Africa is a land of wealth, a land of plenty. The wealth of Africa is the fertile soil that nurtures nourishing foods and a bountiful blossom of colourful flowers. Deep within its belly it carries minerals like gold, diamonds, platinum and copper among the many other minerals of its treasures.
The sun shines the brightest on this continent. It holds high its presence in the sky, illuminating light for life of the plants, heat for the rain cycle and warm light beams for essential vitamin D for the people’s skin.
Inhabitants of the land are a rainbow of all tones of colours from dark coco-brown to light peach blush shades of skin. They come in different bodies from slim, skinny-slender to thick and voluptuous physiques. The people from the hottest regions have heights that scrape the sky and with elongated limbs like the giraffe, so their bodies cool-off quicker. Those who reside in the less hot regions are shorter.
Deep in the wild bush is a zoo of animals who lay about in the hot sun during the day and whose presence can only be felt and heard with roars. At night the King of the wild, the lion, comes out to hunt for food. Many of the other animals also come out to hunt for food in the cool and darkness of the night because they can easily camouflage within the bush.
At the Southernmost tip of Africa, in a place called Nelspruit, lives a flock of birds of many sizes, colours and species. At the backdrop of the eastern terrain in Nelspruit is a range of mountains with lush green tops, surrounded by a cool crisp atmosphere of air.
Mid-way to the top is a nest of birds. Of the many birds that resides there is Nokuthula, which means peace in Nguni languages from Southern Africa. Nokuthula has long wide-spreading wings with glossy feathers of rainbow colours. Her beak is thin and narrow with a sharp edge; it has a crusty white look and a tint of brown colour. Nokuthula has two older siblings who each have their own nests near the mountain edge in close proximity to the flowing fountain springs that give swirls of sounds that echo as melodies in the cave behind the fountain. The fountain is the life source for the birds. They drink from it to quench their thirst and it also provides much needed moisture to nourish the deep roots of the trees that give them support for their nests and food to eat.
One early morning before the dawning of the sun, Nokuthula opened her eyes to sounds of birds tweeting in distress. She was startled by a bird that flew at close range to her nest in high speed, swishing right across her eye level, causing her to loose balance and become disoriented.
Moments later she regained her composer and was flapping her wings alongside her older sister who was among the other birds tweeting endlessly in distress. “What’s wrong Thandi?” “What’s happening?” asked a confused Nokuthula. She was by now circling her sister and gazing front and back and all around, trying to understand the cause of the situation. Finally the sounds weaned off and the sun started to rise up to lighten the sky with its bright mixture of orange and yellow tones.
Finally Thandi was settled and soon after Nokuthula came to join her. Seating next to her, with a fixed sharp gaze into her sister’s eyes, in anticipation for her to speak and explain all the commotion that woke her up abruptly. Thandi explained to her sister that Mother Nature is sad, she is crying because she is in pain. “Oh no!” exclaimed Nokuthula, “this is really bad Thandi, why is Mother Nature in pain?” asked Nokuthula.
Thandi was also crying just as Mother Nature was crying and could not speak to explain what had caused pain to Mother Nature. Nokuthula then started to sing. She sang a song of sweet melodies that brought peace to her sister’s distress. “Thank you Nokuthula, just as the meaning of your name, you have brought me peace in my heart,” said Thandi.
Once she was consoled, Thandi explained to Nokuthula: “Mother Africa is in pain because of all the stealing, killing and destruction happening in Africa. The land of Africa is filled with confusion, fear, pain, rage, oppression, deception and discrimination.”
“Huuuuh!” gasped Nokuthula. “Oh no! Who is the cause of all this? Has Mother Nature told about who instigated this?” asked Nokuthula.
“Yes, she has my dear sister. It is the human inhabitants of this land and those from faraway lands abroad the vast oceans.”
“What can we do? What can we do to stop this, Thandi?” prompted Nokuthula, with an agitated voice.
“Mother Nature has given us, all three of us, a mission to complete, to restore the land of Africa and the entire world too,” explained Thandi. “We are tasked with a very brave and serious mission. Mother Nature has asked you, Nokuthula and Nonkululeko and me, Thandi, to different parts of Africa where we are needed the most. When we each arrive at our destinations, we have to start singing melodies from our hearts to release the soothing sounds that will heal that nation and region and restore them back into the image of their origin, of their creator.”
Nokuthula was amazed and surprised at what she has just heard. She stood still for a while in awe of the honour bestowed upon her by Mother Nature. The questions started rushing in her mind like winds of storms. She started to doubt herself and so asked her sister, “Why was I chosen, why has Mother Nature chosen us?”
Thandi chuckled and replied, “Each of us was named with unique names that carry significance. My name means love, so when I sing I release the power of love. Love restores people bewildered by pain, sorrow, sadness and despair. When I sing, I remind them of how to learn to love again. Love helps people to forgive and respect other people. You, Nokuthula you represent peace. Each time you sing you release the power of peace. Peace restores the minds of people overcome by confusion, deception, fear, doubt and anger. You can help people’s minds to be renewed, so they can have peace in their minds. People need peace to prosper, without peace it is hard to succeed. Nonkululeko will sing to end oppression, discrimination and fighting. When she sings she will restore the Free Will to the people so they too can live according to the gifts they were created with, just like us.”
The next day, before the rising of the sun, the three sisters were preparing for their flight of faith across the great expanse of Africa. Each bid farewell to their parents and the rest of the flock “To achieve greatness in life you have to learn to trust and surrender your gift to a greater purpose” said their father. The sisters took courage from the sounds of melodies that the flock sung as they took flight to the skies, each heading in a different direction to the place where they are needed the most.
Weeks went by as each of the birds flew east, west, to central Africa and the North. The birds flew over the people of Mozambique and saw the beauty of its land the dolphins in their green coloured water with white sand beach. The other bird flew over the monarchy of Swazi Land and saw, the third sister was still flying over South Africa en route to Namibia. Soon one of the birds flew over the mountain Kingdom of Lesotho and then headed to Zimbabwe were it saw the Victoria Falls. Two of the sister’s paths intercepted/crossed over Botswana, soon after they had cover Angola, Zambia and Malawi. Then the winds of change blew stronger and carried the birds from the east in Tanzania, swiftly through Kenya and finally landing in Uganda in the eve of the night for a night’s rest in the capital Kampala. The other sister was from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and now covering Burundi and setting flight for neighbouring Rwanda. The third of the three sisters had already serenaded in Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti, and Eritrea and was heading to Sudan for the night to rest and to begin her work there the next day. When morning broke, the bird in Sudan was already ministering with her gift and spreading the healing power she is blessed with. After she was done serving the people of Sudan, she took flight into Central African Republic, then moved to Republic of the Congo and finally rested in Gabon. The two other sisters both headed west. One started in Chad then moved on to Niger, Nigeria, Benin, Togo and settled in Ghana for the night. The third sister was ministering in Equatorial Guinea, then Cameroon, Upper Volta, Cote d’ Ivoire and resting in Liberia. For the last leg of the travel, the birds travelled together. The started in Sierra Leone moved to Guinea, then Guinea Bissau, Gambia, Senegal, Mauritania and rested in Mali for the night. The next morning, they were ready to minister in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and finally ended in Egypt.
All three sisters felt contentment over their achievement. The felt a burst of joy inside and started singing heal Africa heal, heal Africa heal, heal Africa heal. Each spreading their wings wide and preparing to take their last flight of faith back home to Nelspruit.