potential in the world there, I suppose the upheaval within agriculture has left things in a state of chaos. My understanding is that alot of those (maybe cronies of a certain politician)  who took over the farms that were operating smoothly, don't really have the skills to run them in the same manner.
I guess alot of people think that just get a farm or get a machine and everything will be fine, but the machinery and the farms still need to be worked at and run professionally to succeed.

The image I sent was my house in "winter garb" of snow :)  Jokingly "cool house"  . hope you can view it.....

Cheers , Mark

Wow, Rufaro, your gutsy!!!

I read somewhere on permies that every dollar I don't have to earn is something like 1.4 dollars saved, because everything is taxed.  Good luck on your journey.  

I think most cultures have a myth of the heros journey, where the hero goes on a journey and grows and defeats evil.  This story teaches us how we should view our own lives.  The hero often starts from very humble beginnings, but he/she grows into something great.  

I think another universal is the hero defeating the dragon who is guarding a hoard of treasure.  The lesson in the second story is that what we fear (the dragon) is also where the treasure is.  

There is more than one way to teach and talk.  Even if you are very shy, there is a way you can teach and help others.  Moses had a speech impediment, so God gave him Aaron to speak for him.  Don't give up.  You are on your own hero's journey.  You are the hero, if you act the part, even if no one else recognizes it.  (usually it's a while before anyone recognizes the hero as anything special).  

There  used to be a group called the Benson institute.  They were always working in povery stricken areas with limited resources, so their method of helping in an area was to create a personalized plan for a local family that would improve their situation.  Once the neighbors saw the improvement in lifestyle, they eventually got curious and started asking questions and adapting it to their own lives  It's not as fast as some big govt. program, but it was doable with limited resources.  

Best of Luck on your Journey.

Thank you all so much, I just teared up a bit reading through the messages.
I managed to view the house, definitely a COOL one. Its such a pretty view.

Thanks !

Its warm and cozy inside !  

All the best !

Mark

Hey Rufaro..

You are in Africa? That is quite amazing. I wasn't interested in your singles profile, however your post interested me as a friendly post. I liked your energy in your post and the tone of the words you spoke. I believe in Ubuntu contributionism and practice it here currently myself in the USA. Feel free to message me privately.
Take good care,
Teres

Teres Demos wrote:
.... your post interested me as a friendly post. I liked your energy in your post and the tone of the words you spoke. ...

I totally agree! You sound like an awesome person! I hope you keep posting on Permies about what you are doing, sounds like you will do neat things in life. And I hope you find a man you like to make you happy.

Hey!
Just thought to include an image in my thread. Still too shy to put up a very clear one but just thought it might help to assure anyone out there willing to chat that I am a real person. Well my lifestyle has not made me too popular and I fear I am losing confidence ( I guess some kind of validation that I am not going off course in general). I believe I am onto something with turning to regenerative practices, I am just not too sure about its social sustainability.

I am going to reveal my ignorance and ask a question.  What can anyone object to about larger yields (which you reported for your corn planted in holes)?  Most villages I've been in (native american, which may be radically different than your society) were fairly forgiving of individual eccentricities.  I had assumed that would be a general principal, since the people in villages are mostly somehow related.  The old joke about families being like pecan rolls, mostly sweet with a few nuts is generally correct.  

Many villages though, can't stand someone else doing better than the average.  (for example, one guy getting ambitious and getting most of the  work contracts in the area that normally went to outsiders.  Soon the rest of the village pulls their support from him and forces the contracts to be cancelled because he's getting "uppity".)  If that is what you'r dealing with, you have a societal problem that maybe can be dealt with by the proper application of 'gifts' of your extra produce, although that leaves you with more work and no more product.  

One of the outcomes of this attitude is that it's very hard for a native to operate a store in the bush, because his relatives all feel that he should be sharing his stuff (the product in his store), and if he doesn't, or if he tries to force payment, he's ostracized, circumcized and delegitimized (the last two are just jokes).  Because of this, pretty much all bush businesses are white or korean owned.  Is that what's happening in your village?

My dad had a saying about people who were persistant naysayers that I have found useful in my own life, and have taught to my children.  It's "Piss on 'em".   Rather than worrying about offending them, make them worry about offending you.  You will need to cultivate a thick skin for that though.

Ha ha ha... Nothing like circumcision. I guess some words have a deeper impact depending on who says them, so its more work on developing a thick skin.  I stay in an urban area, so there is not so much of related people around. There are very few houses with yards as big as ours where we stay, it is a high density area. But almost everyone there has a place in the rural areas, which is where most farming is done and most people are family.

You are right about the yield attracting interest and there are some people who have personally come to our place acknowledging the difference, I have also tried to ignore comments from a lot of people and I will keep on trying.

Hi Rufaro;  You are making headway!
If you have even a few people coming by and acknowledging your crop then you are on the right track.
Keep your chin up and keep doing what you are doing. They can only make you feel badly if you let them.

I have never been to Africa, but it is my understanding it is a very Patriarchal society.  An intelligent, attractive young woman who wants to be different. Must stand by her principles , look naysayers in the eye and never allow them to bring you down. They will try. Do not let them!
This is what you are doing !  Stand proud of your achievement's.  Prove you can and will continue with your ideas.   Before long some shy but smart man will start needing to stop by every few days … maybe he will want to help...  as long as he understands that YOU are in charge of your life and maybe if he is lucky … you might be willing to share it … but as a partner, not as HIS woman...
Stay focused on your objectives and as they succeed so will your life become more and more wonderful!