Africa is a place that is built on values, norms, and culture. These three things are what we grew up seeing. They are taken with higher heights. Growing up, we were advised to go as these things say and don’t do things that don’t stand to support them. Norms of communities always came in to take away these bad behaviors that weren’t supported by society. Culture gave each one of us a home to grow out of originality. That was where patriotism started. Our values gave helped made good people and grew with good manners
Well, I have my own experience to share about them. Growing up in communities like this made life lovely and fun. It gave everyone a chance to love but so live according to what society sees as right. As a child, an old man even from another family is seen as a father. These made us grow up knowing and respecting these old. They shared words of wisdom with us and we listened and grew to be who were are today. I don’t know how I would have been if not for this type of upbringing. This really helped a lot. I would like to share some key points about how good it was.
In a Ghanaian certain, especially in northern Ghana, we have the norms or the habit of eating together as children. One big pot is what the extended family cooks from. All the children in the house don’t go to their mothers to eat. They have a big bowl as the house’s children and jointly eat together. This was how I grew up. This isn’t just about food. But this thought us we are the same and we should be one. Eating together brought that unity between us and gave us the chance to know almost every child the family has. It wasn’t just about coming together to have the food shared about us. But it gave us the chance to choose and follow a leader. Aside from that, the love when we always sat around the food was always amazing.
Another thing I miss in today’s Ghana is the right of the old to question and advise a kid who isn’t from his/ her house. Growing up, we had people who we never knew beat us to action and give us the right direction. They bring us home and our parents will commend them and beat us in addition never to do that. They made us know no matter where you are, you can still be brought to action. We noticed that and stayed cool and humble anytime we even travel. In today’s northern Ghana, we can’t find that. Parents don’t even allow their brothers to interfere in their children’s matters even if the child is wrong. They do things as in, “That’s my child. Let me question him the way I want.” This has affected the system and I don’t know if there is a way we can bend back to what we grew up seeing.
I write this with tears. If this continues I don’t know what the next generation will grow up to be like. We are the youth and the future of the society. Let’s keep up with the old norms and values to restore back the integrity in our societies and in our lives. Thanks for passing through. What do you have to say about this too?