Building relationships leads to successful TEK dialogue

BY STEVE EPHRAEM

Building strong relationships is at the core of successful Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) practices. This key insight emerged during a storytelling session on the fourth day of a TEK dialogue in Chimanimani, which began on Monday this week and concludes tomorrow (July 11).

A facilitator from Earthlore Foundation, Method Gundidza, shared a powerful story about his 11-year journey to revive traditional land healing practices in Bikita.

“In 2014, after witnessing how the Venda people in South Africa were farming millet, I asked my uncle why our people had stopped growing millet. That simple question started an 11-year dialogue. Slowly, my community began to return to the old ways; caring for our land and protecting sacred spaces,” he said.

Mr Gundidza explained how his uncle connected him with other relatives, who further connected them with other relatives until the entire community came together to restore their land.

His story also highlighted a useful humble approach for those working outside their home areas. By using shared totems, they can build trust with local communities and collaborate effectively, even if they weren’t born there.

From July 7-11, PELUM Zimbabwe in collaboration with EarthLore Foundation held a capacity-building dialogue to strengthen the facilitation skills of member organisations in designing and leading community dialogues that integrate Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), Holistic Land and Livestock Management (HLLM), and agroecological practices.

This work forms part of a broader effort to restore degraded landscapes, seed sovereignty, and community resilience through participatory and culturally rooted approaches.