Within 5 hours of me sending my last ‘lily-message’ we got a phone call
from a woman called Jo living in Merick Park
‘I believe you have lost your jack russel – we have found one’

We checked that this was a brown-and-white female with a long tail
but we knew it was Lily when she asked
‘does she sit back on her haunches with her front legs held out straight’
Kate, Eli Bo and I drove over to get her

There is no way to describe the joy in seeing this little animal
who carries so much of our lives

Bringing her home to Max and Tony and Rory…
Max couldn’t stop kissing her

Only Lily knows what happened
she was covered in red soil that is found on Merick Park hill
she must have run across the vlei and got lost on the other side

she looked as if she has been sleeping outside
but she had either been fed or had scavenged food
her front paw is sprained – as if she has scratched her way out of somewhere
(Lily has been known to claw holes in doors if locked somewhere by mistake)
she is limping,
and the pads on her feet are tender as if she has been running on tar roads
she is exhausted and a little shaken – but she will be fine
she walked in on Jo and her family on Sunday afternoon
Jo phoned the vet on Monday – and she got our phone number

Today, as Lily and Max lie together
stretched out at the A-frame door
I wonder
about the power of prayer/ritual/connecting/good wishes/love
and when we do what we do with intention
is this what calls in the magic

On the weekend I spoke to a woman who had lost her dog
who she found again
and she asked me if I was calling Lily back – connecting with her

and I realized that this was something I was finding so difficult
as my imagination took me to the awful places she could be
I did the phoning and the poster sticking-up and the vet-visiting
and I had not really, therefore
been calling her home with clear intention

so I did

What was it that called Lily home?
was it people sending love and support from everywhere?
was it my and Tony’s mothers giving to St. Anthony an ‘ear-bashing’?
was it the Mwanzas praying on the vlei?
was it the presence of the other Jack Russell, Lily,
when they brought her into their circle on 11.11.11. at Hazelwood ?
was it Bev H holding thumbs?
was it the poster we left on trees and at vets?
was it Lily?

or was it all of these things working together with the same intention?

Above the window
a pair of sun birds search the branches for spider webs to build their nest
life goes on

Thank you all for listening so patiently
and my love – coming from a much deeper place
to those who have not found their loved ones

From Pambazuka, an article on one of my favourite artists, Kudzanai Chiurai:

State of the nation, according to Kudzania Chiurai

Born in 1981 in Zimbabwe, Kudzanai Chiurai is an internationally acclaimed artist now living and working in Johannesburg, South Africa. He was the first black student to graduate with a BA in Fine Art from the University of Pretoria. Highly regarded as a leading voice of his generation, Kudzi has made a name for himself as a thought provoking artist who uses his art to highlight the many fallacies of our continent with specific focus on African leaders and culture. Chiurai’s early work focused on the political, economic and social strife in his homeland and has since evolved to reflect a continental dialogue that puts the state and its people at the centre of progress or the lack thereof. Seminal works like ‘Presidential Wallpaper’ depicted Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe as a sell-out and this led to Chiurai’s exile from Zimbabwe.

Armed with a paint brush and a strong desire for change Kudzi has become somewhat of a legend in the niche world of pan-African urban culture. For someone who has achieved so much in a short space of time with bodies of artwork that speak loudly, his humility, sensitivity and introverted personality are humbling, making for an interesting harmonious contrast between the artist and his work.

His latest presentation titled ‘State of the Nation’ is intended to explore aspects of a constructed African state that bears scars of political and cultural discourses. On a continent that has experienced more violent conflicts than any other, this exhibition follows an individual’s narration of events that lead up to the inaugural speech by the first democratically elected president. The conflict that exists between cultural vistas and postmodern political narratives is evident in Chiurai’s work. Themes range from rituals, genocide memories of Rwanda and the all too familiar propaganda machine of the state to win hearts and minds of the nation. The vivid and curated portrayal of political scenes and the fear it imposes on the general populace is both profound and sad. The political truth of our continent is captured in every line and colour and together the state of all our nations is laid bare.

Melissa Mboweni curated the exhibition in partnership with the Goethe Institute and collaborations with photographer Jurie Potgieter, singers Thandiswa Mazwai and Zaki Ibrahim as well as clever use of technology brought this body of work to life. Chiurai references child and woman soldiers, African liberation movements and civil wars. He tracks the similarities between societal, political and ideological doctrines of nations in tumultuous times of transition with the often-ignored impact these cacophonous changes have on citizens. The juxtaposing of public and private were highlighted in performances that took place in the streets of Newtown and in the exhibition space that fostered private conversations about the state of our own nation as well as the artist’s work. A sound and technology installation scores the gallery experience. The influence of hip-hop in Kudzi’s own life is evident in his installations.

