Ukhamba – the Calabash as a metaphor for knowledge sharing and teamwork
Ukhamba is the Nguni work for Calabash. You pronounce it OO-KHAM-BA. The Calabash is a gourd pumpkin that has been used by ancient people throughout Africa as a container in which to brew beer, store medicines, valuable herbs and water. But the concept of Ukhamba is more than this – it is a metaphor for knowledge sharing and teamwork. Here are some key ideas from Ukhamba as provided by Mama Kena, a Sotha Traditional Healer and expert on culture and Nguni languages:
Meanings of Ukhamba – Unity, teamwork, replenishment, knowledge, wisdom, self-sacrifice, experience. No individual may drink alone.
When drinking African beer from the Ukhamba, it it placed in the centre of the room. When drinking your share, you do so in a kneeling position, never standing upright. You never drink and finish it off – that you leave to those who are older and wiser than you.
There are stories of the ukhamba stimulating storytelling – ‘when the ukhamba is in the middle of the room, people just start to talk’
Ukhamba has a similar meaning to the Greek ‘wassail’ – it stands for giving, receiving. An empty calabash is an insult.
The Calabash / Ukhamba is also a metaphor for transformation – the mature calabash is picked when green and then allowed to dry out in the sun. During this process, it reduces in weight by up to 95% and becomes a hollow container for its seeds. You can hear the seeds rattling around in it when you shake it hard.
