The Sunday Mail
Sekuru Friday Chisanyu
Tracing African Roots
IN African religion, women encourage hard work and industrialisation for sustainable development. They play an important role in designing and implementing health systems involving traditional medicines and spirit possession. They play vital roles in the development of African programmes.
As a result, they are highly recognised in the economic systems by the ruling leaders.
In addition, they run most of the family affairs. It is undisputable that African women are the major producers of food through subsistence farming. African women have the natural knowledge on how to till the land,use natural resources and maintain its conservation. This is because they spend most of their time either with the family or in the fields.
As they conduct farming, they end up acquiring knowledge on medicinal plants for infant immunisation and adult treatment.
Most of domestic duties were done and are still being done by women of the African religion. These duties include producing food, storage, distribution and cooking. Unfortunately, colonialism largely affected the value of African women’s roles and responsibilities in the communities. The African women have inherited knowledge from other religions.
In African religion, most spiritual processes such as the brewing of beer for rituals, burials and other such functions are conducted by women. They also lead in song and dance at such events.
Selling of traditional and local medicine is also done by women. Some have even won awards in this field. They remain the most valuable assets as the custodians of traditional medicines. Women lead in the selection of traditional medicines for prevention and treatment of diseases, marriage protection, virginity management and leadership. African women are considered to be spiritually clean and trustworthy. In African religion, the highly recognised spirits possess more women than men. These spirits will be in charge of different tribes. Religion differs from one geographical area to the next. These possessed African women share information in health, agriculture and remedies to African problems. They are interested in the well being of the women, children and men of the nation. They were the facilitators of the rules and regulations from the spirits in most African countries.
Oral education on the conservation of biodiversity and scared areas remain very powerful in African religion up to this day.
African women indirectly rule the whole of Africa in their capacity as African mothers. They have moral and spiritual powers acquired through birth. In some African countries, Queens were heads of state deputised by men. Even in traditional healers’ associations and governments, they still occupy very senior positions. African women are regarded as the best in terms of influence and motivation.
African women are also the best care givers, they have a very low rate of discrimination. They participate in very difficult situations within their families and communities.
A lot of leaders have emerged from the African religion. African women were also directly and indirectly involved in the liberation war. They provided food and traditional medicine to the fighters. Some took part as freedom fighters and gained recognition as heroines.
However, as peace makers, women often discourage conflicts and the use of harmful traditional medicines. Indeed, they deserve to be praised.
Sekuru Friday Chisanyu is the founder and president of Zimbabwe National Practioners Association.
