Vision and Philosophy
ORAP envisions empowered grassroots communities of women, men and young people free from hunger and poverty. Its development philosophy is one of self-reliance and grassroots participation based on the premise that rural people are poor because they have been dispossessed of their traditional knowledge, language and way of life. Disadvantaged groups must draw up their own plans and uplift themselves, relying mainlyon their own intellect and available
The ORAP development philosophy is derived from values and principles rooted in the culture of the Ndebele people who occupy most of the areas where ORAP works.These values have been articulated in the Ndebele language and can be captured as “7 Zs and a Q”:
- Zenzele—do it yourself
- Zihluze—examine yourself
- Ziqoqe—mobilise yourself
- Zimisele—commit yourself
- Ziqhatshe—be self-employed
- Zimele—be self-reliant
- Ziqhenye—be proud ofyourself
- Qogelela—save/invest
The philosophy revolves around the core concept of Zenzele, which stems from the African saying Akusimuntu ongasimuntu walutho (“there is nobody who has no purpose”). Zenzele is thus a development process of self-discovery and self-mobilisation administered bythe self—not solelyfor the benefit of self but also for the development of others. This concept guides and threads through all that ORAP does and is evident everywhere and anywhere ORAP operates.
The basic belief infusing ORAP’s work is that a human being is the prime instrument for development and that this relativelyuntapped force should be empowered through mass consciousness and self-determination.The fulcrum of such a process is perceived to be the family, hence ORAP’s unique family approach to development.ORAP’s approach to development starts with self-examination of an individual who belongs to a family.
In the rural Zimbabwean context, communities aremade up by the coming together of families for any purpose—weddings, funerals, farming, politics, etc. In the Ndebele culture, this coming together also occurs for labour purposes, such as in agriculture, building and construction.