Are elderly people creating unnecessary competition? By Sycorax Ndhlovu  

Mon, 28 Nov 2016 18:54:29 +0000

Proverbs radio programme on Millennium Radio, 90.5 fm facilitates sharing of informative, educative and interesting local language proverbs which promote our cultural values.

Every Saturday from 15:00hurs to 16:00hours, Millennium Radio airs a live phone-in proverbs programme from one of the more than 73 ethnic tribes. And the other Saturday’s proverb aired on the stated radio station was ‘Kumbire adanka nawo’, a Cichewa proverb from Eastern province:

The word ‘kumbire’ literary means ‘dig for me’; ‘adanka nawo’ means ‘went with them’.

This proverb reminds youths, young ladies and young men; including other elderly people of the importance to ask our respective parents or other people about what they (elderly people) know which is helpful for the current and future generations. Failure to do so might mean that when elderly people die, they will go with everything they knew without leaving such for the benefit of current and future generations.

By saying ‘kumbire adanka nawo’, the proverb illustrates a situation where elderly people know a lot of herbs for common health challenges; including those in children. But each time, a boy, girl, young lady or young man has a ailment, such a person asks his or her father, a mother or a grandparent to go in the bush; and dig the herbs from the shrub or from a tree an elderly person knows that cures a certain health challenge.

It is assumed that if such a situation continues, firstly, the young person won’t know which shrub or tree the elderly person digs for a herb that cures that health challenge; and secondly, when that elderly person passes on, then, that knowledge of those herbs he or she was digging to cure some health challenges will go with that elderly person.

Some people; especially the youths, might think that elderly men and women, the so-called senior citizens are not necessary in this modern world because they are archaic and redundant.

With Zambia’s population of about 70 per cent of the 14million people being youths; with some socio-economic challenges here and there coupled with some shortages, some people might argue that the existence of elderly people around is worsening such challenges through creating unnecessary competition for few scarce resources such as oxygen, mealie meal, drugs in hospitals and others.

Someone is saying there is no problem on oxygen because it’s free from God. No, it’s not as free as one might think. With high levels of deforestation where the number of trees which supply oxygen has tremendously reduced, it’s difficult to argue that oxygen is still in abundance. To make matters worse, with a lot of elements of industrialisation process here and there, the quality of air; where oxygen hides before it comes to our noses, has also reduced. So, it’s not only the stock of oxygen that has reduced but also its quality.

It’s from such a background that some young people might think that elderly people are unnecessarily increasing Zambia’s population; thereby contributing to some shortages of essential goods and services.

No sooner was I filled with the Holy Spirit while on Millennium Radio that Saturday than I realised why elderly people are still hovering around. It’s God’s plan for such elderly people to be with us up to now. God wants us to learn from the same elderly persons what they know which has helped them to live up to now; and what we can do to live a peaceful and happy life.

Therefore, that elderly person in your family or in your community is there for a purpose. He or she is your blessing from God so that you ask as many questions as possible whose answers can help you and your children to address the current and future socio-cultural, economic and political challenges.

Because such elderly people are filled with vast knowledge and wisdom, rarely do they talk too much when they are with young ones. They wait patiently for boys, girls, youths and other people to ask them what they know which can benefit the current and future generation.

The point is: ‘God can’t remove all players from a play ground before he finds substitutes!’ Only when such elderly people have transplanted enough knowledge and wisdom on many members of our family, our community and of country as a whole can such elders leave this world.

But a thousand and one dollar question is: ‘Are we making use of the availability of such elderly persons before they pass on?’

Elderly people are a reservoir not only of vast important knowledge but also of wisdom. With elder people around, and asking them properly, one can have few or no serious challenges in life.

No matter how humble, poor, dirty, and ignorant some senior citizens might appear, they are powerful consultants for our current and future challenges.

Therefore, boys, girls, youths, young men and young women are encouraged to make good use of elderly people by asking them various relevant questions on how best such young people can utilise God’s gift of life before such elderly people join the majority.

God is using such elderly people in our midst to pass on useful knowledge, wisdom, cultural morals, beliefs values and practices from one generation to another.

Now if the current generation doesn’t get such knowledge, wisdom and cultural values from the elderly people before they go to the land of total silence, how will our culture be sustained? This is where the Cichewa proverb ‘Kumbire adanka nawo’ comes in as an important reminder to us all.

Are you asking relevant questions to your mother, father, aunt, uncle, grandmother, grandfather or your guardian to acquire relevant knowledge and wisdom for you to prevent some challenges from devastating you now and in future?

Some people pretend that they don’t use traditional medicines (herbs); but secretly; especially at night, such people ask those who know and have such herbs to help them with some for a known health, business, job, marriage or whatever challenge or opportunity.

And some of our parents and some elderly people in our family or community know such herbs.

Have we asked the same people; including our parents to tell us which shrubs and trees they use to cure some health problems? Have we gone with them where they dig such shrubs or trees to see which shrub they dig or which tree they get the barks from to cure various ailments?

We have neither escorted them to show us the types of shrubs and trees they dig nor have we recorded such names of shrubs or trees in our notebooks for future references on respective health, marital, job or health, business challenges or opportunities. So, what will happen if such highly knowledge and wise people die before we extract such knowledge and wisdom from them?

Someone might argue that not all elderly people have beneficial knowledge and wisdom. Admittedly, no human being is hundred per cent perfect. But one can still argue that regardless of some limitations some elderly people might have, they still store some beneficial knowledge and wisdom which can help us in some ways.

Having experienced, seen or learnt about various socio-cultural, economic and political issues, most elderly persons might guide us on how best to address most of the so-called challenges we face nowadays. They can help us prevent many challenges we might face in future.

Consider veteran politicians in our midst, for instance. Again, someone is saying some veteran politicians have outlived their usefulness. Like who?

You might be right. Not all elderly people or veteran politicians might be as useful to everyone. But many elderly people are useful.

Whatever large or small percentage some elderly people or veteran politicians belong to, each of them is useful in one way or the other to the young generation.

Look at the first republican president, Dr Kenneth Kaunda for example. Consider Mama Chibesa Kankasa. The former secretary general for UNIP, Alexander Grey Zulu. We have another veteran politician, Sikota Wina and many others who have seen and learnt of many socio-cultural, economic, political and legal issues in Zambia and elsewhere.

Even in various professional circles, we have people who can guide young and emerging professionals on how to handle some cases or issues.

If we don’t learn what such people know; and how they learnt what they know now, it might be too late for us to do so later. Again, the Chewas say: ‘Likawomba; wotheratu’ meaning during cold season, when the sun shines, bask in it before it enters the crowds. This proverb is similar to the English one which states: ‘Strike the iron when it’s still hot’. ‘Likawomba wotheratu’ simply means exploit an opportunity while it’s there.

Such people are important in workplaces and in marriages. They also play a critical role in promoting love, peace and stability both in families and in the country.

Not asking elderly people on how to address certain challenges is at our own risk. Hence, the presence of elderly people amidst us isn’t creating unnecessary competition; thereby creating some shortages for the young generation; but it’s adding value to the same generation.

It’s from such a background that we thank God for blessing us with such elderly people around us; and we pray for our senior citizens’ good health and long life for us to extra more knowledge and wisdom from them.

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