The history of Africans is a history of challenges. The secret to the survival of Africans has been the African family, whose existence is now under threat. Thus, you can end up making a living by protecting families in Uganda. Below is the guidance in coming up with workable solutions towards protecting the family-integrity in Uganda.
(b) The science behind
Close relatives, when they get married, produce children who are weak biologically speaking. They stand high chances of getting diseases that are passed on from the previous parents and grandparents.
(c) Challenge for present Uganda
Keeping our culture and traditions, especially the practices and beliefs that are still relevant today, cannot hold Uganda back from developing. On the contrary, this approach will promote Uganda’s transformation, just like it happened in most of Asia.
(d) What you need to consider
i. Do you know of a disease called sickle cell?
ii. Are you aware that sickle cell is a problem that comes from both one’s mother and one’s father?
iii. Which other diseases inherited from one’s parents are you aware of?
iv. How can we prevent diseases you mentioned in (iii) above?
b) The science/psychology behind
-The well-being of any society starts with a functioning family. A society’s well being therefore depends largely on how it helps the newly formed marriages overcome their subsequent challenges.
-Because parents have acquired a lot of knowledge and experience about marriage, they become better guarantor of their children’s marriages, provided they are respected and listened to.
(c) Challenge for present Uganda
Family is one of the most threatened entitides in Uganda, as evidenced in the increasing numbers of divorces, separations, dysfunctional homes, single motherhood, domestic violence, street children, among others. This challenge needs to be addressed, if Uganda is to become stable and prosperous society.
(d) What you need to consider
i. Have you ever seen street children?
ii. If no, learn it from today that living on a street is the most unfortunate situation to be in as a child.
ii. Did you know that majority of the street children are a result of the weakening/disappearing African family, i.e. a family with African values?
iii. In other words, the problem of street children will increase – if we do not protect the remaining African family, at least until the country attains a functional welfare system.
iv. How can the African family be protected?
iv. What is a welfare system?
iv. Why is it difficult to establish a welfare system in present Uganda?
iv. What should we do, to have a welfare system in the future?
…
b) The science behind
Cow-ghee increases the chances of dried umbilical cord to float. The whole practice was psychological, meant to safeguard the biological role of the father in a family.
(c) Challenge for present Uganda
It is now possible to establish a child’s true father. As to whether this science breakthrough will promote stability in marriages, just as its ‘equivalent’ did in traditional Uganda, remains to be seen.
(d) What you need to consider
i. What problems do marriages face, if partners fail in becoming faithful to one another?
ii. How can faithfulness be promoted among married people in Uganda?
iii. Have you ever heard of herbs secretly administered in marriages to secure a partner’s faithfulness?
iv. If yes, do you believe they work?
v. If your answer in (iv) above is yes, would you administer the same to your partner?
vi. More importantly, are you aware (a) that some of the mental ill-health cases in marriages might be attributable to such herbs? (b) that love and faithfulness in marriage is not brought about by ‘medicines’ but by one’s attitude and behaviour?
v. How can the use of herbs to secure love and faithfulness in marriages be minimised?
v. How can people’s attitudes and behavior be improved in fostering marriages?
(b) The Science/Psychology Behind
The weak and vulnerable in traditional Africa survived largely because of the extended family system. All children were assured of a future mainly because of the extended family system.
(c) Challenge for present Uganda
The extended family system is dying before Uganda can achieve a social welfare system. This puts the country at cross roads. It explains the increasing neglect faced by the elderly, orphaned children and widowed mothers in the country.
(d) What you need to consider
i. Have you ever seen old people in your community?
ii. Do you know that these old people were once young like you?
iii. Are you aware that they grew up and many worked hard for the country you are in?
iv. Is it fair for your community or country not to take care of them, when they become weak and old?
v. What can be done to help the elderly and orphaned children in your community?
You can promote the stability of family in Uganda by interesting students in your school into debating and bringing to the public attention meaningful family practices, such as the ones described above. This is possible, especially if you a member to any of the following school clubs:
- Debating Club
- Drama Club
- Patriotic Club
- Scouts/Girl Guides
- Scripture Union
- Writers’ Club
- Young Christian Society
Becoming wealthy or an influential person
Behind the numerous social challenges facing Uganda are opportunities for jobs creation, especially to upcoming generations like yours. Look around carefully for any of these opportunities. The subsections “What you need to consider”, previous page, may provide you with a starting point in identifying these opportunities. If you detect an opportunity, and it sounds interesting to you, take it up as follows:
i. Write it down on paper.
ii. Revisit it after some time and see if it still makes sense.
iii. If the idea still makes sense, get more information about it through reading or asking others.
iv. Use that information to refine your idea (make it clearer for yourself).
v. Keep it for an appropriate time.
In other words, you can grasp that opportunity while you are still at school, then turn it into jobs or a business after you have completed school or during your long school holidays. This is one of the shortest paths before you towards becoming an influential person in Uganda.
By reading this interesting story and changing accordingly, you will become valuable to efforts of securing and promoting the wellbeing of families in Uganda and beyond.
Careers relevant to Family protection
If you want to establish whether or not family care or family protection is an area you could work in after finishing school, read this interesting story. Some of the careers through which one can foster care or protection of family include:
| Career | Description |
| Anthropologist | -Studies people, their relationships, and how they live together as members of society. |
| Attorney/lawyer | -Gives advice to people/govt./companies/organization; tells them what they can and cannot do under the law. Also defends clients in the courts of law. May work for govt., law-firms, companies, etc. |
| Author/writer/novelist | -Develops original written materials for books, magazines, journals, online publications, company newsletters, radio/television broadcasts, motion pictures, and advertisements. |
| Clergyman | -Responsible for the spiritual well-being of people. |
| Clothing designer | -Creates and helps produce men’s, women’s, and children’s apparel, including casual wear, suits, sportswear, etc. |
| Film director | -Interprets scripts, auditions and selects cast members, conducts rehearsals, and directs the work of cast and crew. |
| Freelance writer | -Self-employed, and sells his/her work to publishers, publication enterprises, manufacturing firms, public relations departments, or advertising agencies. |
| Home economist | -Focuses on the improvement of the well-being of individuals, families and the community. |
| Journalist/Reporter | -Gathers information and writes news stories. |
| Judge | -In charge of trials in the courts of law. |
| Police | -Enforces laws in a country. |
| Politicians | -Supposed to be the most hopeful messengers of a society’s will to improve. Thus, run local and national government. |
| Producer | -An entrepreneur who makes the business and financial decisions involving a motion picture that is made for cinema, television feature, or stage production. |
| Social worker | -Helps people overcome problems, and make their lives better. |
| Sociologist | -Studies the means by which people and groups behave towards each other, as well as socioeconomic developments and changes. |