Literacy

When I mentioned to some people that "literacy" is important, not because it is an English word but because the concept can be applied to any language (call it a vernacular if you like), some said I was calling for a revolution.

Well, think about it. The one simple thing that actually changes brain cells from thinking one way to another is the ability to connect signs and symbols to words, sounds and meaning. That is why any civilization with literacy built into its culture seems to move faster than the rest. I have met Chinese people with PhDs who do not speak a word of English, French, German or any other Western language.

So, conclusion: my grandma in Mɨgwachu can be totally "literate" in itaŋiKom, to the point where she can even do some algebra, without speaking a word of English (or any other Western language).

In my opinion, until we (Africans south of the Sahara) understand this simple concept and apply it locally in our different tribes (or places of origin), moving our people from point A to point B will not just be a pipe dream; we will all get lost in the middle of the pipe and have to wait for a rescue squad (probably from the West again!).

TribalMonk

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There are several ways to catch a mouse.

The problem we have is that everyone is so distracted and carried away by events far, far from home (the effect of globalization?) that attention to our own problems takes a back seat. Back in Mɨgwachu, a young person is more interested in Jay-Z's or Beyoncé's new release, or P-Square's dance moves, than in figuring out how a quadratic equation can be expressed in, for example, Efik.

We have a whole class of educated people, but it is not translating into problem-solving on the ground. So what's the point of PhDs that cannot solve socio-economic and political problems?

Carter G. Woodson's 1933 book The Mis-Education of the Negro should be revisited by anyone concerned about the same trend simmering in Africa south of the Sahara. A review of the book puts it this way: "Mis-Education criticizes the system, and explains the vicious circle that results from mis-educated individuals graduating, then proceeding to teach and mis-educate others."

Excuse the ramble, but sometimes it's good to share thoughts. You never know.

— Wanaku Verdzekov