A letter to all Africans

Africans I will skip the formalities of asking how you are, I know how you are. See, I have been thinking about you for a while now, and I couldn’t help wondering, has anyone taken a little time out of their busy schedule and asked themselves what is happening to us. Why are we so keen on destroying ourselves? Now you are wondering what I am talking about. “Where is she going with this?” you ask.
People are replacing food crops with cash crops, in search for the long yearned money; because of the western believe that money is the source of health and wealth. The result? Poverty, people are dying of starvation.
Think about it traditionally, that is according to African culture; it was unheard of, for a person to die due to starvation or malnutrition. Do not get me wrong there is nothing wrong with urbanization, there are some things you just have to give credit for their invention, but should but at the expense of our culture? I believe there is a lot to learn from our culture, there is nothing wrong with becoming urbanized while at the same time embracing our culture(s).
Think about it, I urge you again, our fore fathers lived longer and healthier than we do these days, isn’t this enough prove of the richness of African culture. Then why do some insist on terming it backward? Yes, there are some African practices that were just uncouth and sometimes barbaric, but that does not mean that all of it was bad. Replace the bad with the good, and maintain the good, that is how human perfection can be achieved.
Listen to this story, I was on my way to town one day when a teenage boy riding a bicycle, stopped me. He was looking for some two boys who were his friends and they were my neighbors. Unfortunately I was new in the area but I couldn’t be able to help. However, I advised him to ask the security man, at the main entrance of the estate I lived in.
“I did, but unfortunately he doesn’t understand English,” he replied.
“Well then, why don’t you talk to him in Kiswahili,” I said.
“I don’t know how to speak Kiswahili,” he boy proudly replied.
“Oh, you are not Kenyan?” I innocently asked.
“My parents are, but they do not talk to me in Kiswahili, but we don’t spend much time in Kenya, we only visit,” he explained.
I was surprised “just because your parents do business outside Kenya is not a reason not to learn the language of where you come from, tell your parents it is very important for you to know your roots, it helps create a sense of identity. Know your people, their culture and that includes their language.” I sternly advised him.

Why are the youth embarrassed of associating themselves with their roots? I mean what is so wrong with speaking English with an accent. Who says we have to speak English like the Britons or the Americans. Some are so keen on this, that they are willing to sacrifice learning their mother tongue. What a pity? The Chinese and the Japanese are very wealthy nations and their English is terrible (nothing personal). One can’t help but admire and even envy them. Their language and their culture is maintained and respected.
One way of improving ourselves is accepting who we are, acknowledge our strengths and differences and improve on both.