Zvikomborero Kuwana: Author of ‘Awakening the tribes of Africa’ and Developer of ‘Identity Alignment Mentorship (I AM)’
For most of my life, I have been known as Patrick, but the original name my family gave me was Zvikomborero — a Shona name meaning “Blessings.” For many years, I didn’t think very deeply about the difference. Today, I see it as part of a much bigger journey, which led me to ask:
What happens to a people when they are taught to reject the very things that make them who they are and reveal their divinely given purpose and destiny? And perhaps an equally important question is: What happens to an individual when they spend their life succeeding in environments that require them to disconnect from who they are and serve a purpose that ultimately works against them?
These questions have shaped much of my own journey.
WHO ARE WE?
The journey of restoring African biblical identity, culture, history, heritage, faith and destiny is not about bringing anyone else down or creating division among people groups and tribes. For me, it is about recovering what was stripped away, dismissed as uncivilized, or replaced by definitions of civilization imposed by those who used systems of power — including slavery, colonialism and apartheid — to impose their culture and worldview.
It is a journey from trying to fit into a Westernized, empire-driven worldview to rediscovering our identity through the lens of Scripture and the covenant established with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob — moving beyond the generic labels that have been used to describe people of African descent across the world. It is also about separating ourselves from the indoctrinated position that has confused Western culture with biblical culture, and asking whether, in seeking acceptance, we have rejected biblically aligned wisdom that our forefathers knew, practiced and passed down to us.
Biblical identity is critical because it is directly linked to divine purpose and inheritance.
The book I wrote explores whether clues to our biblical identity can be found in our languages, names, customs, music, understanding of creation and traditional knowledge, the ways we honor our forefathers, and our understanding of the Most High Creator. Much of this was dismissed, replaced, or reshaped through our encounter with colonialism and Westernized Christianity. I have also come to question whether some of what our forefathers were told was uncivilized, pagan, demonic, or therefore un-Christian may in fact have contained practices, values, and ways of life that were consistent with biblical instructions.
I believe it is time to take off the masks we have worn for generations — not to become less of who we are, but to discover more fully who the Father, the Most High, the Creator, created us to be. It is also a journey of returning to Him through His only begotten Son, as we are led by His Spirit. This is the journey behind my book: “AWAKENING THE TRIBES OF AFRICA – Return to the Covenant with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”
The book is an invitation to examine our history, question inherited assumptions, return to Scripture, and explore what it means for people with an indigenous ancestral connection to the land of Africa to recover their identity, heritage, faith and destiny as given by the Most High Creator.
FROM IDENTITY TO PURPOSE
But identity is not simply about knowing where we come from. It is about understanding what we are called to build.
Africa needs people with purpose who are prepared to invest their knowledge, skills, capital and expertise in building systems of prosperity that serve the continent and its people. This includes opportunities across areas such as organic and regenerative agriculture, natural and preventative healthcare, renewable energy, responsible use of natural resources, technology, education, financial systems and access to capital.
The challenge is not simply a lack of resources. Africa possesses enormous human, natural and intellectual resources. The deeper challenge is whether we have people who understand who they are, what they are called to do, and how to align their capabilities with that purpose. I believe sustainable transformation begins when people understand their identity, embrace their purpose, and align their actions accordingly.
Identity tells us who we are. Alignment enables us to live accordingly. Purpose tells us what we are here to do. And action turns that purpose into destiny.
WHO AM I?
During this process, I realized that the question of identity is not only a question for a people. It is also a question for every individual. If identity shapes the destiny of a collective people, then identity also shapes the destiny of a person.
Many of us have learned to adapt, conform, and succeed within environments that don’t necessarily reflect who we are, what we believe, what we value, or the life we were created to live. We can achieve professional success while experiencing an internal disconnect between our identity, culture, beliefs, relationships, family, wellbeing, and purpose.
This is why I also developed Identity Alignment Mentorship (I AM) through Crossover Transformation.
At its heart are two questions:
WHO AM I?
And:
IS THE LIFE I AM BUILDING ALIGNED WITH THE ANSWER?
I AM is about helping leaders explore the alignment between who they are and how they lead and live — across areas such as identity, culture, beliefs and values, inner alignment, relationships, family, wellbeing, purpose and prosperity.
Because I have come to believe that: Success should not cost you your identity and ancestral inheritance. And neither should acceptance.
Whether we are talking about the identity of a people or the identity of an individual, the principle is the same: You cannot fully live your purpose while remaining disconnected from who you are.
TWO JOURNEYS — ONE QUESTION OF IDENTITY
The book ‘Awakening the Tribes of Africa’ explores this journey at a collective level, asking:
WHO ARE WE — AND HOW DO WE ALIGN WITH THE MOST HIGH?
Identity Alignment Mentorship explores it at a personal level, asking:
WHO AM I — AND IS MY LIFE ALIGNED WITH WHO I AM?
Perhaps both journeys ultimately lead us to the same place: Knowing who we are, embracing who we were created to be, and having the courage to live accordingly.
Perhaps one of the greatest challenges facing people with an indigenous ancestral connection to the geographical land called Africa today is that we have lost sight of who we are collectively — while many individuals are also living lives disconnected from their own identity. The journey therefore begins with two questions:
WHO ARE WE — AND HOW DO WE ALIGN WITH THE MOST HIGH?
WHO AM I — AND IS MY LIFE ALIGNED WITH THE ANSWER?
For more information, go to:
Awakening the Tribes of Africa
https://awakeningthetribes.africa/
I AM – Identity Alignment Mentorship
