Sawubona, which means "I see you" or "We see you," is more than just a greeting amongst the South African Zulu tribe. It's an invitation to a deep witnessing and presence that invites us to communicate and explore the possibilities of helping each other.
Here are 3 more things to know about Sawubona.
1) Sawubona (pronounced sow:’bÉ”:nah) is a greeting used by the Zulu tribe in South Africa that means "I see you. I accept you as you are." or "We see you. We acknowledge you." The typical response, "Yebo, Sawubona," means "Yes, we see you too," where the "we" refers to the ancestral spirits that the Zulu tribe strongly believe are always present.
2) Similar to saying "Namaste," Sawubona is about humanism and authentically understanding others without prejudice. It represents the idea that spending time with people who are different helps us appreciate them because we get to see their needs, desires, fears, sorrows and virtues. Who wouldn't want to be seen that way?
3) Members of the Zulu tribe, which represents about 10 million people in South Africa, are known to be amicable and very warm, most likely due to their practice of "Ubuntu," which means "humanness." IsiZulu, the language of the Zulu tribe, is characterized by respect, where terms such as "Baba" (father) or "Mama" (mother) are used when addressing elders, even those that are not related.
If you found this information helpful, and think someone else will as well, please download the Sawubona info card and share it.
References:
- https://www.globalonenessproject.org/library/interviews/sawubona
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpqU9MtL8MI
- https://exploringyourmind.com/sawubona-african-tribe-greeting/
- https://rochemamabolo.wordpress.com/2018/03/12/sawubona-more-than-just-a-zulu-greeting/
- https://bridget-edwards.com/namaste-and-sawubona-a-zulu-greeting/
- http://www.emdonenilodge.com/7-surprising-truths-never-took-serious-zulu-tribe/#:~:text=Originally%2C%20the%20Zulu%20tribe%20emanated,to%2010%2D11%20million%20people.