Aleck January Studios

14/09/2026

GOTA — Where boys become men by fire, not by age 🔥

In Gota, sekuru doesn't teach you how to fight. He teaches you how to slaughter a goat, skin it, use gwara, mbezo, demo, sweep the yard, cook sadza, and lead a home.

"Don't be idle — learn responsibility." That's the first lesson.

No books. Only firelight, stories, and tsvimbo pointing at you: "Mukomana, how will you feed your family if you can't even hold a hoe?"

Today boys learn manhood from TikTok. Our grandfathers learned it in Gota.

Did you ever sit in Gota? Or did your sekuru teach you gwara, mbezo, demo at home? What is the ONE lesson from Gota you still use today? And should we bring back Gota for our boys now? 👇

14/09/2026

Welcome to Hidden history of Zimbabwe — On 15 September 2008, Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Mutambara signed the Global Political Agreement at Rainbow Towers, Harare. GPA ended 2008 crisis, created Government of National Unity Feb 2009. Dollarisation returned, shops refilled. Now 15 September is also Munhumutapa Day, Zimbabwe's 15th public holiday honouring Mutapa Empire. The day enemies shared power. Were you in Harare when GNU started? Comment 🇿🇼

14/09/2026

14/09/2026

NHANGA — Girls become women by fire, not by age 🔥🏺

While boys learn in GOTA, girls learn in NHANGA — hut of ambuya.

No books. Only dura, rusero, clay pots, winnowing baskets, fire in centre.

Ambuya teaches weaving, pounding rapoko, brewing beer, cooking, how to respect, how to keep musha, how to be mother.

That's why we say Musha mukadzi — home is woman. If she didn't sit in Nhanga, can she keep musha?

In your village, does Nhanga still exist? What did your ambuya teach you in Nhanga or at home — kusona tswanda, kubika sadza, kuchengeta moto? What is the ONE lesson from ambuya you still use today? And should we bring back Nhanga for our girls now? 👇

10/09/2026

NHIMBE / HUMWE — Before money, we had each other 🤝🌽

Clearing a field alone takes a week. With Nhimbe, whole village finishes in one day. Host brews 7-day beer, cooks sadza ne nyama, calls neighbours — even neighbouring villages come.

Threshing — men in rhythm. Pounding — women singing in unison. Weeding, planting, harvesting — together.

No one is paid. But no one is left behind. Tomorrow, they come to your field. That's Hunhu.

Today we pay $10 for piece work. Did we lose Nhimbe because we lost Hunhu?

In your village, does Nhimbe still happen? When did you last go to Nhimbe? What was cooked, what beer was brewed, what song was sung? And should we bring back Nhimbe for our youth? 👇

07/09/2026

Welcome to Hidden history of Zimbabwe — On 8 September 1979, Operation Uric ended at Mapai, Mozambique. 1-8 September 1979, 376 troops attacked FRELIMO 2nd Brigade HQ, ZANLA control centre 50km inside Mozambique. Puma 164 shot down carrying explosives, 14 soldiers + SAAF crew lost. Mapai held. 2 days later, Lancaster House peace talks opened in London. Last raid proved war could not be won by guns. Did you know Rhodesia's biggest raid failed days before peace? Comment 🇿🇼

#1979

07/09/2026

Mukuwasha manyama

06/09/2026

On 6 September 2019, Robert Mugabe died in Singapore at 95. Born 21 February 1924. Prime Minister 1980 to 1987, President 1987 to 2017. Died in a Singapore hospital on 6 September 2019 at age 95.

05/09/2026

CHISI
In chivanhu, land is not just soil. It belongs to vadzimu.
That is why we have Chisi — a day ritually dedicated to spirit mediums (svikiro) and ancestral spirits (midzimu) at the end of every lunar month
On Chisi, Shona people are ritually not allowed to w**d or cultivate in their fields. It is a resting day when people are not supposed to work on the land as a sign of respect to the mhondoro. It is the traditional Shona mhondoro rest day, sanctioned by ancestral spirits, when no work may be done in the fields
In some areas Friday was a sacred day dedicated to the veneration of their ancestors (chisi). Hence, no one was allowed to work in the fields on the chisi day. In Jinga, first Thursday of every month is considered sacred (chisi) and no agricultural work may be performed.
Chisi teaches conservation — there is an association between the spirits and the land expressed in the tradition of "chisi" (days sacred to the spirits, on which people should not work the soil in any way). If you break it, people are said to be dealt with by the Chief, who may levy a fine, such as a goat.
Before white man brought Sunday Sabbath, Shona had Chisi. Land must rest, just like people.

04/09/2026

DARE — No jail. No bribe. Only hunhu under the baobab 🌳🔥

In our society, justice was not about punishment. It was about restoration.

Elders didn't ask "What law did you break?" They asked "Wakaita sei munhu wangu? How did you act as a person?"

Stole a goat? Return two. Insulted your neighbour? Bring a blanket and ask forgiveness before everyone.

The aim was not to lock you away, but to bring you back into the village.

Do you think Dare should come back for some cases today? Which cases should still go to Dare and not police? Lobola disputes? Land? Insults? 👇