The Much Responsibilities : A Freewrite

Bukata(A Yoruba word for 'responsibility') such as caring for children, doing household chores, and assisting elderly relatives can be very difficult in African cultures. They also create a sense of belonging, which is something that I think Westerners don’t have as much. We are more independent and do not need to rely on others for help with things like cooking or cleaning. But it’s also nice to have a home, where I can hang out with my family after work and relax.

Today we went to the market together for the first time in a while. It was nice to get out of the house and see people again. I’ve already mentioned the fact that most homes have several rooms, each of which must be cleaned daily. Then there are the chores outside: fetching water, chopping wood and carrying it back to your home, cooking meals over an open fire and cleaning up afterwards…
And then there is always something else to do: sewing clothing, making baskets out of leaves or grasses or whatever materials are available. For example, there’s this giant tree in front of our house that has fallen over and is blocking the road. So I have to get up early every morning and move it out of the way so people can drive by. This is a big job because there are always other people around who want to help but who also don’t know what they’re doing.
And when someone comes along with a tractor, they might have a different idea about how best to move the tree than you do! I’ve been thinking about what it would be like to live in an African home.

The women do all the cooking, cleaning and child care. They also do a lot of the farming and other manual labor needed to support the family. It’s not easy being a woman here, but they seem content with their lot in life so I don’t think anyone minds too much (no matter how strange it sounds).