Sona, intangible heritage: an extensionist approach

Abstract

Sona (plural of lusona), a term used to designate writing in general (letters, figures and drawings), are the combination of dots and lines made in the sand. It is a culture of the Cokwe and related peoples like the Luchazi and Ngangela who live in eastern Angola and in neighboring areas, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Sona are a form of cultural expression with great value for Pure, Applied Mathematics and for Education as a result of the rigor with which these writings are made. His knowledge has passed from generation to generation orally, which has contributed to the significant reduction in the knowledge of this art. The Mathematics Department of the Lunda Norte Higher School of Education has been working with its students to bring the great value of this art to the attention of society, it has also been working to enrich the existing inventory of the Sona. These university extension activities that involve students from the first, second and third years of the Mathematics course have gone through lectures, lectures, workshops, short courses, community service and interviews about sona in secondary schools. The sona affair became part of the public agenda of the community that recognizes its association with Mathematics. For secondary school students, mathematical concepts associated with sona moved from the abstract to the concrete through their explanation in socio-cultural aspects.