Tumbuka (“Bloom”)

Film Proposal to National Geographic (March 2007)

Tatenda Muchiriri is a 21 year-old university student in Zimbabwe. Weekdays, he hustles to and from classes in the bustling city of Harare, mingling with the hundreds of bodies who crowd the streets and walkways of Zimbabwe’s capitol city. His enthusiasm for education, and theater arts in particular, are obvious in his movements, rapid speech and gleaming expression. He spends considerable time each day at the Internet Café typing assignments, writing plays and poetry, and developing ideas that will travel with him to his rural village on the weekend. Friday comes and Tatenda catches the evening bus for the two-hour ride to Mhondoro. Before long, the city has melted away. Outside the window, the African savannah stretches into the sunset, and the horizon becomes dotted with the pointed silhouettes of thatch-roofed huts. People pass on foot, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, and occasionally, a group of cinder block buildings flashes by the window – beer halls where men congregate each day.  Finally, the bus stops, and off steps Tatenda, his knapsack overflowing with books and papers. As the bus pulls away, dust swirling in its wake, Tatenda starts down the dirt road that leads home.  As he nears his family’s hut, two young boys, his nephews, run to greet him. With big smiles, the three enjoy their well-rehearsed reunion, and the children look to see if their uncle has brought them a gift. The sun is about to set, and as the three boys enter the hut, the women exclaim their pleasure at seeing Tatenda home again for the weekend. 

 This begins of the story of a young man who brings his passion for learning home to his village to share with the young people of his community. Tatenda Muchiriri is a shining light in the face of poverty, AIDS and insufficient education for the village youth. His enthusiasm for sharing knowledge and ideas has inspired him to implement a program for boys that aims to shrink the chasm of gender inequality in his country. MACHAPRO is his vision – Male Chastity Program. It’s a club for village boys that teaches them about health and gender equality in a fun, creative environment. Tatenda believes that AIDS and HIV can be curtailed in his stricken country by encouraging male chastity and greater respect for women. The village boys are eager to participate in the weekend meetings that involve discussions, games, dramatic plays, and music.

This short documentary, 25 to 30 minutes, will follow Tatenda as he interacts with the boys and young men of his village combining fun and learning with fundamental change. These gatherings, rich in sights and sounds, will be woven into a story about how health and social issues of the day challenge traditional Zimbabwean values and belief systems. The film’s title Tumbuka reflects the growth that takes place among the boys as they blossom into adulthood, as well as Zimbabwe’s transformation into a new age of sexual and social responsibility. 

Tatenda, (the name means “thankful” in the Shona language), is a dynamic main character with plenty of energy and enthusiasm to drive the story forward. In addition, the individuals who take part in MACHAPRO activities will revel themselves, their cultural traditions, and their outlook regarding their own health and that of their country. Set in a village where generations have maintained traditional gender division, the film will raise questions like: Can society adjust to meet the demands of changing times in order to remain healthy and strong? Will this small village effort make a difference in the grand scheme? And importantly, how do the elders react to these new, non-traditional concepts? Are there lessons to be learned by both the old and the young?

 The sun is beginning its ascent overhead into the wide-open sky. The roosters herald the new day, and voices are heard as children begin their morning walk to school. Women come from the well carrying water jars on their heads. A new day begins in rural Zimbabwe.

Class begins at the university. Students take their seats, including Tatenda, once again in the role of student. His identity has flip-flopped again in its weekly cycle – city dweller to villager, student to teacher and back again. In either situation, he is a proud Zimbabwean acknowledging his past, looking toward the future, and inspiring others to do the same.