African Insights - Monthly Ezine - Newsletter

African Insights Blog - Newsletter

March 2002

Africa … Living with death and celebrating life

I recently looked at some statistics about “life expectancy” in Africa.  Most sub-Saharan countries in Africa were on the decline, many of them below 40 years, only two had an increase, and one of them was Uganda (which is one of the few countries in Africa that has taken a pro-active role in fighting AIDS).  AIDS was and is making its impact on the length of life in Africa.  In the West, especially in the USA, death is something that for most is seen as distant, something in the future, and when we are young we even imagine that it might never happen to us.  Whereas in Africa it is part of the ever-present reality of daily life and as such deeply affects the way people live out each moment, each day and each year of that is given.  In the West we have doctors, hospitals, pharmacies and there is always a pill, a treatment that causes us to get well.  In Africa, there are hospitals and doctors but just yesterday I read where 80 some percent of all medicine intended for patients in hospitals in Uganda never reached them but was sold in private clinics instead.  Simple things, that take a visit to the doctor and some follow up treatment can mean death in Africa.  All of this is reflected in what I refer to as the celebrant style of life of the African.

A child is born in Africa and the family celebrates the occasion with a feast, people come from all around, they travel from the cities to up-country where the celebration is taking place.  Food and drink abound, names are given to the child reflecting the family lineage and the future, giving the child a name to live into.  Then there is the coming of age, something that is not so much measured by age and dates, but by seasons, time passed and maturity.  The Akamba tribe of Kenya has a most wonderful naming ceremony that is celebrated by the whole village.  The child is given a Christian or Muslim name and their African name, but all of it becomes a celebration of life here and now.  It does not matter whether you have little or lots of money, the moment in time; the person is celebrated in ways that are quite different from the West.  Gifts are given, words are spoken, times are remembered and tales of old are told again and again all against the vibrant background of Mother Africa.

Marriage is a celebration of life between two people that is not just an event where you go to a church, a place and partake with a few hours of your presence, but marriage in Africa takes on life of its own, there are get together of families, clans and friends to make the celebration possible, the sharing of resources, of energy, of time, labor, money and more.  People come from afar and near, eating and drinking that lasts not a short time but literally becomes a feast that one can look back to and recall with joy.

Death comes to us all and to Africans it often comes sooner than later.  In some countries 25% of children never reach the age of six, malaria is still the number one killer of all sub-Sahara Africans with AIDS coming up fast.  There is typhoid , bad water, starvation, fevers of all kinds, leprosy and much more.  Death is a matter of reality to Africans; it is not something pushed off into tidy funeral parlors with their slumber rooms with the thought that it will never happen to me, but something see in everyday life.  Africans are keenly aware that it could happen at any time, that is why no moment is taking for granted, instead there is the celebration of the here and now, the joy of the essence of life, life is seen as a gift given to each one to be used to the fullest.  Laughter is seen as a tonic in the midst of disease, poverty and what would seem hopelessness. There is an understanding that life is to be celebrated and when death comes, one gathers with family, clan and community and celebrates the life that has gone on.  There is strong connectedness to the ancestors and their lives are told, retold to the children and grandchildren, celebrating their time on this earth in the physical realm.

When I lived in  Uganda I used to drive from downtown Kampala toward my home in Makindye along Entebbe road.  There were the casket makers, stall after stall of wooden caskets ranging in size and decor.  The traffic was stalled and I decided to take a stroll.  I parked my car on the side of the road and walked down the hill to the shops.  People were picking out caskets for their departed loved ones.  I was immediately approached by several of the merchants about buying one of their finer models and they were disappointed when I informed them that I was simply taking a look.  I watched a family pick out a plain wooden casket, haggle over the price and load it on the back of a bicycle headed for home.  (Bicycles  can transport most anything in Africa)

It was one of those sacred places one encounters in life.  Here I was, just off Entebbe road with its bustling traffic, people moving all around me, buying and selling and yet one felt that the people who were there wanted to do something special, something their loved ones could be remembered by, There was activity, but there was a quiet spirit of hope in the people around me.  One of them invited me to their house for the celebration of the life of a woman who had just died that morning of AIDS.  I felt kind of awkward, but there was a curiosity and I went.

I sat on one of the few chairs outside of a modest home made of mud bricks, surrounded by some Matoke plants (banana) and drank a Nile Special while people came and left, shared, brought things, took things and I sensed that there was not a hopelessness that I had often witnessed at funerals in the West, but there was something of a hope, that they were celebrating a chapter of a life that had just begun in a new realm. 

