What Is Wrong With Us: We can find money to bury the dead, but not to keep the living well
African families can mobilise remarkable resources for a funeral. The uncomfortable question is why so few of us mobilise the same devotion for the fruit bowl, the health screening, or the walk that might have postponed it. The Funeral Is Not the Problem, Our Priorities Might Be There are few occasions in African communal life […]
African families demonstrate remarkable resourcefulness when arranging funerals, showcasing a depth of community support that transcends other aspects of communal life. However, the relentless question remains: why do we fail to apply the same dedication to our own well-being? It is a contradiction captured in a NyansaKasa (words of wisdom) reflection: while we can allocate funds for funerals, the resources to maintain our health are often insufficient.
In many African homes, money is readily available for funerals, yet there is too little to invest in nutritious food. The World Health Organisation estimates that three billion people globally lack access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food. Nevertheless, this exaggeration masks a deeper issue. Why do we mobilize resources more readily after preventable illness and death than before them?
This is not a rejection of funerals; rather, it is a reflection on our priorities. We emphasize honoring the deceased, but perhaps we should invest early enough to prevent such farewells. This is not a lack of respect; it is a manifestation of love translated into prevention.
Written by urgent.news from Adom Online's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
