About Kukummi
 Three young children in a Kikuyu village in Nyeri, Kenya. |
A Transformative Storytelling Network
Kukummi is a network of emerging leaders who use storytelling motivated by personal experience as a tool for creating agency and supporting action. Our infrastructure enables sustainability.
In the name
Kukummi is a word of the /Xam from Southern Africa for the multiple forms of stories such as lessons, folklore, reflection, knowledge, and news. It is used as the title of our organization to reference the deep historical, cultural, and present day power of stories as a tool for healing ourselves and our communities, building connections with our surroundings, and finding solutions to our problems together.
Infrastructure Concept
Stories motivated by personal experience support agency. When people find their voice they are inspired to take action to change their immediate circumstances. Long term, people can become more confident and find tools for healing their communities. Short term, they can begin to meet their immediate needs. Agency and action are often separated. We commit to providing the opportunity for both. This enables deep change on a global level, while also prioritizing local individual circumstances.
What our network does
It addresses the needs of emerging leaders who use storytelling so that they are more effectively able to serve their constituents. It does this in several ways.
First, the structure provides opportunities for collaboration.
Second, it has built in components for mentorship, skills sharing, decision making, and conflict resolution.
Third, it provides non-competitive fundraising support.
Fourth, it builds community among leaders often in isolation.
Finally, it broadens community vision and individual methodologies. This supports long term planning and healing for leaders. Simultaneously, it cares for individual methodologies appropriate to their respective communities.
Process
The network is maintained by a facilitator and by the core project group. It is structured according to project member locations. The facilitator organizes regular regional meetings and events as well as updates via the internet and phone. The network will be initiated in a three-day retreat for core members.
The process of designing the network components and how it will run reflects the breaking of cycles of violence. Storytelling serves as a peacemaking tool, supporting a core-group diverse and strongly connected. It ensures sustainability based on expression and listening.
Who can join
Everyone is a storyteller. Everyone has a story and a vision. Everyone who wants to work for agency and voice and supports social change can join this network.
As a project member…
Our network incorporates within the emerging leaders established non-profit organizations, individuals, and community groups. Anyone using storytelling (loosely defined as expressing ourselves creatively) can join the emerging leader network. Core Project members are nominated from the emerging leader network.
As an individual/constituent…
Anyone seeking access to our resources including contact with their local leaders may join the constituent network.
As an honorary member…
They are elders who utilize storytelling in their life’s work, nominated by the project member network to be recognized. These members are thanked in ceremony for the gifts and incredible value of their life work. They are honored guests at all events, updated on the progress of the network, and may contribute their wisdom to the network as mentors and advisees when/if they are able.
Vision
To facilitate a global network that enables and strengthens the use of storytelling as a tool for agency and action.