I AM BECAUSE YOU ARE❤

Heyyyyyy , my name is blessing-winnie and this is my first post. I hope you love it and encourage me to write more🥺

I am because you are is a South African phrase which is also fondly called Ubuntu, Ubuntu calls humanity to a state of oneness and collective success, that is to say, we are nothing without the help of our parents, friends, teachers, leaders, in essence, no man is an island, Ubuntu preaches communal growth. I am because you are can be painted with the scenario of footballers, They are all on a field running and kicking a ball but one man can never score a goal especially in the absence of a defender, and a team will never win in the absence of a good goalkeeper and an experienced coach....everybody is working towards a goal which is winning.

The philosophy" I am because you are" should be the bedrock of every society and culture, nevertheless, Ubuntu is still relative and is applicable in different perspectives.
According to Reverend Desmond Tutu, a South African respected leader Ubuntu means " a person is a person through other persons" and I second to it .in respect to this I would like to highlight that whoever we are is a product of people around us, my question then is what is the foundation of Ubuntu and how can this legacy be lived on? Ubuntu goes beyond society, it is even reflecting in our biological makeup in the sense that every human is a component of a DNA that is passed across to the chromosomal cells and this is the product of our good looks, strengths, personalities, etc(so no man is made alone), in the actual sense I ask again, who are the foundation of Ubuntu? and my answer is firstly the children, followed by the youths and lastly the elders. One would ask why? According to behavioral psychologist Albert bandura, children are like a blank slate when they come into the world so it's people around them that teach them what to do and how to do it, this theory is called tabula rasa.

Children they say are like sponge or tissue paper when dipped in liquid they soak in, every child is a product of his environment, No child taught himself how to feed himself with a spoon, no child learned all by him/her self how to walk, No child learned by him/her self how to read and write. If all these can be learned you wouldn't blame those who don't practice Ubuntu because it's either they weren't taught or they refused to learn(their choice). It is important to state that the behavior"I am because you are "doesn't occur naturally, it's not inbuilt neither is it genetic rather it is taught and learned.

Using the social learning theory I would like to show us how proper learning will lead to proper knowing and becoming. We are all a product of what we have learned both good or bad nevertheless I am who I am because of what I learned from you and this is a beautiful way of perceiving Ubuntu"-I am because you are".According to Albert Bandura, people learn information and behaviors every day by watching other people and this type of learning is called Observational learning. The best way humans learn is through observation of a model(the Person acting)and there are three basic models: The first is A live model, which is a person acting out behavior, the second model is a fictional character which is seen in movies, books or television and lastly a verbal instructional model who specialize in description and explanation of behavior.

The success of Ubuntu will only be experienced when we live out what we preach, when our children observe us showing love to not just our neighbors but also to strangers, Ubuntu starts with us teaching our children good morals, Ubuntu starts with us living as ambassadors where ever we go. The foundation of Ubuntu is the children who have learned the beauty of communal living, Unity, perseverance, interconnection, Ubuntu will forever remain through parents who have loved their children lavishly and have taught them how to do so too.

Every thief, murderer, prostitute, suicide bomber, rapist, would have been better and can still be better if they had or have good examples and responsible figures to look up to Whatever a man is, he is because he learned, in unity let us be responsible for the growth of this young ones, let's show and live as good examples, let's work together and make life success for others.
To the teachers, let's teach our students better, to the leaders let's jettison any ideology that doesn't produce love and unity in the society.

Nelson Mandela is a great example of a leader who didn't live for himself alone, He made South Africa his responsibility, knew he was being watched by the upcoming generation hence He projected love and forgiveness throughout the South African apartheid, through him many unlearnt their self-destructive ideologies and relearned that "I am because we are" Man must not live for himself alone. To the actress and actors, let's model right, zillions eyes are on you and you influence the choices of these young ones, To the lawyers, doctors and all professionals we all have a hand in making ourselves a success.

Lastly, To every individual, we are all a work in progress, we are not perfect but in any way we can let's join hands and make the younger generation better than us, it is expedient we know that we are models and our behaviors either good or bad is a measuring tape to how they would want to be.

Ubuntu is a legacy that would forever live on, in the heart of those who have chosen to be real to themselves, who have decided to pull humanity out of the pit of selfishness and mediocrity, who have chosen to make a difference by being different. Ubuntu is the philosophy of the wise and prudent, I am because you are is the thought of a man who sees the success of others as his responsibility, who let his conscience guide him knowing that his a model being watched and his a book being read.

I Am because of my family 🥰

By blessing-winnie.