Beyond The Prints: shackled!

One of the main aspects that even someone from the furthest of poles of the globe knows about Africa is the prints. Yes, the various animal prints on different of clothes from different famous fashion houses. The cheetahs spots on a shawl, the wild African prints on the Kitenge that gives the most diverse of color combination.

Yes, most beautiful and elegant. Chic if you please. As the main flag of Africa, of course it would be attractive but beyond those various hues and shades, beyond those shapes and patterns, beyond the prints, lies the real Africa; a shackled continent.

It is widely known that Africa is rich in culture. Almost each and every state has a couple of traditional cultural communities that make the continent as a whole so vast! This has served to attract so many tourists from the industrialized countries which have lost their touch of indigeneity. For sure this is a plus on our side and something to be proud of.

Yet still, because the Swahili say,"mwacha mila ni mtumwa," how is it that the lives in Africa are just beyond suffering and poverty, like that of a slave?

Though subjective, I feel that we are unable to progress because the same cultures and beliefs chain us. It has been several decades yet still some themes combating the demons of beliefs are still alive. Feminism is still sang, women are still oppressed, male chauvinism still rules and FGM still practiced.

If we had not been too transfixed in the traditionalism then we would have been only too far. Nurturing an infant is easier than correcting an adult. We have grown intertwined from these vines and are still holding on. India for one is a big state. It's challenges are endless and proper investigation states the traditional practices still alive as the cause.

It's a tough battle, and an endless hassle. Some impacts have been made for the people in urban areas have been successfully modernized. What remains is the rural areas. This makes us wonder if we should swap the latter with the former. So that the people in the rural areas should get a touch of the urban life while the urbanized people can stay safe from the evils of the imported culture. Every aspect of development has a challenge and even after development, problems still persist.

We need to remember that we are dealing with the problems of the past, tackling the surprises, changes and impacts of the present while aiming for the future. It is a shaky ride but it's an absolutely necessary journey. But before growing crops, work must be done for the soil to produce the best.

Before we check the future, we must tackle the past lest it grows thorns long enough to prick our present and future!