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African Solutions for African Problems

Their country. Their people. Their culture.

(wo nsa nifa hohorow benkum, na benkum nso hohorow nifa)
That the left arm cannot wash itself is of course a matter of everyday experience. It is when the

two arms wash each other that both become clean: thus, the need for interdependence.
"Life is mutual aid."
(Obra ye nnoboa)

"Your neighbor's situation is [potentially] your situation. 8
(Wo yonko da ne wo da)

***
The Ethics of Duty, Not of Rights
We would normally think that there is a moral connection between 'good' and 'ought', and that

therefore a morally good act ought to be performed: if an act is morally good, then it ought to be
performed.
***
A native will give his best house and his evening meal to a guest, without the slightest thought
that he is doing anything extraordinary “

Gyekye, Kwame. "African Ethics 428
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, edited by Edward N. Zalta, Fall 2011.

*****
Home Rituals Before Burial
“ African death rituals begin by preparing the home soon after a person dies and receiving

people who come to pay their respects to the dead. According to the Macmillan Encyclopedia
of Death and Dying reference, home rituals often include:

• Turning all pictures to face the wall and covering all mirrors, windows and reflective
surfaces so the dead can't view themselves. In South Africa, the windows are smeared
with ashes.

• Removing the bed from the deceased person's bedroom

• Holding a vigil in the home where the whole community comes to pay respect and offer
condolences to the family

Removing the Body From the House for Burial
Death rituals for removing the body from the house to take to a morgue or the burial site are
meant to confuse the dead so he can't find his way back home or into the house too soon.

Some customs, according to Macmillan Encyclopedia of Death and Dying, include:
• Hole in the wall: Take the deceased out of the house through a hole in the wall instead of a
door and seal the hole so he cannot find his way back in. This also symbolizes he is now a
part of the ancestral community.

• Feet first: Take the dead out feet first so he is facing away from the location of the house.