Community Development

Mary is learner in my class who is and Aids orphan, she has lost both her parents as they have died with the HIV/Aids virus. Unfortunately for Mary she has to take on a lot of responsibility at her young age as she was left to raise her younger siblings. Mary tries her best to raise her brother and sister and run her home however it is too much of responsibility for a girl at this young age especially managing to cope with two kids, household chores and being a full time student/scholar. Mary has such a hectic routine that she sometimes does not even have time to complete her homework. Due to the high cost of living Mary and her siblings live from day to day and do not even have a good plate of food on a daily basis, they sometimes go to sleep on an empty tummy and these poor kids do not even have proper clothing.
As an educator I would think African philosophy would be a good way that I could use to help Mary and her siblings to improve their lifestyle and assist them to improve their lives. African philosophy is a form of existentialism which is a complex response to the position of Africa in the world and Africa’s human history. African philosophy can actually build communities, encourage people to be more humble, make one understand themselves better, help us appreciate mystery and re-examine the need for tradition in human life. African philosophy consists of four methods of enquiry which are: moral, ethnic, political and wisdom philosophy, it focuses on the importance of the human community and the community’s place in the universe. This philosophy claims that happiness partially consists of living for others and supporting others as well as being anti-materialistic.
I would use the method of ethnic philosophy to speak to Mary and get to know her better and speak to her about her situation to get a better understanding of her situation and try and understand how she feels as an individual. Ethnic philosophy normally contains people’s view on life.
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