Winnowing and Sifting Indigenous Knowledge

The aim of this book is to revisit the African past in search of values and knowledge that might be used in tandem with modern ways to create a more sustainable future. The African tradition has sustained human life since time immemorial, and represents a wealth of knowledge: pre-colonial Africa had many flourishing cultures and a wide variety of economic activities. This way of life was deep rooted in African values of ubuntu, informed mainly by a humanistic and communitarian ethic. In their interaction with the environment, African communities were largely in harmony with their environment. This was facilitated through taboos, which were meant to protect the environment, as well as through storytelling and the totem system. After colonization, new cultures gradually replaced tradition, and new values were introduced to African life. Modern ways of production were also ushered in, including agricultural mechanization in farming, which supported for an expanding population but further undermined traditional methods. This book asks how the benefits of contemporary practice can be combined with traditional African values in the pursuit of a more sustainable way of life. It will be of interest to all those studying Indigeneous knowledge systems and their applicability to current and future society in Africa.

Christopher Ndlovu has a PhD in sociology from the University of
KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, and is currently chair of the Department
of Educational Foundations at Lupane State University in Zimbabwe. His
research interests are indigenous knowledge systems and their integration
into the formal school curriculum, and the advancement of rural education.
His monograph Quality Education in Rural Learning Ecologies in
Zimbabwe (Peter Lang, 2023) won first prize in the NIHSS awards in 2023.

Shepherd Ndondo completed his PhD at the University of Fort Hare.
He is an educator whose research focus is on how values education affects
learners’ academic performance in secondary schools in rural communities.
He also has a research interest in rural communities’ marginalization on
educational issues and possible intervention measures