Our Mission
The Tonga people possess a rich heritage that needs to be documented and preserved for future generations.
The Issue
History shows that cultures and languages that are not preserved through written literature tend to be “blown away” by the wind of change. chiTonga (Tonga language, referred to as Tonga subsequently) and the tribe’s, history, traditions, and culture are all at risk for becoming lost due to the limited literature resources within the community, which would result in a slew of cultural issues for the tribe.
Colonial legacy, marginalization in the education system, and denial of curriculum space continue to threaten the Tonga language with extinction and have resulted in the Tonga economic, political and linguistic identities, cultural values, and systems being marginalized.
Without the necessary resources, we will lose a critical part in the history of Zimbabwe and of the Tonga speaking communities spread in different parts of Zimbabwe, including Binga, Hwange, Kariba and Gokwe.
Our Mission
The Tonga Literacy Project is on a mission to preserve the Tonga language and culture through published literature, which will become a permanent cultural bank for future generations. The selected books for publication will strengthen our identity and change people's mindset towards our language and culture, as it will be viewed as any other developed language.
As Tonga children read books in their native tongue, written and produced locally by their own and specifically for them, they will gain pride in a language that has been grossly misconstrued and looked down upon due to misconceptions and myths.
Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we have been able to publish four books in Tonga.
In honor of the 30 th anniversary of telling the stories in “The People of the Great River,” we are producing a 15-20 minute video with the assistance of Basilwizi Trust. This coincides with the 20th anniversary of the founding of Basilwizi Trust.
A new English version of “The People of the Great River” is being published by Basilwizi Trust and will soon be available for you to order.
About The Books
Books written in Tonga will go a long way in reclaiming the narrative about Tonga and will amplify the Tonga people’s personal, social and cultural identity. These four selected books will add on to the much needed literature to help restore pride and dignity of the community as equal citizens in Zimbabwe.
BaTonga Bamulwizi
Written by the Tonga Literacy Project’s President Michael Tremmel in 1994, he captured the stories of the Tonga elders of their lives before, during, and after the displacement away from the Zambezi River.
Mwana Amuntu (Drama)
Mwana Amuntu is a unique drama that captures the culture and traditions of the Tonga people in traditional marriage procedures. This short drama book has been selected for use in secondary and high schools.
Njemo Zyabuleya (Anthology)
This book includes a rich collection of Tonga poems that cover themes such as culture, nature, the historic displacement of Tonga, and the economic and political marginalization of the Tonga people.
Tusimpi (Tonga Proverbs)
Over 2,000 Tonga proverbs and sayings live in this book. These proverbs capture the precolonial, colonial and modern eras of Tonga. As a robust repository of the people's socio-economic and political history, proverbs make an essential book to produce.
While these books will reach a vast audience, the primary recipients will be school children in pole and dagga structures, who not only lost their ancestral lands and river that was important for their livelihoods, but who were also forgotten in terms of development.
100% of your donation will go toward the publication and distribution of Tonga books and educational efforts to promote Tonga literacy.
