CONTINUITY AND CHANGE IN THE AFRICAN UNDERSTANDING OF VARIOUS ISSUES

CONTINUITY AND CHANGE IN THE AFRICAN UNDERSTANDING OF VARIOUS ISSUES

• An African community consisted of the living, dead and the unborn.
• Each community had common characteristics such as common ancestors, unique language, a particular geographical area, a culture and distinct social, economic and political structure.    
• Today, the understanding of community has changed due to such factors as; education, urbanization, migration, natural consciousness and religion.           
• Urbanization has brought together people of different background.
• Formal education has promoted new loyalties based on new social status and academic and professional qualifications.
• New political systems and forms of Government have changed the traditional African community.

Old age and the aged

• In A.T.C, old people were well taken care of and highly respected.
• They did light duties e.g. looking after young children while others worked.
• They were members of the council of elders who settled disputes and were consulted for advice.
• The elders were custodians of community values, customs and religious beliefs.
• Today due to urbanization, many elderly people are left alone in the rural areas with no- one to take care of them.
• Sometimes they end up in homes for the aged or begging on the streets.
• - Old people are important because they have wealth of knowledge to share.  We should take care of them.

Land

• Was special and highly valued.
• It was a source of food for the people and their animals and herbs for medicine.
• Land was believed to be God given.
• Land was communal.
• There were land allocations to each family for farming.  The men were the guardians of the land.
• Land was not sold and there were no landless people.
• Today land is only communally owned in nomadic communities since most of it is individually owned.
• An individual can buy land and settle anywhere and is not bound to the ancestral land.
• Land ownership is evidenced by a little deed or land allotment letter issued by the Government.
• Today, some land is set apart by the government for public use like establishment of game parks, roads, schools, cattle dips and market places.

Property

• Is anything owned or possessed by a person.
• In A.T.S., property could be individual or communal.
• Women and children contributed to the accumulations of wealth by working on farms and grazing cattle.
• Women and children were not allowed to own property.
• Today, property can be owned by a man/ woman/ child.
• There are various ways of acquiring wealth other than agriculture and keeping animals.
• African economies have been influenced greatly by the western money-based economies where money is seen to satisfy or fulfill all needs.

Widows and orphans

• A widow is a woman whose husband is dead.
• An orphan is a child whose both parents are dead.
• In A.T.S., a widow was inherited either by her husband’s brother or cousin to ensure that the late brother’s family would not suffer.
• A woman not only belonged to her husband but also to his kin.
• Any of his brothers takes over the household in his absence.
• The children born after his death were still referred to as his children.
• A man who inherits the wife takes over all the duties of the dead man e.g. protecting and providing for the family.
• Today the spread of HIV/AIDS has raised a lot of debate over the practice of widow inheritance.
• Due to individualism and lose family ties, it has become hard to care for members of the extended family.  
• A child who lost one or both of parents in T.A.C. was easily adopted into the family.
• Orphans didn’t find it hard surviving because of the strong kinship system.
• -Widowhood or being orphaned is very painful experiences for the people today.
• Many widows have found themselves and their children going without food especially if the husband was the only provider.
• Some children have dropped out of school to take care of their siblings.
• Many orphans have ended up in the streets for lack of a caretaker.
• A number of organizations have started to build children homes or orphanages to cater for the orphans especially with HIV/AIDS.

Dress

• In TAC clothes were made from animal skin, bark, feathers, reeds/and sisal.
• Every community had a way of dressing, depending on the climate in their region and their way of life.
• Age, gender, status would always determine the type of clothing one wore.
• Ornaments i.e. bangles, necklaces, anklets and ear plugs/ rings were part of the traditional dress.
• The Maasai, Turkana and Giriama have to raid for livestock to maintain their traditional dress.
• Today dress undergoes a lot of change because fashion changes with peoples tastes.
• Today we have a national costume whose design is base on traditional costumes.

Dowry or bride price

• This is a gift of property that a groom gives to the bride’s family.
• Bride price was given in terms of cattle, goats, sheep, and honey and food stuff.
• Today, the concept of bride price has been commercialized.
• Sometimes conflicts arise between parents and those intending to marry.
• Dowry should be used appropriately to cement relationship.

Medicine

• Medicine was provided by medicine people who diagnosed and treated sicknesses.
• Their medicine was in the form of herbs, minerals, powder and seeds and also spiritual.
• Today, people take the sick to hospitals for proper diagnosis and treatment by qualified medical doctors.
• Christians also offer prayers for the quick recovery of the sick.

Leisure

• This is free time for one to enjoy/ spend.
• In T.A.C. leisure was integrated in the daily life of the community.
• People would work and have leisure at the same time e.g. singing while digging.
• They had leisure in form of festivals and rites which involved singing, eating, drinking      and dancing.
• Some leisure activities were free of charge and mostly communal.
• Some leisure activities were specific to certain gender age group.
• Today leisure is separated from work.
•  People engage in various activities e.g. listening to the radio, watching television, reading   magazines or visiting friends.
• Some leisure acts today are very expensive.
• Some people misuse their leisure time abusing drugs or engaging in sexual immorality.
• Some people help the needy visit the sick, do voluntary community and church work during their leisure time.

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