Our elderly are our greatest resource

BY SIMEON BANDA FSS

A western friend asked me recently: “Simeon, what is the view of old age among the Chewa people of Malawi?” It is an anthropological question which involves a Bantu perception of old age. Old age is not an issue in the Chewa community – though I am speaking of just a little section in a very small country in the vast continent of Africa.

I had the privilege of being looked after by an old woman, my grandmother Martha, who died in 1982 at the age of 100 years. To tell the truth and shame the devil, the old woman reached so ripe an age that she could not walk, fetch water or firewood alone, or do the washing – but we felt blessed for having her with us. She was our point of reference and she could take our jokes with great humour. She remained a permanent member, with us and among us.

She was not taken to a home for the aged because Malawi has no provision for such a service. The idea of an infirmary was unknown among my people, and I do not remember having taken her to a modern hospital. When I once suffered from acute headache, she took leaves from luni, a bush vegetable and smeared the veins around my forehead. I was cured. She taught me medicine to cure diverse diseases of children.

Today some people in my culture see old people as experts in witchcraft. Whenever a young person dies, they are the first victims of suspicion. I see this mentality growing increasingly in the rural area. It is very unfortunate. Old people live in fear among their children and grandchildren.

We sadly see our traditional value of respecting our elders being ignored. It is a shame to lose a time-tested value which ought to be considered as an African treasure of all times.

My people have always known old age as a blessing. I wonder why now the very same people see old age as a curse. Don’t we all aspire for old age?

Our dignity does not diminish with old age. Let us go back to our roots and discover the beauty of respecting old people.

I learned good fables while sitting around the fire with my grandmother, stories with lessons for good and harmonious living in the community. We do not lose anything in our respect for elders – if anything, we gain more by listening to their accumulated wisdom.