Camphill Academy Afrika has celebrated its first residency! Under the umbrella of the Camphill Academy’s Continuing Education Program, Mwanangu Community in Tanzania hosted the faculty and 31 students – professionals in their own fields- from four different organizations across Africa (Tanzania, Botswana, Rwanda, and South Africa).
Over five days, we endeavored to introduce anthroposophical concepts while being mindful of African values. In the words of Janet Manoni, the Tanzanian host and one of the main pioneers of this education impulse,
“We gather here with purpose: to learn, to connect, and to reimagine what inclusive social development looks like across Africa. We recognize the history we step into—how colonial education once separated us from our own knowledge systems, and pre-colonial African education thrived through storytelling, apprenticeship, communal rituals, and wisdom shared by elders.
This program is a step toward restoration and renewal—toward an education that is not imposed but rooted, not extractive but nurturing, not foreign but familiar.” (link to video and transcript of Janet’s speech from the online opening of the program)
And how did anthroposophy meet African values?
The main courses taught in the morning were Inner Development and Child Development. The image of the human being and its path of incarnation were brought to the students, who had examples to share from their own work. The Inner Development course introduced Steiner’s seven conditions, which resonated strongly with African concepts expressed in words from the students’ own languages, such as Ubumuntu, Hekima, and Akaretsa (see Janet Manoni’s talk for more on their meanings). Another course that was important to root us in the culture of Africa and Tanzania was Genius Loci. For a whole day, it immersed students and faculty in experiencing the life, work, and nature of the local area, the port city of Dar Es Salaam, and the Coastal Region of Tanzania.
In the afternoons, we gathered in four different professional strands: Early Childhood Education, Inclusive Primary School, Livelihood and Vocational Training, and Social Farming and Biodynamics.
Evenings brought us together by the fire for social education and cultural celebration, where the groups from each country shared their music and dances. These evenings were as essential to our learning as were the morning and afternoon academic sessions, just as were the kindness and warmth of the school staff, the giggles of the children at school, the many mentions and acknowledgments of the ancestors, the smiles of the neighbors, and the weaving together of so many languages. At the close of the residency, the students joyfully received their certificates for the first module.
Congratulations to all those who participated, and heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported this delightful endeavor to take flight!
Gleice da Silva, on behalf of the Camphill Academy Afrika Core Faculty
