At the Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi, yoga is being used to help residents process trauma and focus on their physical and mental health, according to NPR. The program is led by Donatien Fundi, one of the camp's 60,000 refugees, who initially learned the practice during his own personal rehabilitation.
Looking to share the exercises with others displaced by conflicts across Central and Eastern Africa, Fundi partnered with Boston-based instructor Daniel Max, KUNR Public Radio reports. Together, they established a collaborative program to bring formal yoga teacher training to the camp, providing residents with a new physical and cultural outlet.
In regional cultural news, members of the Ngoni tribe across Malawi and Zambia observed the burial ceremony of Paramount Chief Mpezeni IV. Traditional funeral proceedings for the leader were broadcast live on June 10 by local outlets including AM TV Malawi, allowing cross-border communities to witness the historical rites.