Afrocentric Mugumo Tree

The Mugumo tree was first introduced at the first AfroMe workshop by Dr Phyllis Muraguri of The Technical University of Kenya (TUK), Kenya. Dr Muraguri proposed the tree based on her own experience, and her idea has since been developed into the reflective tool described in this post.

The Afrocentric Mugumo Tree is based on the Tree of Life Model developed by Auntie Ncazelo Ncube-Mlilo in South Africa.

The Tree of Life uses the image of a tree to help people talk about their identity, history, relationships and hopes. It was designed for situations where direct questions about experiences could overwhelm people, so it starts from the strengths and resources people already have rather than from their problems.

Why the Mugumo tree?

The Mugumo is a fig tree (Ficus thonningii) found in Kenya and other parts of Africa. Among the Gikuyu people of Kenya it is regarded as sacred, and it has been a place for prayer and for meetings of elders. Across the continent, communities gather under large trees to teach, deliberate and settle disputes.

Mature Mugumo trees have old branches that spread wide and a canopy that gives shade to many people. AfroMe uses this feature to describe how knowledge develops: it builds over many years and reaches people well beyond the person who first learnt it.

How AfroMe uses the tree

Initially, the tree will be used in mentoring teams to share stories of effective mentoring. At this stage the tree records their hopes for mentoring, which helps mentors understand what each mentee wants to learn and achieve.

Then, mentees will be encouraged to draw their individual tree at the start of their mentoring. During the programme, mentees return to the tree, add to it and share it with their mentors and peers. Sharing trees allows mentees to learn from each other, and mentors often learn from the process as well. The tree does not need to be finished in one sitting.

What each part of the tree represents

Roots and soil

The roots stand for the values, people and experiences that have shaped you and your understanding of your work. You might reflect on:

The soil is the setting in which that knowledge developed: your family, your community and the place you come from.

The deep root is the philosophical, ancestral and historical knowledge you rely on most. Questions to consider:

  • What knowledge was passed down to you, and by whom?
  • Which African values or experiences still shape your work?
  • What do you return to when you need to stay grounded?

Trunk

The trunk is the body of knowledge that supports your profession and practice. Ubuntu is central to this body of knowledge. It is the core knowledge through which Africans understand people, relationships, community and the world.

The trunk also includes the work of African theorists and Africanists, and knowledge from social development, development practice, African justice, decolonised ethics and African development agendas.

Branches

The branches are what you have learnt and done through AfroMe. Examples include:

  • Ubuntu knowledge
  • skills to mentor others
  • skills to decolonise research at every stage
  • confidence to challenge colonialism
  • new approaches to teaching, research or practice

Leaves

The leaves are what you will pass on to others, such as:

  • pedagogical and epistemic freedom
  • Afrocentric literature and publications
  • practices you will introduce into your work
  • ideas for future mentoring and collaboration

Fruits and seeds

The fruits are what you have gained through AfroMe. They might include:

  • Ubuntu in practice
  • decolonial knowledge
  • a stronger sense of identity and confidence
  • critical consciousness
  • transformative social work
  • community impact
  • collective wellbeing
  • hope and purpose
  • intergenerational capacity to indigenise

The seeds are the parts of this work that will continue after the project ends, through you and through the people you mentor.

Forest

The forest is the people and networks that support you: family, elders, mentors, mentees, colleagues, friends and organisations. It also stands for Uharambee, collective effort for society, and for reciprocity, where giving and receiving keep relationships going.

Insects

Some insects help a tree and others damage it. People and circumstances can affect your mentoring journey in the same two ways.

Facilitators include:

  • mentors, allies and supporters
  • constructive feedback
  • opportunities and people who open doors

Barriers include:

  • negative criticism
  • unhealthy competition
  • distractions
  • relationships or conditions that undermine your growth

Winds and droughts

Winds and droughts are conditions that weaken growth, often through no fault of the mentee. They include:

  • power imbalances
  • extractive practices
  • institutional barriers
  • the dominance of English and other languages from outside Africa
  • limited resources
  • climate change
  • gender imbalances

Storms

Storms are the major challenges met during decolonial work, including:

  • colonial mindsets
  • racism and oppression
  • lack of funding
  • systemic barriers
  • workload and burnout
  • political and social unrest
  • personal pressures

Caring for my tree

Caring for the tree covers how you sustain your own growth and support the growth of others. Consider:

  • your responsibilities
  • how you nourish your tree
  • creating and citing Afrocentric literature
  • mentoring across generations
  • maintaining relationships and networks
  • making space for others