There’s an inexplicable beauty and magic in the expression of one’s native language. For Ruvarashe, her native language, Shona, is enriched with tsumo, the wisdom of old expressed as proverbs and taught by her mother. But what happens when these proverbs and languages are lost, when the philosophies and linguistic details go unheard of? Ruvarashe takes us through her journey with her native language, the proverbs of old they hold and why they are still relevant to the conversations of today. Ruvarashe Sadya is a fervent poetry enthusiast who enjoys exploring the human experience through the literary medium. She has a diverse background, including being an editorial intern of an African/Afro-diasporan literary magazine as well as a Yale Young Global Scholar of 'Literature, Philosophy and Culture'. Ruvarashe finds beauty in both the words of other poets and the emotions that they inspire within her. She is dedicated to deepening her understanding of poetry and its role in expressing the true nature of our identities, particularly in the context of the modern African. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx