Our ancestors experienced a number of changes in their traditional African societies,

There were migrations of people from one place to another. The Bantu once lived in the Congo forest region; the Luo lived in Bahel Gazel region of south Sudan and the Nguni lived in South Africa. But due to famine, diseases, lack of pasture, wars and love for adventure, they left their original homelands to find more suitable and peaceful areas to live in. Hence they changed from their original homelands to new areas.

Adapting to the new environment. After settling in new areas, Africans of the past had to adapt to the new environment. The new made the migrants to change a lot.

Changing from their old cultures to the culture of the new people among whom they settled. For example speaking new languages, inter-marriages etc.

At times they changed from their original occupation and took up new occupations e.g. from pastoralism to cultivation or vice versa or becoming mixed farmers.

Our ancestors faced changes in civilization. At first; most Africans were hunters and food gatherers; they moved naked; slept on tree branches, in caves and lived very far apart from each other. However, as time went on changes in knowledge occurred and this improved their standard of living. Examples:

They discovered fire and changed from eating raw food to roasted and later cooked food.

They changed from hunting and gathering fruits and started cultivating and keeping domestic animals such as goats.

They made iron implements e.g. hoes, pangas, fishhooks and knives to replace the wooden and stone tools.

They started making bark clothes, wooden sandals, cowhide sandals and clothes out of hides and skins.

They started making, stools, beds and fences out of reeds and other materials. They started building huts and living together in villages.

The above shows us that Africans in the past were not passive but always strive for great changes in there midst.

Natural changes. All Africans in traditional societies went through the natural stages of growth. They changed from childhood to puberty stage, 'then to old age and finally to death.

Seasonal 'changes were also natural like from the rainy to the dry seasons, daytime and nighttime also changed naturally.

Some changes also occurred in traditional African societies. At puberty stage, the growing up boys and girls were given serious instructions to prepare them for adult life. Changes such as growth of breasts and beards were well explained“in the society context (in social terms).

Among the Kikuyu of Kenya, the Sabiny and Bagishu of Uganda, circumcision rituals were organized for the adolescent boys or even girls. To be circumcised meant to-change from childhood to adulthood. A circumcised member was told all the secrets of the tribe and was allowed to marry. Hence, Puberty stage brought great physical and social.

Marriage in all African communities meant great social changes. A married person became respectable, got many new relatives such as in-laws and got new ' responsibilities of producing and looking after the children and other family members.

Africans also experienced political changes.

The first Africans were weak militarily but with time they created strong armies for self-defense and expansion of their kingdoms. For example King Shaka of the Zulu, Kabaka Suuna of Buganda, Omukama Kabaleega of Bunyoro, Emperor Theodore of Ethiopia etc all created strong armies and expanded their kingdoms.

Some kingdoms grew while others declined. The West African Sudanic Empires grew and fell one after the other e.g. From Ghana to Mali, then to Songhai, then to Kanem Bornu etc. In East Africa, when Bunyoro Kitara Empire of the Chwezi collapsed, it gave birth to Buganda, Bunyoro, Karagwe and other kingdoms.

The wars of our ancestors brought great changes e.g. death, displacement of people, famine etc.

Later Europeans came and colonised Africans. Hence a change from their traditional rulers to foreign rulers. The Europeans brought great changes in African politics. In South Africa, the foreigners- namely the Dutch enslaved. Africans and introduced the apartheid policy. Hence a change from freedom to slavery.

Economic changes occurred in traditional African societies especially as a result of external contacts. All along, Africans had been producing goods for home consumption. However with the coming of the Persians, Arabs and Portuguese to the East and West African coasts, great commercial changes occurred at the coast and in the interior of Africa. New commodities such as guns were brought to Africa in exchange for African goods such as ivory.

Positive changes included growth of towns and roads, consuming a variety of goods while negative changes included slave Trading with all its evil such as raiding, killing the old etc.

Africans never changed their religious beliefs and practices until much later, then Islam and Christianity were introduced. These new religions called for changes from traditional gods. Some Africans denounced their gods while the majority served both the white man's God and their traditional gods.

How did the elders prepare the young for-changes in life in-the past?

Africans knew that the future of their societies lay in the hands of the young. So they prepared them to meet the future changes with minimum shock. These preparationsdiffered from society to society, but with many similarities.

Greeting with   What teaching did the above miss in the upbringing?

From childhood, the young were taught the values of hard work. This was because all changes of the African past' could be coped up with through hard work. They were taught to cultivate,' chop firewood etc.

The young, especially boys, were given military training to make them ready to defend their tribes. So in case of a future war, they knew what to' do. They didn't panic, as the case would be if they were not prepared for such changes as wan. Among the Zulu, young boys and girls lived in regiments up to 40 years when they were allowed to marry. In the regiments, they were taught skills of attacking the enemy, fighting with short spears and taking cover.

Good behaviors were taught to the young to prepare them to live as popular citizens. Even when one's parents died, he/she would be adopted easily when he/she was well behaved.

They were taught about the different seasons, characteristics of a new coming season, how to prepare for changing seasons etc. This education was suitable because it helped them cope with their environmental changes.

They were introduced to their relatives right from childhood. These same relatives were the ones to help them in face of great future changes. e.g. Among the Baganda, a girl was sent to her aunt for special instructions at puberty. Since she had already visited her earlier on, she would feel, at home and trust her words. And as already seen, after the death of one's parent the orphans could stay in the hands of different relatives.

Africans were religious by nature. They were born by religious people and lived among religious people. To fit properly in society, the young were sent to their grand parents for religious instructions about the gods and ancestors of the clan, tribe etc. They _ were also taught how and why to sacrifice to gods and ancestors

The customs, values, norms and taboos of a society were passed on to the young to enable them develop a spirit of self-control. Blood pacts were emphasised in this respect.

They were taught the sounds and smells of different animals and insects. Like Hyenas etc. And were given skills of self-protection in case of being attacked by such animals.

They were taught about the value of ancestors in society. They were told that ancestors were not completely dead but still living. They could bless or punish. Hence the young grew up disciplined for fear of annoying the ancestors.

Pre-marital sex instructions were given to girls by their aunts and to boys by their uncles to prepare them to be good wives and husbands who understood their roles clearly.

Those born in a royal family were taught about leadership roles because any time they could be assigned duties in the palace or counties.

The young were taught how to call for help in case of danger e.g. how to raise an alarm, how to sound the danger drum etc. This was to prepare them for the eventuality of any danger.

 

Lessons from the African past experiences:

Christians today should work hard in order to cope up with changes.

We should be creative as our ancestors were. If they discovered fire, why can't we discover more?

Not any new change should be welcomed and not anything new should be rejected.

Christians should prepare their children for future changes using guidelines from the Bible.