African Indigenous Proverbs and the Institutional and Pedagogic Relevance for Youth Education: Lessons from Kiembu of Kenya and Igbo of Nigeria

George J Sefa Dei

doi:10.5296/jet.v1i1.4708

Abstract

This paper raises fundamental questions about struggles of Indigenous philosophies and the ways educators can teach multiple bodies of knowledge to enhance youth education. It adopts a comparative approach to the study of African proverbs focusing on two communities highlighting the points of convergence [and divergence] in their cultural knowledge systems. Within the African traditional context proverbs as a way of knowing are deeply embedded in the community’s cultures, histories, Indigenous cosmologies and worldviews.

Highlights

This paper raises fundamental questions about struggles of Indigenous philosophies and the ways educators can teach multiple bodies of knowledge to enhance youth education
It adopts a comparative approach to the study of African proverbs focusing on two communities highlighting the points of convergence [and divergence] in their cultural knowledge systems
It is contended that while the engagement of local cultural resource knowledge has not been prominent in providing options for youth, this can be an important tool in educational delivery

Summary

Introduction

This paper raises fundamental questions about struggles of Indigenous philosophies and the ways educators can teach multiple bodies of knowledge to enhance youth education. The identified teachings of Indigenous African philosophies such as cultural stories, songs and proverbs relate to the concept of self and the community, responsibility, respect for oneself, peers and authority, and mutual interdependence and community building while speaking to their place in school curricular, pedagogical and instructional initiatives to enhance youth learning. There are pertinent questions and issues about culture and the importance of local cultural knowings such as Indigenous proverbs, folktales and songs in informing and framing curriculum, instructional and pedagogical practices around moral and civic education These concerns have educational policy implications as educators and administrators search for ways to promote inclusive learning spaces that ensures that the youth develops a sense of connectedness and responsibility to their communities. As the writings of Chamberlain (2003), Eastman and Nerburn (1993) and Stiffarm (1998), among many others, point out in the current globalized and transnational world where ‘migration, Diaspora, and resettlement are everyday affairs’ and where we continually encounter competing claims to land, resources, knowledge and power; proverbs, tales, folktales and mythologies [even when contained in stories] can be helpful to all learners in appreciating the common thread of human existence

Study Context and Method

Kiembu of Kenya Proverbs

Igbo of Nigeria Proverbs

Discussion