(TOM) The photos above are:
- Miranda playing an interesting ball game with the "OVC's" (a term so common they came up with an acronym for it - Orphans and Vulnerable Children") at the Nzinga Drop-in center.
- Mr Zuma cutting off pieces of the slaughtered cow at the wedding. This cow was on the floor in the family's "round" (traditional round floor). The dresser in the background was part of the couple's wedding present.
- One of the kids Miranda met and photographed at the Drop-in Center.
- Some of the dancers at the wedding, dressed in traditional Zulu attire. Even those not dressed traditionally were dancing traditionally. there are many aspects of the dance, but the main one consists of raising one leg as high as possible, then bringing it down with an earth-shaking impact (literally, as it was done barefoot on the ground or dirt floors) thud that has in incredible power to it, and sets the beat for the rhythmic chant-like songs they sing in Zulu.
- The Sangoma in Nzinga who spoke to my ancestors for me. About half of the Zulu have been converted to Christianity, but they see no conflict between the idea of a Christian God, and the God they always believed in and spoke to through their ancestors. So, in this case, the traditional Zulu Sangoma (similar to a Native American Shaman in training and role) lights candles at a Christian-type altar and prays to God for her to have the ability to speak with the ancestors. Then she lights traditional roots and herbs, calls to her ancestors, and asks them to fetch my ancestors and to translate. The ancestors are key to life, luck, sickness, etc., and they are the doorway to the spirit world for Zulu. So, this Sangoma is Christian (goes to a Methodist church on Sundays) and is the local Sangoma who practices Zulu ways of helping and healing members of her community through God and the ancestors.
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