Or, put a bit less succintly, “umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu” (Zulu) or “a person is a person through other persons.” Although the concept of Ubuntu, encountered in many parts of Africa, is translated in a few ways, it generally boils down to the above. For me, it goes beyond the “No man is an island” aphorism. The latter suggests our interdepence; the former addresses our relationships. Nelson Mandela’s example from his youth is that when a traveler came through the village, that person didn’t need to ask for food—the food was offered.
The concept has had a lot of play in popular and political culture in the past five years, but I still think it’s a useful lens through which to examine ourselves and our actions every day. Who are we when that traveler comes to our village? As we take this next step in our partnership with eSibonisweni, I’m looking forward to seeing who we all are in this new context. —Jennifer Wolfe
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