Gadziro Gwekwerere

Shona Traditional Games: As a Source of Zimbabwean Indigenous Knowledge Gadziro Gwekwerere

This book examines the nature of indigenous knowledge portrayed in Shona traditional games and how it can be used towards child development. Foreign influence apparently made many people to despise African cultures in general, hence the need to prove that African indigenous knowledge, as is seen in Shona indigenous games, is useful. Some indigenous knowledge has continued to exist in its original form while some has vanished or changed with time. There are several clusters of knowledge that can either be scientific, modern or indigenous. Indigenous knowledge refers to local knowledge existing within and developed around the specific conditions of individuals, indigenous to a particular geographical location and passed on to the next generation through oral tradition. The first section of the book deals with indigenous knowledge and a general overview of the Shona people of Zimbabwe. The second, third and fourth sections of this book deal with the nature and structure of African games and their contribution towards child development. Selected Shona traditional musical and non musical games are presented for analysis.