Hi all,
Sometime in February 2007, I was taking Didie to school(Didie is my son Dadewa), and in his usaul manner, he asked...'dad, what is this family tree thing all about. Can't I just get the BMX bicycle? (he was nine years old then).
I was glad. He was interested in the project that as at that time, I was grappling with how to put 'flesh' to the 'skeleton'.
I explained to him that the family tree project is conceived to help young people know their extended families, for as many generations as possible.
His response was 'that's easy, I know everybody in our family'.
My response was 'really, then what is grandma's name?'
His response was as fast as it was confident, 'her name is grandma, and can I have the BMX bicycle now?'
I responded, 'no you can't!'
He fired back, 'why?'
'Because, grandma has a name'
'But you never told me her name!'
'Ok, am sorry, grandma's name is Nwankakwa.'
'What was that?'
'Grandma's name'...
Well, the gist continued till we got to his school.
He was right. We never said to any of our children, the names of their grandparents.
Do your children know their family tree?
We are working on ours, since Didie's challenge.
Pictures: Top left Didie & Nwankakwa, Top right Didie & I at his graduation from Primary School.
Culled from my column in GENERATIONS magazine
4 comments:
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when the going get tough,only the tough will get going.their is the need for us to understand our root.the family tree is important to all.
Hi, many thanks for your comment.
I believe that some of social challenges we are having in Nigeria and indeed in some other countries, stem from the disconnection that has spread between individuals and their families. There seems to be very little deterrant outside the legal system, to keep people from working against society. Our traditional institutions and values have been seriously compromised. More and more Nigerians, are becoming 'town' people without their children having an understanding of who they are or where they come from.
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