THE CALABASH STORY

The Calabash of Knowledge is an African fable which tells the story of how knowledge came to be shared throughout the world. In this fable, Anansi, a spider who in African folklore represents the spirit of all knowledge, tried to hoard all of the world’s wisdom in a large calabash. After sealing the knowledge in the calabash, Anansi, still concerned that the knowledge wasn’t safe enough, took the calabash to a forest and tried to lug it up a tall, thorny tree, to ensure that it would never be found and opened. Anansi’s child laughed at him as he tried to carry the calabash to the top of the tree while the weight of the calabash caused it to slip down repeatedly. Eventually, Anansi lost his grip on the calabash, it smashed to the ground, and all the wisdom poured out. Just then, a storm arrived and carried the wisdom to the sea, spreading it all over, so that it can now be accessed by all.

OUR VISION

Calabash aims to share knowledge in a way which is accessible to a wide audience, through the powerful medium of online videos.

Where Calabash started as a platform for mental health professionals, we have now expanded and are a multi-profession platform, with content which enhances the knowledge and expertise of a range of health professionals. We at Calabash are inspired by the possibilities presented by new technology to empower professionals to gain professional knowledge in the comfort of their homes and at their convenience.

WHO WE ARE

Leanne Stillerman Zabow and Kyla Maimon Edinburg are the creators and curators of The Calabash Professional Development. Leanne and Kyla are clinical psychologists who hold Masters degrees in clinical psychology from the University of the Witwatersrand, and run psychotherapy practices in Johannesburg. Leanne and Kyla are committed to creating a video library that makes different areas of practice available to professionals across the country.