…as Rural Arts In Motion (RAIN) takes care of the socio-economic business!
Seemingly a conclusion of the late Charles Mungoshi masterpiece, Waiting for the rain, the Nswazi ward 6 based traditional dance group, Rural Arts In Motion, RAIN, has embarked on a creatives overdrive, simultaneously eradicating poverty, identifying and nurturing talent in the process.
The group was established on 21 January 2019. The creativity they exhibit in their art is par excellent with a lot of energy, love and commitment in executing whatever task they are up to.
The group is under Umzingwane, Matabeleland South provincial district and is made up of 32 individuals between the ages of 10 and 62. The members consist of 12 widowers, 10 orphans, 5 youths, 5 elders. Among the 32 members are 19 dancers, 2 poets, 16 actors where some individuals perform more than one art genre.
The RAIN management team is made up of 3 founders, Thubelihle Ngwenya who is also the executive director and writer of the group, Lawrence Mpofu is their talent coach and Omega Ndlovu who is the organizational signatory. Sibongile Dlamini is their secretary while their treasurer is Serve Ngwenya.
When asked how they came up with this name, one of the founders of this group, Thubelihle Ngwenya explained that they discovered that in rural areas there is so much unidentified art talent that is abused in several ways such that people end up engaging in illicit and uncouth behaviours such as drug abuse, hence the formation of this dance group, RAIN to keep people occupied doing something good for themselves.
“Water is life, RAIN provides water and bring life to many things, this is why we chose RAIN, we thrive to revive even the inactive but talented, we groom from zero talent to champions”, says Thubelihle.
This is a group that specializes in Ndebele dances that include the following as explained by Thubelihle Ngwenya.
Isitshikitsha: is a war prophecy dance performed before going to war or when coming from there,
Indlamu: is a motivational or celebration dance without prophecy before or after war
Ibhiza: is a celebration dance but now they dance it embuyisweni
Abazingeli: this type of dance has a bit of spiritual secret where they would dance at home and the wild animals will just come zingabizwanga and they will slaughter it enjoying, thankful for they believed that isintu sabo sizasebenza
Ijukwa: bebeligida nxa izifuyo zilahlekile,bengagida kwakuphuma amadlozi abalayele ukuthi izifuyo zidlela ngaphi
Hosana: Leyi yingoma yokucela izulu
The RAIN traditional dance group discovered that their Ndebele originality has faded, therefore they established an entity that is meant to revive the Ndebele tradition and cultural practices to bring back what they call “ubuntu bethu”
This is a group/ organization that owns several mines however not yet functional due to limited equipment. Under their organization they also take care of orphans and widows in several ways.
“We comfort them, iarts iyakukhupha ubuhlungu olabo enhlizweni ikwenze uqine, sabona kubalulekile ukuthi babe yingxenye yethu ngoba bayathola ukududuzeka lehealing. Sibancedisa ngokubafundisa ukuthunga impahla, cooking, farming. Siyadinga amadonations from people singathola esikutholileyo we buy groceries for them”, says Thubelihle.
The Rural Arts In Motion also conducts talk shows where discussions on various topical issues are discussed and explained. They discuss the following as explained by Thubelihle; “Sihamba sidinga ukwazi kabanzi ngendawo esilazo kithi ukuthi zethiwa kutheni ezinjengabo Lumene falls, Fort UMlugulu, Dianas pools lezinye indawo, eyinye I talk show yethu ihlangene emotional and physical abuse, teenage pregnancy and poverty issues”.
This is a dance group that has also produced a movie series which they say it can be aired on television station for at least 9 months on a weekly basis. Thubelihle reveals that one of the episodes focus on Inzilo which she explains in detail here; “Ku Inzilo umama wayesetshonelwe ngumkakhe odadewabo bomkakhe babuya umfowabo sengcwatshiwe bafika balwa kakhulu sebemhlukumeza sebethi kangenwe ngumalume ovele sephelelwe ngumphako. Umfelwakazi wayala basebemzilisa baqeda ukumzilisa bamxotsha Life became harder every day lenzilo esebuyele kubo”. “uSikhosini is all about ijaha ebelimele lihlale esihlalweni sikayise owashonayo. Lihlale isihlalo sokuba yinkosi manje untombazana ebelimtshadile ubengatholi ingane isikhathi sesiside”.
Financial challenges prohibit them from realizing their full potential in as far as their art is concerned. “We have an alarming rate of vulnerable individuals, some are women and children where girls face challenges in acquiring sanitary wear and other clothing items such as pants and tights”, says Thubelihle, who also added that they cannot work in their mines because of machinery challenges. Thubelihle revealed that some orphans are staying with abusive guardians where they are emotionally and physically abused, this is a group that needs special care and encouragement and the most painful thing is that after comforting them they go back to that home again where the scars will be opened. “If only we had a place of our own ukuthi bathole ukuhlala and heal manje, aaah, tight”, says Thubelihle.
Thubelihle explains how they have managed to raise awareness on sensitive and crucial issues affecting society, the group has enjoyed a lot in the arts industry, and they look forward to showcasing their traditional practices to the whole world. “We change lives, our main aim is to send vital messages with life lessons through our art and creativity, we raise awareness through the arts on different issues such as mental health and how they interlink with issues such as gender-based violence, social and emotional abuse, traumatic backgrounds, poverty, physical disability and prostitution and how we can deal with these issues in our community. We have changed many lives and we enjoy doing this”.
They have exhibited their works at various arts occasions such as the Chibuku traditional dance competition, the Intwasa Arts Festival, the First lady’s cooking competition club. The group looks forward to receive more enlightenment on how they can market their art on digital and offline platforms.
