|
LEARN
TO BE A TREE
From north to south of Mozambique,
there is a small tree, so simple
that it seems irrelevant. But
were we to remove this plant from
the landscape, our world would
be smaller and less our own. For
it is part of the scenery of our
soul, it has set roots in our
most distant past. It has become
history, a ramification of Mozambican
time itself.
This tree is the Himbe. Its serious
name, its scientific name is Garcinia
livingstonei. In different parts
of Mozambique, it is known by
other names: Bimbi, Himbi, Muhimbi,
Meto, Veto, Ntabaza, Petapelo,
Mutotola. But it is always the
same slight and modest being,
marking an indispensable presence
alongside the family fields. As
if it were a frame for our humanized
space. Just for ease of reading,
we shall call it Himbe.
Just a simple tree some, more
urban, voices will say. But to
another, more careful eye, no
tree is just a living thing, just
a biological species. Every tree
is a multiple being, a bearer
of identity, and a creator not
merely of new beings, but also
of life itself.
In many regions, the Himbe is
a sacred tree. What tales does
tradition tell to protect this
species? Simply because its fruits
are valuable, with their incomparable
sour-sweet taste? Because a highly
appreciated drink is produced
from them? This utilitarian reason
is favoured by some scientists.
But there are other reasons: the
Himbe is a symbol. Of what? Of
the capacity for regeneration,
of skill in overcoming wounds
and turning death into a simple
appearance. The Himbe is one of
the pioneer plants that appears
after the primary forest has been
cleared. After the destruction
of slash and burn, the Himbe is
one of the first trees to reappear.
Thus this small fruit tree is
a kind of flag, a victory of hope
and of the will for rebirth.
Garcinia has two sexes. So that
the female tree may produce, there
must be a male tree in the vicinity.
The Himbe knows the price of isolation.
The tree is a school of relationships.
An apprenticeship of a world where
we know the strength of being
together.
As if these reasons were not enough,
the leaves and roots of the Himbe
have proven medical properties.
From it an effective antibiotic
can be extracted. And it is now
believed that within the Himbe
there is a chemical component
that may inhibit the effects of
HIV infection.
The Community Development Foundation
(FDC) could not have chosen another
symbol. The Himbe enshrines the
ideas and philosophy of the organisation.
The capacity to awaken forces
in others, the motor for creating
deep roots of tenacity, the will
for rebirth, even when everything
tempts us to disillusion, all
this is present in the tree and
in the Foundation. The ability
to cure the wounds of our historical
condition, the ability to generate
fruits that last, the intelligence
to be a school and a proposal
for life, all this the Foundation
shares with the little fruit tree.
The
Himbe never dries up; its leaves
always remain green. The Himbe
flower is generous and is offered
as nectar. A small branch blesses
traditional weddings. It is used
to fence the yards of homes, thus
ensuring the security and protection
of households. Its orange fruits
are the first to bud in summer.
They are thus a sign of abundance
in a universe marked by inclemency.
A small shoot is offered to brides,
expressing the longevity of the
little fruit tree.
All these characteristics of the
Himbe also belong to the ideals
of the Community Development Foundation.
Refusal to be discouraged, perseverance,
profound respect for cultures
and for mythical universes, betting
on the long term against adversities
– these are the qualities
shared between a creature of the
earth and the work of determined
people.
There is no doubt: this FDC has
learnt to be a tree. It has learnt
to be a Himbe.
|
