Use what you have

Jul 03, 2025

One thing we say a lot at Gobelo is use what you have. It sounds simple, and it is, but it also says a lot about how things actually work out here.

We’re not working with endless supplies or perfect tools. So we build with what’s around. Leftover logs from trees pushed over by elephants become fencing. Old containers turn into feeders. A pile of bricks someone thought was junk ends up holding up a work table. The chicken shelter made from offcuts, bits of old mesh and a few fence poles we found lying around. Offcuts have also turned into wall art and even bed headboards. Tree branches have become coat hangers. Basically, we see potential in everything and try our best to make it useful. Some things do in fact last and some don’t, but we get better each time we try and there’s a certain pride in that.  

Even in the garden that same thinking shows up. We’re still figuring things out as we go of course; sometimes we grow in raised beds, sometimes in sacks. Sometimes the soil cooperates, sometimes it doesn’t. But we’ve learned to start anyway, even if the conditions aren’t perfect. What matters most to us as you have probably learnt from our previous blogs, is getting something going, then adjusting as we learn.

It’s the same with food. Some of our best meals have come from figuring out what to do with what’s already here. A few sweet potatoes from a recent harvest, some tomatoes that ripened faster than expected, a handful of herbs we needed to use before they dried out and suddenly that’s lunch.

And honestly, that’s just how it is sometimes. Sourcing supplies takes effort. Out here, it means long supply runs to Bulawayo or Victoria Falls, or partnering with local farmers and artisans when we can’t grow or make something ourselves. We like supporting our local communities and we are definitely proud to be part of that ecosystem. Sometimes though, things come up and you just need that thing right now and it just can’t wait. We’ve learned not to wait until everything lines up, because if we did, a lot wouldn’t get done. So we use what we have here, now, fix what we can and keep moving.

This way of thinking has greatly influenced how we farm, how we build, how we teach and how we host. It’s slow and hands-on, but always so rewarding. The best part of all this though is over here, getting things done doesn’t depend on having everything you need or perfect timing. Just the willingness to try…and we do have a lot of that.

All that to say, if things feel stuck or delayed, maybe look around. You might already have enough to begin.

Until next time,
The Gobelo Team