Mahundwane: an educational game for Vhavenda youth

Abstract

The paper seeks to explore the nature, the process and the teachings of mahundwane as an educational game for Vhavenda youth. Mahundwane game entailed a process where youth who have come of age are allowed to stay away from home, usually at the fields during harvest, where they mimic family life. Mahundwane which had been an integral part in empowering the VhaVenda youth for good moral values, sexuality education, and preparation for marriage has been noted to be becoming extinct. The research paper was founded on the socio-cultural theory. To assess the above, the qualitative research design was employed. Community elders and Knowledge holders were asked to reflect about what used to take place during mahundwane. The findings show that even though parents and elders in the family did not show direct involvement on the game, they supported, monitored and influenced what took place during the game. The paper, therefore, recommends the introduction of the game in recent technologies and the documentation and/or inclusion of mahundwane in the school curriculum.

Keywords: Mahundwane, education, game, youth, Vhavenda