An old woman came and sat next to me and started to talk.  “Tomorrow I am burying another one of my children.  Today I am celebrating her life and tomorrow I will bury her body, but I will always remember her as the one who knew how to live life in this hard country.  She is still with us, like all of my ancestors, she is with us and today we celebrate since for her there is no pain, no worry about food, war or any evil things.  Today she is born new and some day I will join her.  We will miss her, we cry, we grieve, but most of all we celebrate her life.”

My life often becomes one of routine, of doing the same things over and over again.  Getting up, work, going to bed, getting up and doing what I did yesterday, over and over again. My two daughters came on Saturday to celebrate my birthday and we had a meal, cake and there I was sitting, laughing, enjoying the presence of two of my kids and was reminded, that there was more to life then simply motions and doings, but was life was meant to be celebrated.  Life may be longer for us here in the West than in Africa, the quality of life may be lesser there in terms of things, material possessions, but when it comes to quality of life, the African, who lives with the presence and reality of death, knows how to laugh and celebrate today…jon

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Life in East AfricaWhat Life is like in East Africa

Informative pages on Life in East Africa-Get in touch with Life in East Africa.  From facts about Countries in East Africa to celebrating life in Africa

Africa-My PerspectiveAfrica-My Perspective:  Africa gets inside of your soul, you either love it or hate it.  Some westerners get skeptical, others learn to do a paradigm shift and go with the African flow.  Here are some of insights into Africa that have been shaped by years of living in Africa.

Uganda BackgroundUganda Country Information:  Some historic background and facts about Uganda.  Uganda's past and present are covered here and some country facts at a glance and insights into life in Uganda, East Africa.  You will also find some population figures here.

Uganda One Man's perspectiveUganda-One Man's Perspective:  The insight of a Westerner of Uganda, its everyday life, the people of Uganda and their joys and struggles.  This is my insights into life in Uganda and the things I have seen while here in Uganda.

Kenya One Man's PerspectiveKenya - One Man's Perspective:  Observations on Kenya from the perspective of a westerner.  Kenya was one of the countries of hope in Africa but the ethnic strive, the desire to rule, instead of serving the people of Kenya won out at the end of the day when after the election of 2007 the country exploded  in violence. Today there is a makeshift peace and a coalition government walking on thin ice.

Kenya Country InformationKenya - Country Information:  Facts about Kenya up to the present time.  Kenya is one of the few countries where things are manufactured on a large scale basis and shipped all over Africa.  It has a middle class but, poverty is still the rule of the day.

Kenya's Swahili CoastKenya's Swahili Coast:  Past and Present, A historical look at the Kenya coast called the Swahili coat with its rich history and background that just might surprise you. Find out what other people groups visited the coast from Kenya the Portuguese being late comers. 

Rwanda One Man's PerspectiveRwanda - One Man's Perspective:  Observations on Rwanda from a Westerners Perspective.  Rwanda is one of my favorite countries in East Africa.  Amazing place compared to some of the other countries.  There is little corruption compared to other countries and people of government must give a yearly account of their source of wealth if they have any.

South Sudan One Man's PerspectiveSouth Sudan - One Man's Perspective:  Observations on South Sudan a place that is enjoying some freedoms and peace, even if it may precarious and the upcoming election will determine a lot of things in regards to the freedom and liberties that South Sudan is not enjoying.

LRA-Child Soldiers-Background InformationThe LRA-Joseph Kony-Child Soldiers and Northern Uganda:  Pages on the LRA, the Child Soldiers, the war in Northern Uganda, Alice Lakwena and her influence on the LRA, Joseph Kony Biography, the story of Catherine Ajok who was held captive for 13 years by Kony, the amnesty program, the rebuilding of Northern Uganda since peace has returned.  For 20 some years Joseph Kony has greatly affected the quality of life in Northern Uganda, thank goodness for Uganda peace has returned.

Aids the African PlagueAids-The African Plague:  AIDS in the 1990's was like the black plague of Europe.  People were dying everywhere of the slimming disease.  Most every family had members die, businesses restricted as to how many funerals an employee could attend.  Thousands of children were orphaned.  It was simply unbelievable.

Aids - The African SolutionAids-The African Solution:  What Uganda has done to combat Aids?  Actually a lot with simple tools for the most par.  A-B-C meaning Abstention - Be Faithful and Condoms.  The fight against Aids is not over in Uganda, there has been a slight resurgence in new cases.

African Picture Galleries: Literally thousands of pictures from Africa including the children and women of Africa, life in Africa, Africa's scenery and wildlife, visits to a village in Africa, Rwanda Pictures, South Sudan pictures, Kenya Pictures, Uganda pictures.

