Initiator Franz-L. Keck, born in 1960, has been living and working as a Marketing Consultant, CSR Manager and Textile Agent in (partly), with and for Zimbabwe since 1982.

Ronika Tandi, born in 1976, is proudly African. She works as a stone-sculptor, artist, art-teacher for children and adults with handicaps/especially deaf. By now she´s our workshop-leader, specialized in team-and tolerance building.

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Afrika is rich and beautiful. It is rich - not only in minerals and beautiful nature but also in friendly, talented and creative people with their wisdom, traditions, ritual and, not to forget, their art.
All this we want to bring close to you. During festivals and workshops you can meet our team, our friends, African artists and exchange experience with us.
Stonessculpting has become a way of life for many Zimbabwians. To handle and use the stone, to express and give the hard material its meant shape, to describe the relationship with nature and the spirits, as well as describe daily situations abstract and sculptural has become for many zimbabwian men and woman more than a source of income and to feed there families. It connects them with society and makes both proud and confident.

Take your time and open yourselves, please pay attention, try, see and feel the spirit in our stone-sculptures, installations and displays.

Ubuntu (ndebele/Zulu) /Hunhu (Shona)
Ubuntu is a Zulu expression and means humanity, charity and common sense as well as experience and knowledge of being only a part of the whole universe.
It is the African philosophy founded in everyday situations and tradition. Ubuntu is the attitude of mutual respect and acknowledgement and the effort to create a cheerful community.
The African way of the spirit of togetherness was already pointed out by Nelson Mandela as an important factor for his idea of a prosperous Rainbow Nation to succeed. Everyone can and must bring in his talents and effort, nobody will be excluded. The time you need to reach a goal is not so important. More important is it, to agree on the right path and going it together in a spirit of harmony, also respecting environment and nature. In Birkenried and at littleZIM we practice Ubuntu/Hunhu. Sometimes it takes a bit longer to bring our different ideas and visions together. Especially in our workshops the spirit of togetherness and harmony can be experienced and practiced.