Dear Friends,

We trust you are maintaining equilibrium through these turbulent times…
Indeed so much has changed and shifted since the last update- both at KDE and the world at large.

We had a lovely anniversary celebration with many good friends joining the festivities. It’s always nice to gather here with numerous kindred spirits. It gives us an experiential glimpse of what things can/will be like when we are closer to the actual number of people with whom we envision sharing this journey.

With mounting global financial and social instability, fuelled by sky-rocketing fuel and food prices, never before has our mission of creating a self-sufficient community been more clearly affirmed. The ironic thing is that even though we’ve seen this coming for many years, its sheer momentum has even caught us by surprise. And leaves us feeling… well, shall we say, not as prepared as we’d like to be. You see, what a diverse, self-sufficient community really needs- more than skills, money, materials and all the best intentions- are PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN. Furthermore, it has become quite clear that for us to preserve harmonious relationships with our indigenous neighbours we must attract Xhosa or Xhosa-speaking residents.

It is our sincere hope that the current situations will bring more like-minded people home to the reality that our way of life is no longer to be merely dreamt about, but is the crux of our prospect for survival. Accordingly, it is our firm intention to be producing all our own food and energy within the next two years, our vehicles most likely replaced by draft horses and wagon trailers.

Incidentally, I recently heard someone point out that the whole movement towards “sustainability” is actually quite a mediocre aspiration. Would you consider yourself happy in a relationship that’s sustainable? Ha, of course not. Our birthright, as potentially fully-conscious beings on this breathtaking planet, is to flourish beyond imagination. How lost have we become for only the more conscious among us to be aspiring for mere sustainability?

Anyway, back to people. As the years have passed, while many have written to us with much enthusiasm and interest, relatively very few people have actually come to join. Mysteriously, we often hear that “we love the people, the land, your vision and everything you’re doing here, but…” We can’t help but question what it is people are waiting or looking for?
More irony is that we currently have three wonderful people integrating into our community. Had this been the case, say, two years ago we’d be jumping for joy. Not that we aren’t now… Yet, perhaps due to my limited perception, at this time of such rapid, radical change this seems inadequate. We strongly wish for our children to play and learn with many others. Moreover, being more numerous is quite essential to becoming completely self-sufficient and to holding the protective energy field of love and compassion.

I guess our questioning is also an honest reflection of the unsettling disturbance that’s currently rippling through the collective consciousness.
Let us take this opportunity to again resound through the ether our CALL FOR KINDRED SPIRITS TO COME JOIN!

Ultimately, our trust in Universal Perfection, shines through all doubts and fears. We strive on in ways that dissolve all obstacles through bold acts of hope. Thus it is no coincidence (if there even is such a thing) that our latest bold act is, in fact, called HOPE.

Home Of Providence & Ecoliving or HOPE is the name we have given to a dream that has been percolating since the very birth of KDE. It is our dream of building a learning, healing and resource centre devoted to actively facilitating and nurturing the movement towards conscious, natural and community-based living. By hosting a wide variety of innovative workshops, courses, retreats and conferences that promote personal and cultural transformation, we will aim to explore creative solutions to the challenges of our time.

While HOPE is largely designed to be of service to the Greater Community the added and important benefit is that it will provide a wide variety of meaningful livelihood opportunities for KDE residents. This is how HOPE ties into the earlier call for people.

Exciting times, unpredictable times. Time for random acts of kindness and audacious leaps of faith.

Trust you’ll enjoy an overdue update of our picture gallery. Have a sweet solstice…

Shine on,

the Khulashi tribe.