Firstly, the diminishing use and knowledge of proverbs in the life and experience of the younger generation is worrisome. In this chapter, I argued that proverbs command a particular authority within a given culture, as Muwati et al. (2011) claim:
Given this mass of African cultural evidence, it stands to reason, therefore, that the Shona and the Ndebele conception of human rights is not detached from responsible participation and contribution. Children, who are the flowers of the nation, derive immune benefits from such an upbringing. (p. 5)
However, with the loss, if not the complete erosion, of the use of proverbs, one wonders what options we have in redeeming the situation. How will this impact the situation of children who are on the margins of society (Swart & Yates 2012:1), and how shall we get them to participate as citizens on all matters of life, capacitated with voices and own opinions?
Secondly, the growing numbers of child abuse and negligence such as trafficking, street children, child prostitution and abandonment reflect a world view foreign to Africa. In view of the traditional position of children as being embraced and protected by society, the contemporary abuse of children is shocking. For example, a hijacking incident, described as heartless, saw a 4-year-old boy dragged behind a car as the robbers became impatient with the mother who was trying to unbuckle him from the car seat. The vehicle was found abandoned just a few kilometres from where it was stolen with the boy’s body still hanging from the vehicle.44 Such
44. Cf. http://www.sabreakingnews.co.za/2014/07/21/four-year-old-boy-dragged-to-death-in-brutal-hijacking/
heartlessness is foreign to the traditional African world view. Somehow, these perpetrators of gross human violations must find a way to suppress their humanity in order to engage in such heinous activities. It seems that the world view of ‘unhu/ubuntu’ is no longer a reality in our time and age.
As such, the newly developing theologies of childhood and child theologies demand re-examination with a view to curbing these societal anomalies.
Thirdly, the emergence of child-headed homes means that communality, that is, the taking on and protecting of children as embedded within African culture, is on the decline. This is not necessarily a deliberate degeneration of ideals but an overwhelming lack of resources in view of the enormity of the challenge of parentless children.45 Whilst it is admirable to say that it takes a whole village to raise a child, in view of child neglect – regardless of circumstances – one wonders whether such a village of conscientious adults in actuality still exists. Understandably, the unprecedented AIDS scourge has not only had an impact on the lives of children, but it has also caught caring adults under-resourced for taking care of parentless children. This is surely taking its psychological toll.
As suggested by Roby and Shaw (2006:199), perhaps a new model for orphan care, of strengthening the capacity of families and mobilising and accentuating community-based responses, becomes imperative.
Fourthly, the institutionalisation of variously needy children is a relatively new development as far as the African view of children is concerned. Children, who were treated like the flowers of society, enjoyed a spontaneous response from society in times of need. Adoption and
45. Kuo, Cluver and Casale (2014:318) place the number of orphaned children in sub-Saharan Africa at over 14 million whilst Morantz et al. (2013:338) cite UNICEF for an estimated 56 million children in need. If these numbers are correct, one can appreciate the psychological and physiological demands on adult caregivers who are suddenly thrown into the deep end where they not only have to take care of their own children but bear the burden of the extra children to look after.
orphanages did not exist in times past as society simply had inherent ways to take care of its vulnerable members, especially children. Interestingly, as already indicated, most African languages do not have a word for adoption.
To contend with both street children and homeless families today demands a new approach in protecting the vulnerable, particularly children.
Practically, there will never be enough institutions to cater for the many vulnerable homeless or parentless children.
Fifthly, the anarchy that we are experiencing in shifting from the highly celebrated ideals of childhood to more foreign perspectives to some extent signals the collapse of the African world view. It seems that rootlessness is the reason for the mayhem where different influences are creating some measure of disequilibrium. Proverbs were one of the ways in which wisdom was passed on to create equilibrium. In their paper on the use of proverbs as teaching tools in urban schools, Grant and Asimeng-Boahem (2006:17) cite the Asante saying: ‘A wise child is talked to in Proverbs’.
Rattray (1933:457), in his ground-breaking research, points out that the upbringing of the African child had as ultimate aim the production of a man or woman of virtue. This upbringing allowed the child to learn from experience, but it applied admonition when necessary. Children were expected to learn from their elders by emulating their example and not necessarily by the conscious and deliberate instruction on the part of the latter.
Conclusion
The significant influence of proverbial wisdom cannot be underestimated within African and comparative biblical contexts. Perhaps for similar reasons, it was by divine designation that an entire book of Proverbs had to be included in the canonical records. Current cases of child abuse and
the ontological concept of ubuntu are at polar opposites. Proverbial statements in which ubuntu is collectivised reflect a world in which the quality of one’s offspring attracts societal recognition of one’s own amiable qualities. This relates to the statement, like father like son, which can depict negative traits that a son has supposedly inherited from his dad. By the same token, positive characteristics in a son can have been inherited from the father. Communalism embedded within African culture also entails collective responsibility in child rearing. It is not possible to look at children in isolation without considering the key influences in their lives, as the proverbs we have considered intimate. I echo Duckert’s (1997) sentiments when she writes:
The future of the church depends upon what children can do now. Our purpose as children educators, nurturers, and models is to engage them in the church’s work with the neighbour and to learn with them how to be neighbours ourselves.
(p. 78)
It is this communalism that taught a child to regard an adult male as a father and, equally so, an older woman as a mother and everyone else close to one’s age as siblings. Incidentally, these injunctions coincide with Pauline instructions in 1 Timothy 5:1 where extended relationships are encouraged. Similarly, it is not surprising that in many African languages there is no direct word for cousin but simply brother or sister. Perhaps redeploying proverbial lore in our education offers a reasonable intervention to things that are falling apart.
Introduction
In the 21st century, the globalisation process and the development of the network society lead to the growing social exclusion of children (Castells 2000). It brought much suffering for the children of this world, particularly the children of Africa (cf. Taylor 2014). Many children are vulnerable;
neglected; abused; raped; abandoned; displaced; hungry; even dying of malnourishment; exploited as labourers, sex slaves and child soldiers;
dying before they turn five; without clean drinking water and access too safe, hygienic toilets; and lacking good and effective education (cf. UNICEF 2014). Castells (2000:163, 2001a:18, 2001b:148) is of the opinion that,