In today's society a large number of children are in daycare at ages as young as 2 months. The thought of it is frightening, the large amount of children compared to the small ratio of care givers. My son's baby - sitters are my grandmother, mother, and aunt. His occasional baby - sitter during the weekend is my younger 17 - year - old god-sister. I give thanks, honor, and praise to them for making it possible for me to keep my son out of daycare. They have allowed him to have the opportunity to experience an Afrikan holistic way of baby - sitting. In the West, people look at the occupation of baby - sitting to be for the uneducated or for the youth. The people of Kongo call baby - sitting Kindezi, the art of touching, caring for and protecting the child's life and the environment, kinzungidila, in which the child's multidimensional development takes place.16 Kindezi is considered an art form. Fu-Kiau believes that baby - sitting is a requirement of all members of the Afrikan community. In the West, many mothers work during the day in corporate America or work for themselves.
Mothers need someone to mind their children. The Kongo women are farmers. They leave for the fields in the early mornings and come home at night fall. Baby - sitters called ndezis give women the independence to work on the farms, provide resources, and food for their families. Many times ndezis are considered even more mentally healthy than the child's biological parent. This is because the ndezi is directly responsible for the child's well being and development. There are young and old ndezis. The young ndezis are between the ages of 9 and 10. The ndezi feeds, bathes, and entertains the child while the mother is away during the day. Sometimes the ndezi even has food prepared for the mother when she gets home. The young ndezi is actually being prepared for motherhood. The old ndezis do not have to work on farms, so they are perfect. The children keep them busy and deter loneliness. This also keeps the elder's mind sharp and prevents, "psychosomatic ailments".16 The elder ndezis also teach the younger ndezis. Older Ndezisteach the child traditional language, customs, community life, songs, games, and tricks. They also educate the children about animals, plants, and reproduction. The ndezi and child usually learn at sadulu. The sadulu is a simple baby - sitting site which can be under a tree or in a hut. It is not a traditional school where you read and write. The teachings are traditional, oral. Children go out on what people in the West call field trips. They visit the weavers, farmers, blacksmith, etc. The children collect flora, roots, and herbs. They learn about animals and insects from analyzing and dissecting them. This type of schooling is frowned upon by the modern Afrikan schools. As a child I went to Montessori schools. They greatly mimic a sadulu. Teachings were not traditional. I do not remember a chalkboard, paper or pens. I do remember flora, insects, and everyday household items. There was also a starfish we could analyze. Our traditional ways have been greatly condemned and at the same time greatly imitated.
In Afrikan society children are invaluable; they are essential to the strength of the community. So, they must be honored. An environment must be created which is whole. The Kongo proverb says, "The child in the womb is a burden to one person; outside (born), it belongs to everybody in the community.16 When my grandmother was working outside of the home a woman who lived on the same street watched her children. There was no need for daycare centers. Today, the elders and young people in the community are reluctant to become ndezis. This has social and economic impacts on the communities of the West. The government is now cutting off welfare for many mothers. So, mothers must sometime find jobs that only pay minimum wage. These mothers sometimes cannot afford daycare at all or must choose among the worst daycares. Some mothers cannot afford to work because they must care for their children.
Most daycares today are not beneficial to the child's development. This is why community is so important. As Afrikans we have to look home to Afrika and seek proper methods for balancing school, work, and parenthood. The Western way is to simply let television baby - sit children. Families are almost forced into situations where complete strangers watch their children. Daycare providers have a great impact on children's development. Children come home today exhibiting behaviors outside of what is allowed in the home. The community needs holistic alternatives. Afrikans must begin sharing and relating with their neighbors and children again. Women must get together and form counsels, addressing the daycare needs in the community. If resources are pooled Afrikans can come up with solutions. It is vital that our communities make use of the people in them again. So, Afrikans can in turn take back their children.
Cited
Fu – Kiau , Bunseki and A. M Lukondo – Wamba . Kindezi: The Kongo Art of Babysitting. Baltimore: Imprint Editions, 1988 . pg 1 , 11
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