A Social Welfare Officer in Solwezi has called for the promotion and establishment of the Ubuntu spirit or culture where the extended family should be promoted.
Mrs. Mujinga Kamalonga said that even as much as the department of social welfare had social welfare funds to give to the vulnerable, especially the orphans and widows, it did not give directly to the intended recipients.
“ We try to find out where the extended family is. We interview the orphans and try to trace where their uncles and aunties are and why they are unable to
support them ,” she said .
The Social Welfare officer underscored that the department counselled families on the importance of Ubuntu Spirit and embracing the extended family system.
She added that Social welfare was about promoting family unity saying Government alone could fight streetism but that this should start with families
who should bear the responsibility of looking after all the orphaned children.
The levels of vulnerable people and orphaned children in society have continued to increase as they have little or no support from members of available family members.
This in the end makes many of the vulnerable people to seek alternatives means of survival such as streetism, in the case of the orphaned children.
On the other hand, the spirit of Ubuntu has proved a success in most parts of Africa particularly in South Africa where the government of the day is obliged to
support the native people with various social needs such as employment and economic empowerment.
Extended family sometimes kuti wabasambilisha lilya bapakama balabanako bapubafu..i do not keep anyone @ home coz my dad kept alot of people tapaba nangu umo uwibukisha abafyashi..bafyatile balyafye beka…extended family is like a vampire suck you up…untill u dry:d
oyey as long as it does not legitimise poverty. people think they are not sufering because evrone is……..
#1,Lokombwe I agree with you, same with my family story. However this should not keep us from helping genuine family members because either way in the end they will still come back to you for help. So better you educate them and they will keep their distance. As for me I am not even getting support from my own elder brother who himself together with me was supported by our elder sister! This is what the world has come to!
#1 I also agree with you.My father educated a lot of them and some are now directors,Alas,bafyatile fyabo they even brag in front of the person who educated them.I have beef for them and they know it.#3 your stuation really sad.at least for me my brothers(nuclear) were always their for me and to me the extended family is my nieces and nephews from my brothers and sisters and it ends there.
Good call as long ba mukukulu tabapulile amafumo and ukupela amafumo then it is perfecto.Seen my folks help raise and educate a lot of the extended family some of them whose connections are not even that easy to describe.
#1.#3 and #4 the concept of extension family is not a loan that they should pay back when they have settled but is easy to associate in the family and not to be troubled when they are grow up because i have basic needs in their family but if you let them uneducated and unemployed whether you like it or they will come to trouble you when are in difficulties.
When many in the (extended) family are not educated and unemployed formal or imformal of sures you deal with in the faimily is watchcraft,accusation and theft and marriages breakages due to family presures.
I wonder whether these sentiments are coming from a people whose country is a christian nation.Well-i may agree with one OPENESS@7 that keeping someone does not mean must payback at some time in their lives. People’s hearts are different but the service you are doing reaches so far as everyone that sees. In any case, the best way to alliviate poverty in any family is to help the destitute as family members amongest yourselves and as with time, you,your children and other family members children would not have to suffer the pain. It goes without saying much that we all need each other, and if we neglect our own, dont expect strangers to help them. Probably thats why Africa suffers because we depend on donors when we cant donate.
I would agree with # 1, like my dad he also kept alot of extended families, he educated them, have and had very good jobs, but when he died, by then i was 13 years old, no one took care of us even when them guys had good jobs, no one, not even school fees, instead our mother- MHSRIP- sold pa Market and sent 6 of us to school. Maybe am wrong, but most of those guys do not help when you need help very few of them can do that. As i say, maybe am wrong, but that is what we passed through.
What is required is individuals to plan for their children. In this day and age people keep money aside for their children. Personally I have insured my life so that my wife and children are not left stranded should I be hit by a truck. PLANNING is what is required. To expect other people to look after your children is a nobrainer. That time is gone. Until Zambia becomes a welfare state again as was the case in the 70s and 80s, you should not bring individuals on this planet without a plan. So plan for the first 20 years of your children or else use a CONDOM.
If you can, please help. Running away from those in need in a family is postponding problems. They will still look at you for some help later in future, but will come even with more expensive problems like school fees for their children or hospital bills. If you help one, lots of future problems will be hidden away from your ears. But shun them today and they will look around and still see you as their solution.
The Problem is, they only think of what they can get from you period. But you look at the entire family. And thats where the conflict comes in. Helping is molstly not the problem. It is the self sacrifice of those you are helping to make good use of received resources for the intended purpose that differs. Families look cohesive only if the majority are independent.
Helping extended families is a good thing people can do.The sad part of it is that after educating someone, they like turning there backs against those who helped them.they will not even look at you and you will even became an enemy.