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CULTURAL IMMERSION & COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER WORK
EKUTHULENI VILLAGE HOME STAY
INTRODUCTION
Ekuthuleni is situated in the uMhlathuzana district, an outlying chieftaincy of the Eshowe District Municipality in the Zululand region of KwaZulu Natal province.
The area is steeped in history and is within sight the monument that marks the site of King Shaka’s headquarters at KwaBulawayo, the isiZulu name for 'place of the persecuted one', which could accommodate 12 000 warriors.
The history of European settlement in the Eshowe area dates back to 1853 when, on invitation of King Mpande, the first missionaries settled in this hilly country. Its higher altitude afforded some relief from the hot, humid climate, which dominates the low-lying coastal region, which in those days’ was a tsetse fly and mosquito infested region.
After the British invasion of Zululand in 1879 and the resultant annexation, Eshowe was established as the capital and administrative centre for Zululand. Subsequently the town developed with a very a good infrastructure which still serves as regional administration headquarters for many government services.
Although no more than 20km away from Eshowe, during the apartheid era uMhlatuzana district was designated Tribal Land and was, therefore, not a priority for the provision of even basic services. Ten years after independence the needs of this community are still many.
ACCOMMODATION AND CULTURAL EXPERIENCE
Ekuthuleni Home Stay (meaning place of peace) is ideally situated on a hill overlooking a sparsely populated valley. It is without electricity and running water, as are most rural homesteads and villages in this area. Visitors are accommodated in huts furnished in the traditional way and which are part of the traditional family ‘musi’ or homestead.
The objective of Ekuthuleni Home stay is to provide visitors with an authentic insight into the contemporary cultural lifestyle of the average rural Zulu person. In addition, the experience is fully integrated into the community life of the district. Nothing is contrived or set-up for ‘tourists’ so the social and cultural programme is totally dependant on what is happening in the community at the time as the local people go about their daily routines.
For instance a morning’s excursion with a traditional healer into the nearby forest to collect herbs, bulbs, bark etc that are used in the preparation of traditional medicines reveals age old traditions still practised on a daily basis.
A visit to the ‘practise’ of the local Sangoma (spiritual healer) also offers a non-commercialised insight into the role this important person plays in the community. Attending traditional wedding and other cultural ceremonies are spontaneous additions to a visit at Ekuthuleni if these coincide with your visit.
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