SAWUBONA, unjani?
Indeed you read right!
Today is International Mother Language Day and as a proud Zulu woman, this is a way for me to boldly express my pride in my home language and culture.
Speaking my language for me means that I am in tune with my ancestors, who I believe I get to represent everywhere I go, as they protect me in everything I do.
Did you know, an estimated 40 per cent of people globally do not have access to education in a language that they speak or understand?
The day, in efforts to sustain cultural and linguistic diversities, was approved in 1999 at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO) General Conference has been observed throughout the world since 2000.
As a part of its mandate for peace, UNESCO works to promote tolerance and respect for others by preserving the differences in cultures and languages, as more and more languages become threatened of disappearing as they are spoken less.
As a multi-cultural society, South Africa is one of the most decorated countries in the world, with 11 official languages and a range more of informal taal, these languages have helped form and shape our perception and relation to the world.
Multilingual and multicultural societies, such as ours, exist through languages that transmit and preserve traditional knowledge and cultures in a sustainable way.
To mark the 20th anniversary of this day, the country’s most celebrated storyteller, Gcina Mhlophe, will host the first Under The Storytelling Tree event this year at the Bluff Showgrounds on Tara Road, tomorrow Saturday, 22 February from 11am to 2pm.
There will be chairs for guests but there is also enough space to bring picnic chairs or blankets should there not be enough chairs.
DID YOU KNOW?
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