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The power of food and sharing cultures.

Has food ever transported you back to your childhood? Perhaps an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie that tastes just like your grandmother's, or soup at a restaurant that takes you back to those moments when you were sick and your mom fed you by the spoonful. (Or, this scene from Ratatouille.) That's exactly what happened when Papua New Guinean chef Wan Maus surprised his friend James with a home-cooked meal. But this wasn't just any meal—it was a Zimbabwean feast, with dishes that hailed from James' home country.

What began as a simple gesture of friendship became something far more profound. This moment—two men embracing through tears, grateful for each other—perfectly captures how food can bridge cultures, remind us of our heritage, and connect us in a uniquely human way.


@wan.maus I surprised my Zimbabwean born friend to some traditional ZAE recipes. What a treat to cook and share! God is good.#pngtiktok🇵🇬 #cookingtiktok #zimbabweantiktok #zimbabwetiktok🇿🇼🇿🇼🇿🇼🇿🇼 #foodietiktok #maize ♬ original sound - wan maus

The video, shared to TikTok, begins with a sentence: “This is why I cook.” James is sitting at the dining room table, chatting away as if it were any other day. He shares a quick anecdote about Australia before a steaming hot bowl of sadza—a maize-based staple at the heart of Zimbabwean cuisine—hits the table. What unfolds is pure magic.

“Oh my god, you are joking,” he exclaims, followed by an admission from the heart: “Do you know when I last ate that? I was twelve years old. That's nuts,” he laughs, never for a second taking his eyes off the sadza.

More dishes appear, and James's emotions grow stronger and stronger. It's clear that, for him, this is more than just sustenance—cooking food from his home country, Zimbabwe, is like telling someone you love them. At times, he's speechless; when the hifiridzi, or beef and spinach stew, arrives, James begins clapping above his head and excitedly taking photos. But it's the okra that breaks him. The final dish to appear, its mere sight triggers an even deeper laugh—one that slowly morphs into what is also a sob.

“Down memory lane,” he says wistfully. Then, “Oh, brother,” as he turns to hug his friend very, very tightly.


The raw, emotional depth this video displays has resonated with 3.5 million viewers. Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay wrote, “This is incredible. Well done !”

Another person commented, “We need more examples of male friendship like this. If men felt consistently comfortable to connect this deeply with each other, the world would be a better place.”

“It’s not just about the food,” another person wrote. “It’s the feeling of being home and having someone care about you like that.”


screenshot, tiktok. chef, gordon ramsaySo good, even Ramsay had to give him props. Credit: TikTok @wan.maus

Dishes that tell a story

Sadza, the heart of Zimbabwe.

Sadza is the cornerstone of Zimbabwe's culinary identity. Made by adding water to finely ground white maize (corn), it creates a smooth, firm porridge that serves as both food and utensil—as it's traditionally eaten with hands. “People eat sadza every day, often twice daily, making it more than food,” explains website, The Goldmidi. “It represents Zimbabwe's culture and heritage.”


Hifiridzi, community on a plate.

Named after Highfield, a neighborhood in the country's capital, Harare, hifiridzi is all about resourcefulness and vibrant community spirit that defines Zimbabwean cooking and way of life. It's a hearty dish of beef short ribs slow-cooked with leafy greens, onions, garlic, and tomatoes. Made with vegetables often picked from the cook's own garden, hifiridzi embodies the essence of “community-based cooking”—where preparing and sharing meals strengthens the bonds between people.


Okra, the binding force.

Locally known as “derere,” okra is a popular vegetable in Zimbabwean cooking, where you'll find it in stews combined with tomatoes, onions, ground nuts, and peanut butter. Thanks to its unique consistency, okra's texture helps thicken stews and bind ingredients together, mirroring the way it brings people together, too.


The beauty of Wan Maus's video lies not in his technique or culinary prowess, but in this simple act of kindness that reminds us how food serves as a universal language of love. Or, as one food writer puts it:

“Food is colorful. It is flavorful. It nourishes and promotes health. But more than all of that, it unites. It heals… Food is as much a form of expression as laughter or music. It is integral to humanity, and something that certainly holds a special place in my heart.”


True
Gates Foundation

In Zimbabwe, a country where an estimated 31% of all girls are forced into marriage by the time they turn 18, something unprecedented just happened.

Photo via Jessica Lea/U.K. Department for International Development/Flickr.


Two former child brides led a successful campaign to get child marriage banned.

Loveness Mudzuru and Ruvimbo Tsopodzi, who are just teenagers themselves, called on the Constitutional Court of Zimbabwe to declare existing child-marriage legislation unconstitutional.

By the time they were 16, both Loveness and Ruvimbo were wives. Loveness had two kids by the time she turned 18 — an age when many teens are trying to finish high school and live that awkward teenage life. Having to drop out of school and grow up too fast, both girls knew there was more out there for them; it was just now out of their reach.

"Raising a child when you are a child yourself is hard," Loveness told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "I should be going to school."

Thankfully, she wasn't the only one with that thought. The girls and their campaign against child marriage were backed by the human rights group ROOTS and legal think tank Veritas.

And what a success effort it was:More girls will get to stay in school and have a say in their own futures now. The cycle of poverty will lessen, and girls' health outcomes will improve.

After months of deliberation, the court ruled in the girls' favor on Jan. 20, 2016.

People in Zimbabwe will no longer be allowed to enter into any marriage, including customary law unions, before they turn 18 — regardless of their gender.

This decision will help save the futures of thousands of girls. Photo via SuSanA Secretariat/Flickr.

It's a remarkable moment led by two teens who've experienced the consequences of child marriage firsthand.

"I'm delighted," Beatrice Savadye from ROOTS declared. "This is a milestone in the campaign to end this scourge in society."

If change happened because these girls spoke out, imagine what this can mean for girls in other countries where child marriage takes place.

This decision isn't just a big deal for Zimbabwe — it sets a standard for other African countries and for the rest of the world.

Real talk: Every day, an additional 39,000 young girls worldwide find themselves forced into marriage. CARE's report "Vows of Poverty" takes a close look at the 26 countries where girls are more likely to walk down the aisle than go to high school.

It's sobering but encouraging to see that with Loveness and Ruvimbo's victory in Zimbabwe, there are signs that the tide is beginning to shift.

Two children who will have a better future thanks to Loveness and Ruvimbo's victory. Photo via John Mitchell/Flickr.

Countries like Guatemala and Malawi have recently raised the minimum age for marriage, and Nepal and Zambia are developing national action plans to help girls avoid the practice. But the ultimate hurdle in any country is changing the cultural attitudes and perceptions that surround child marriage — and that takes time.

Regardless, Zimbabwe is taking a big step forward by changing its outdated law. And what may just be the best part about it?

It's because two teens went up against their government and ... won.

THAT is kickass and a great reminder that your voice matters no matter where you live.

Use it.