São Doné Zims

“Our faith is as ancient as our people. As long as the Zimchatski have had mothers, we have believed in the power of Zims.” Here, a typical home of bamboo and thatch is cluttered with figurines crudely fashioned from bamboo and dressed in woven grass skirts. We talked with Smitty Mack. “Don’t be put off by the simplicity of the carving,” said Smitty. “These are made by hand by believers in the Zim, not by factories or artists. Each one has its own character and its own story. When we get the story, then we carve the Zim.”