BULAWAYO, Aug. 13 (NewsDay Live) — The Dakamela Trust and Chief Dakamela of Nkayi, Matabeleland North, are engaging the Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe to use cultural diplomacy and people-to-people exchanges to unlock practical development partnerships.
The engagement follows recent interactions involving the Dakamela traditional leadership, the Trust and the embassy, including the participation of Chinese Juncao technology experts at the iMiklomelo kaDakamela Cultural Festival.
The Trust said the experts’ involvement showed how cultural platforms could facilitate knowledge transfer and introduce communities to innovative agricultural technologies.
“The experts engaged directly with local communities, sharing practical knowledge and innovative agricultural techniques, creating an important exchange between cultural heritage and modern technology,” the Trust said.
The Trust said discussions between Chief Dakamela and Chinese Ambassador Ding Zhou had identified potential areas of cooperation, including heritage preservation, creative industries, agro-tourism and rural livelihood development.
It said cultural heritage could be turned into an economic asset by creating jobs, generating income, strengthening livelihoods and developing tourism opportunities.
The Trust also said embracing modern technology did not mean abandoning traditional identity.
“Tradition and innovation can work together—allowing indigenous knowledge, cultural assets and contemporary technologies to create new possibilities for rural communities,” it said.
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The organisation said it would deepen its engagement with the Chinese Embassy and pursue partnerships that could benefit communities in Dakamela and the wider Matabeleland region.
“Culture connects us. Heritage gives us identity. Innovation creates new possibilities,” the Trust said.