First Salary (thru' the Bank), Umpinda Umshaya (Adenia gummifera) & a Pearl Charaxes Eating Bird
The joys of a post-high school tour guide (Vusi) in rural coastal sub-tropical South Africa (MVI 1173). Manukelana Indigenous Nursery and Butterfly Dome prides itself of being the first local Black business in Khula Village that pays all its employees through the bank rather than through cash handouts. In establishing the project, the founders insisted that they wanted it to be a modern green business that respect its employees and follows established rules and principles. All the accounting goes through an accounts office and the bank and is vetted by official "white" accountants at Mtubatuba, the regional city. The transition as an unemployed high school leaver to a salaried and bank paid employee with an automated bank card is a rite of passage to Vusi, a very knowledgeable tour guide. Note the various themes that crop up in this clip e.g., around the climber known in isiZulu as Umpinda Umushaya (Adenia gummifera, scientific latin), also known as Stingel in Afrikaans, Snake Climber in English, and "green stem" to most tour guides, and which Vusi says it serves traditionally as a love "whip", and also, the pearl charaxes-eating bird. Coincidentally Vusi's middle or English name is Pearl. The days before there were so many swallowtails and charaxes butterflies trapped in this shade house trying to find a way out. It was intriguing to watch them flying against the netting when the door was half open. Just like the bird in the clip was terrified trying to get out, so too were the butterflies each time workers or visitors came into the tunnel. More on the multi-purpose Adenia gummifera - a central feature in every butterfly dome in Kwa-Zulu Natal - in another clip.
The joys of a post-high school tour guide (Vusi) in rural coastal sub-tropical South Africa (MVI 1173). Manukelana Indigenous Nursery and Butterfly Dome prides itself of being the first local Black business in Khula Village that pays all its employees through the bank rather than through cash handouts. In establishing the project, the founders insisted that they wanted it to be a modern green business that respect its employees and follows established rules and principles. All the accounting goes through an accounts office and the bank and is vetted by official "white" accountants at Mtubatuba, the regional city. The transition as an unemployed high school leaver to a salaried and bank paid employee with an automated bank card is a rite of passage to Vusi, a very knowledgeable tour guide. Note the various themes that crop up in this clip e.g., around the climber known in isiZulu as Umpinda Umushaya (Adenia gummifera, scientific latin), also known as Stingel in Afrikaans, Snake Climber in English, and "green stem" to most tour guides, and which Vusi says it serves traditionally as a love "whip", and also, the pearl charaxes-eating bird. Coincidentally Vusi's middle or English name is Pearl. The days before there were so many swallowtails and charaxes butterflies trapped in this shade house trying to find a way out. It was intriguing to watch them flying against the netting when the door was half open. Just like the bird in the clip was terrified trying to get out, so too were the butterflies each time workers or visitors came into the tunnel. More on the multi-purpose Adenia gummifera - a central feature in every butterfly dome in Kwa-Zulu Natal - in another clip.