Kungoni Center of Culture and Art
The Kungoni Center of Culture and Art is a non-profit organization in central Malawi . It is located in the Dedza District by the village of Mua and is about 60 km from Salima . The Kungoni Center was founded by the missionary Father Boucher Chisale to give the local carvers a livelihood and to educate them better. In the meantime, the Kungonic art of carving has developed considerably and gained an excellent reputation worldwide. In addition to carving, the Kungoni Center also has a cultural area that includes the Chamare Museum, Research Center, Malawian tribal dances, and cultural classes. The center offers jobs for over 120 carvers and is trying to help women in a new project (Kumbewu).
history
The Mua Mission was founded by the White Fathers in 1902, making it the oldest in all of Malawi. In 1902 they also built the first mission building and in 1903 they started building the large mission building that still stands today. In 1905 the first church was completed and consecrated at Christmas. The church that can be seen today was built in 1971 on the site of the old one. The Kungoni Center was founded in 1976 by Father Claude Boucher Chisale, who had previously worked with artists in Nsipe. Originally it was about supporting the local carvers, but it also developed more and more into a cultural center to which Father Boucher, with his 40 years of experience in Malawi, contributes a lot of interesting things.
Carving art
Kungoni originally started with the carving and the “Carving Center”. Father Boucher built a carving center in which he showed the local carvers new techniques and in which the trained carvers now teach the next generation. The art is sold to tourists or shops across the country, taking care to ensure that the locals get a fair price to support their families. In order to show people that their work is valued and what progress they have already made, Father Boucher had an "Art Gallery" built, in which the most beautiful pieces of everyone are exhibited. Masterpieces of this art of carving can even be found in the Vatican Museums and Buckingham Palace . With carvings from KunGoni was in Munich the Missio Chapel designed.
Cultural Opportunities
museum
The Chamare Museum is one of the few museums in Malawi. It enjoys a good reputation and describes in detail the culture and way of life of the three largest tribes in central Malawi: the Chewa , Ngoni and Yao . These ways of life still exist in the villages today, which means that the museum not only describes the past, but is still current.
Culture courses
In addition to visiting the museum, you can also take part in a culture course. Through this course one can develop a deeper understanding of the cultures of Malawi. Father Boucher, the director and founder of Kungoni, who has lived in the country for 40 years, describes and explains the culture and answers questions.
Kafukufuku - the Research Center
The Kungoni Center also has its own Research Center, in which extensive data collections on the Malawian cultures are archived. There is a small library as well as numerous video recordings and pictures and for those interested it is possible to access the Kafukufuku material.
Dances
Something that most foreigners are denied are the traditional dances of the peoples in Malawi. The Kungoni Center recorded, archived, described and processed these dances. Sometimes even possible to attend them.
Kumbewu
Kumbewu is a project that supports local women and helps them to achieve economic independence. They make jewelry and useful decorations from natural materials, which are then sold at the center. The money will then be used to support their families. In addition, the project serves the purpose of imparting useful knowledge, such as the preservation of food or basic English skills.
hostel
The center also has a small hostel for travelers or those interested in culture.
literature
- Serge St-Arneault: Kungoni: when water falls, sand becomes crystal. A guide to Mua and the KuNgoni center of culture and art, Malawi . Kugoni Center of Culture and Art, Mtakata 2007
- Kungoni Calendar 2009
Web links
Coordinates: 14 ° 16 ′ 50.3 ″ S , 34 ° 30 ′ 35.2 ″ E