Betterlife with Steem: The weakness in the family system
Good morning beautiful people around the world. I bring you love from my humble abode. I woke up full of life and a bit confused as why our life's have changed.
Family is the most important aspect of ourselves. It's a generational thing so our fathers before us held it with high esteem. In the years past, taking care of a member of a family was not the sole responsibility of the parents but the entirety of the family. When I say the entire family, I mean every member of the extended family. In Ghana there's something we call the family house(abusua fie) built by our fathers before us. My family house was built by my grandparents. Everybody grew up there one way or the other and anything that concerns any member is brought for discussion over there. The bond between us was great. Though there were some fictions in between but togetherness at some point was strengthened.
In Ghana there are two sides a person can belong to in the family system. A child is born between a man and woman who all belongs to a family. Certain tribes in Ghana align themselves to their paternal side. So in this case the child belongs to the father's family. In case the father dies, it's the responsibility of the rest of the paternal side to see to the full upbringing of the child. This practice is mainly with the tribes in the northern part of Ghana and the Ewe's and the Ga's along the south.
Those who align themselves with the maternal side is the Akans comprising of the Ashanti's, Fante's and the Brong's if am not mistaken. The upbringing of the child whether the parents are alive or not is the responsibility of everybody in the family. Family properties are shared among members based on maternal line not paternal line and vice versa. These practices had advantages and disadvantages depending on the family head.
#1
One advantage of this practice is that, total education of the child is done by everyone
#2
Unity and Love. When food is served, we eat together.
#3
Family properties are used for the better of all. Family lands can be sold to fund the education of a member who is also charged to help the young ones.
Now let me touch on the optimum disadvantage in this two practices.
#1
The elected family head can mismanage the family wealth and property for his/her own benefit. Some becomes autocratic so much that no one can challenge him/her.
Now there is the modern one where families are only related to nuclear family where someone builds a four bedroom for himself, wife and children. This also has it's own weaknesses and strength. Some one can leave and settle in the big cities, marry, build his mansion and raise his family there. Comes to his home town only when there's funeral or anything of concern. He goes there only by himself. The unity that must exist between his children and the rest of the extended family is broken.
It becomes a bit problematic when the man dies. There's fiction between the widow and the family. A person whether dead or alive belongs to one side of the family so when he's no more the woman cannot do anything on her own.
The future of the children becomes difficult in case the man had nothing install for them.
I was young my then when this picture was taken. I felt I was going to get someone take care of me and my other siblings but it wasn't so. Now when your parents die, your life as a child will be in your own hand. It becomes pathetic when they left you with nothing. I always say in the life of a hustling African child there's no depression because you are already depressed from the onset. I believe that, we should take a critical look at some of the institutions our fathers before us laid down for us and modify them to suit modern times.
I believe wiping away what was handed over to us will be a disaster. We can learn and make modifications. Tradition is tradition but good traditional practices must be up held for the benefit of all. Our nation and our future is in our hands.
Thank you.
Appreciations to everyone who follows me and read my post. Send your comments for me to know if am doing the right thing or the wrong thing. Love you all