The Mupo Foundation

NEWS - Mphatheleni Makaulule of the Mupo Foundation is featured in two inspiring interviews in the Mail&Guardian and The Ecologist about her work to protect South Africa's vital sacred sites.

The Mupo Foundation, based in Venda, South Africa is working with seven local communities to preserve the traditional communal sacred sites through the Community Ecological Governance program.

'Mupo' is a Venda word which refers to everything that is of natural origin - not man-made. The sacred sites under threat of development for tourism include a sacred forest, waterfall and a lake.

Communities are being supported to reclaim their cultural heritage sites. Through the medium of ongoing dialogues with tribal elders, traditional methods of ecology management and protection are emerging and applied practically.

The Mupo Foundation is also active in local schools reconnecting the youth to their roots and traditional culture. These projects include: a Cultural Heritage Centre - built by the students using traditional building methods, an indigenous tree nursery, inter-generational learning with elders and Cultural Biodiversity celebrations with traditional songs, food and dance.

View the inspiring film Reviving Our Culture, Mapping Our Future about an eco-cultural mapping process which took place with the Venda community in 2009.