I AND I

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RASTAFARI!

Iyre mon. What an amazing time we had with the rastas of judas sqaure in kynsna. You can go for a tour with a local guy, Brother Paul, who shows you about and if you want you can stay a while and soak it up. We decide to stay the night in the township, which houses the 20 rasta families in amongst hundreds of other people. These people are amongst the 10 million in safrica waiting for proper houses. It is an experience living here even for a night, and actually, not too bad at all.

We drive in to the township and are met by the smiley welcoming and diminutive Brother Paul. He proceeds to show us about the place, where they worship, how they worship, introduces us the other rastas and their way of speaking. Everything is made to sound positive, there is no you and me or we - it's I and I. You don't understand something, you overstand it. Brilliant!! Everyone we meet is very welcoming and friendly. We stay with Sister Kerri, who is white and aussie and as iyre as they come! She tells us over vegan dinner all about her very interesting life and how she came to find rastafarianism.

They are doing a lot for the community for themselves - they are pushing for school places for their kids, and development funds to open workshops and performance spaces for their talented sisters and brothers - but they also do alot for the wider community. The area around the township has many indigenous plants and there is a programme to take out 'alien' plants and replace with these native ones and help susutain them. He is most enthused about plants, of all kinds! And gives us a trail through the forest to explain the progress so far and what they hope to do. They are helping educate the lcoal people about the importance of the plants - not tearing them out for firewood, not washing in the stream with chemicals and not throwing rubbish. The kids are espeically in to this and we are followed about on our trail with 5 young kids who say little but hang on his every word.

It's a good time to be in the camp - several brothers are leaving that night or the next day to go to ethiopia for their millenium - they believe it falls only now as they use a different and original calendar. So lots of them are levaing for a mecca-type pilgrimage to ethiopia for a 2 week celebration. Meals have been prepared and in their 'pool/dance hall' (this is hut with a soundsystem and pool table) is jumping with people excited about going or excited for their brothers. Weed is smoked. Songs are sung. Dancing is done. And Sparks pumps almost every one of the local guys at pool.

All in all a very interesting experience and one that stayed at the front of my mind for days after it - I think sparks was worried I was going to convert! But they did inspire me, there is alot more to them than smoking weed. Some of the friendliest and most postive people I have ever met. Doing real things for their community, real action and real results. They have to shout for their recognition as a religion and for simple things like school places for their kids. They start little projects which grow arms and legs and slowy them seem to be making a real difference. For instance they want to expand their forest area to have a proper nature trail patth with info about plants etc. And a visitor centre. And somewhere for backpackers to stay. And internet. They are beginning to be given some government funds to contratc the work to local pople and make it happen. I'm impressed both with their warmth and vision.

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