Africa's ChildrenAfrica's Children: The joys, the sorrows, get in touch with the children of Africa.  Meet the children of Africa in stories, in pictures, in accounts of what life is like for an African Child.  Pages and pages of the accounts of children in Africa along with pictures. Meet children through the stories and pictures and you will be touched in heart.  Find out what life is like for Africa's Children

Women of AfricaAfrica's Women:  The women of Africa. There are pictures of everyday women. Stories of Human triumph and of simply daily life for a woman in Africa.  There is a resiliency and strength in the African woman birthed out of the daily trials she faces.  Focusing primarily on the women of Uganda but can be applied to other countries in Africa.

Life in a Kampala Neighborhood

Life in a Kampala Neighborhood:  An average neighborhood in Kampala.  The account is through the eyes of a westerner who lived there for some months.  It is unlikely that you will visit many places such as this, but it gives you an idea how many people live.  The very people who wait on your, clean your hotel room, drive you around, the people who make Kampala happen.

A day in a Ugandan VillageA day in a Ugandan Village:  A visit to the small village of Kitaisa an hour from Kampala.  You can see the pictures and read an account of the village.  Most Ugandans live in the village, there are no jobs besides working in a small shop, but most people grow their own vegetables and the surplus is sold.

Harambee - Pulling together African Style:  In East Africa, there is a Swahili word which is Harambee which translated means "pulling together".  Meaning a coming together of people in solving a problem as a community, a clan, a family.

It takes a villageIt takes a Village:  In African villages people need to work together, for alone they cannot make it.  You need water, you come together with us and build a well.  You need a school, you build it together and when it comes to a village, yes, in Africa it takes a village to raise a child.

Keeping Time in AfricaKeeping Time in Africa: When will we get there?  Soon.  How much longer, not long.  What are you doing?  I am waiting.  When will it come?  I do not know, but I am waiting.  Time is different than in the west, it more relational rather than task orientated.

BargainingBargaining in Uganda:  The bargaining ritual, if you are not with a tour group you have to bargain for a lot of things from transportation to souvenirs.  Enjoy the ancient ritual and bring a sense of humor, it is actually a lot of fun.

Every Ugandan has a CellphoneEvery Ugandan has a Cell phone - But...  The use of the mobile phone is changing African Society...there are now five mobile phone providers in Uganda.  In the capital of Kampala everyone seems to have a phone, but no airtime.  This is a humorous look at the use of cell phones in Uganda.

2nd hand clothing in UgandaDead White Man’s Clothing Get a Second Life in Africa: In East African countries such as Uganda the second hand clothing market is simply huge.  Most people cannot afford new clothing prices since they do not make a lot of money, so it is used clothing from Owino market, or from door to door vendor.  Come to Kampala and you can see smartly dressed people, and yes, mostly from second hand clothing that gets a second chance in Africa. Find out as to how most people in East Africa find their clothing.

The WabenzisThe Wabenzis:  You find them all over East Africa, the fanciest Mercedes Benz, flashy clothes, fantastic watch, a cell phone to die for.  They are newly rich of East Africa.  Often their gains are at expenses of others and they forget their roots rather quickly.

The African Entrepreneurial Spirit is alive and well.The African Entrepreneurial Spirit is alive and well:   In Kenya, Uganda, there are entrepreneurs starting up.  Here is a unique one in Kenya.  A story to make you smile at the innovation of the people involved.

Food - African - Western ThoughtsFood - African and Western Thoughts:  Thoughts on food looking both at the African ways and Western ways.  Most East Africans are thin until they gain wealth and can afford rich foods, while rich Westerners do everything to be thin.

African Insights NewslettersAfrican Insights Blog - Monthly Newsletter:  Receive Monthly Newsletter from African Insights covering various topics concerning Africa with the focus on East and Central Africa.  Free newsletter from a westerners perspective regarding life and issues that affect Africa and that you will find interesting.

Uganda SafarisUganda Safaris:  Uganda is one of the best places in Africa to go on Safaris.  A small country and yet bio-diverse in nature, almost twice the species of birds found in the USA yet Uganda is the size of Oregon. Game parks, lodging from budget to luxury, jungle, open savannas, mountains, volcanoes...simply awesome and off the beaten tourist track. One day, three day and 5 day or longer safaris with Kabiza Wilderness Safaris.

 
 

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African Insights - Monthly Ezine Newsletter -  March 2002 Living with death-celebrating life

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