Land Sustains Life

Land is the bases of human survival, particularly in Africa. In land we get all the resources we need to sustain our lives. That is why in Africa we talk of our “motherland”.

Like a womb, land gives birth to life. Like a bank, wealth is stored in it and like a mirror, it reflects who we are.

If you possess land, you have power. If you have power, you control other resources. If you control resources, you make decisions for yourself and change your life and your community – this is what most women in Africa lack.

The destruction of land is tantamount to the destruction of life and as such, I appreciate the importance of preserving land.

The land invasions that took place in Zimbabwe less than a decade ago has played a major role in my understanding of the value and meaning of land.

War veterans illegally grabbed land that was in the hands of white commercial farmers. This acted as a catalyst to political chaos and economic instability in Zimbabwe.

The results are there for the world to see and women are the worst affected because they rely mainly on land to survive. For instance, there is rampant ecological destruction as war veterans haphazardly destroy the natural flora and fauna.

Land is our heritage, the keeper of our wealth and the provider of all forms of life.