The Culture of Being Seen

I find myself reflecting more and more on simple things the quiet, everyday moments that shape who we are. Recently, one such reflection came alive again when I travelled home to Zimbabwe.

Across our cultures Shona, Karanga, and I believe Ndebele and Zezuru as well there is a shared value that runs deep: people must be seen.

In our culture, greeting is not casual. It is intentional. To welcome someone, to see them off, to ask how they are these are not formalities. They are expressions of belonging.

On this visit, I told my family not to worry about picking us up from the airport. My mother wasn’t feeling well, and I didn’t want to burden anyone. But they were unsettled by the idea. For them, it wasn’t an inconvenience it was unthinkable not to come. Because in our culture, showing up is love.

When you arrive home, everything pauses. People stop what they are doing. They greet you. They ask how you are. And they listen. When you leave, you are not sent off alone someone walks with you, wishing you well.

These may seem like small gestures, but they carry weight. They communicate acceptance, value, and care.

When I returned to England after a difficult journey, the contrast was striking. Life carried on. The children didn’t stop. There was little acknowledgement. It wasn’t deliberate it was simply cultural. But the difference was loud.

It reminded me that the values we carry from home are not just traditions. They are protective practices. They support our mental health, strengthen our sense of identity, and remind us that our presence matters.

This is why our parents would say, “Gara pasi, bvunza vaenzi kuti vakadini.”

Sit down. Ask the visitors how they are.

And why we are taught to womberai, to clap our hands and say makadii.

Because makadii is not just a greeting.

It is saying: I see you. I acknowledge you. I value you.

And perhaps in a world that rushes past one another, this is a culture we must intentionally preserve and pass on to our children.