Kufunda: Creating a Waldorf-Inspired Village in Zimbabwe

A conversation with Maaianne Knuth

Maaianne Knuth is co-founder of Kufunda, which is both a village and a
learning center one hour outside Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe. This
village is a meeting place in many ways–most particularly, it is a place
where African culture meets Waldorf education. While Waldorf education,
developed by Rudolf Steiner, has been spreading rapidly from Brazil to
China, the encounter between Zimbabwean culture and Waldorf holds the
potential to change both. The inspiration of Rudolf Steiner and his
philosophy, Anthroposophy, isn’t just limited to the village school,
though. Recently, Maaianne was a key organizer of an All African
Anthropsosophic Training where teachers, organic farmers, nurses, and
other educators met from all over Africa to explore the practical
potential of Anthroposophy for Africa. Maaianne, who is both Danish and
Zimbabwean, is a sensitive observer of this meeting and the potential
within it for transformation. She invites us to learn from the encounter
between an African culture and Anthroposophy.

In this week’s Radio evolve, Thomas Steininger speaks with
Maaianne Knuth about her social learning project in the Zimbabwean
countryside. What can Africa learn from Anthroposophy and what can
Anthroposophy learn from Africa?