In a style similar to previous bodies of work such as ‘Dying to be Men’ series and ‘Black President’, Chiurai’s constructed environments are enticing, seductive and explore real casualties of African independence and critically examine the role of state public servants in advancing democracy. This ‘State of the Nation’ exhibition is a timely theme that comes at a time when the continent is grappling with its democratic identity and the role of the state in bringing real freedom and justice to its people.

As an art lover and a follower of Kudzi’s work, I’m hoping his social themes will evolve to depict some of the goodness on our continent and the power of the individual in bringing about change in their own community regardless of the state. Kudzi has the ability, passion and drive to start painting imageries of Africa that shows progress and a people with an undying spirit for survival and entrepreneurship.

- Charles Nhamo Rupare
* Charles Nhamo Rupare is of Shona origin and lives life through the creative eye and dreams of Afrika regaining her dignity and her sons and daughters developing the necessary mental freedom to love peace and communal co-existence. He is an award-winning Afrikan-centred brand specialist, percussionist, writer and a Pan-Afrikan thinker. He is chief editor of www.kush.co.za, a co-founder of Kush Kollective and a Partner of TEDx Soweto.

According to the World Malaria Report 2010, “there were 225 million cases of malaria and an estimated 781 000 deaths in 2009, a decrease from 233 million cases and 985 000 deaths in 2000. Most deaths occur among children living in Africa where a child dies every 45 seconds of malaria and the disease accounts for approximately 20% of all childhood deaths.”  Furthermore, an alarming 90% of deaths by the disease occur in Africa. However there seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel, with scientists in Cambridge, at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, having discovered the weakness in malaria parasites, with the hope of developing vaccines for the killer disease, and saving millions of lives. Read more on this very encouraging and exciting news here

It is encouraging that a country as large as Nigeria, which is undoubtedly a big contributor to Africa’s carbon footprint is contributing to environmentally friendly initiative such as this. The seemingly limitless supply plastic bottles, is an encouraging indicator of the longevity of such a project.

In view of Zimbabwe’s hosing shortage, and increasing carbon footprint, due to the growing number of cars on the road, and the use of fossil fuels and firewood, instead of hydro-electrical power, (due to power cuts), and the lack of consistent garbage collection, a scheme like this, even just to provide temporary shelter, could make a huge difference to the housing shortage as well as in cleaning up our increasingly garbage ridden cities. If nothing else, it’s worth a try!

Check out the story ….

What a group of activists did was come up with a plan to build a house using those bottles, providing what they say is an environmentally smart strategy of chipping away at a housing shortage in Africa’s most populous nation.

With the prototype near the northern Nigerian city of Kaduna now well underway, the group wants to extend its efforts and build more, aiming to unleash what they say is some long bottled-up potential.

The project was initiated by the Kaduna-based NGO Development Association for Renewable Energies (DARE), with help from foreign experts from Africa Community Trust, a London-based NGO.

Sitting on 58-square meters (624-square feet), the two-bedroom bungalow looks like an ordinary home, but it differs in many ways. When completed, the house whose construction started in June will be used to train masons in building such structures.

It is made from capped, sand-filled plastic bottles, each weighing three kilograms, or nearly two pounds.

The bottles are stacked into layers and bonded together by mud and cement, with an intricate network of strings holding each bottle by its neck, providing extra support to the structure.
Bottle caps of various colors protrude from the cement-plastered walls, giving them a unique look. Those behind the project claim the sand-filled bottles are stronger than ordinary cinder blocks.

“The structure has the added advantage of being fire proof, bullet proof and earthquake resistant, with the interior maintaining a constant temperature of 18 degrees C (64 degrees F) which is good for tropical climate,” Yahaya Ahmad, the project coordinator said.

With the right adjustments to the supporting pillars the building can be as high as three stories, but can go no higher due to the weight of the sand-filled bottles, Ahmad said.

The house is also designed to produce zero carbon emissions as it will be wholly powered by solar panels and methane gas from recycled human and animal waste.

“Nigeria has a serious waste and energy problem, and this project is one small step towards making positive changes,” said Katrin Macmillan, a British environmental activist involved in the project.

Construction is estimated to require 14,000 bottles. Environmental experts say Nigeria, a country of some 160 million, throws out about three million plastic bottles daily.

Plastic houses are cheap to construct as it costs a quarter of the money required to build a conventional house. Nigeria has been grappling with a deficit of 16 million housing units.

TAIWAN NEWS