AFRICA

N
CULTUR
E
CHELSY ALLAINE M. DELA CRUZ
BSN-4
Africa’s rich history and culture are so diverse that it varies
not only from one country to another but also within
regions and countries. The culture of each ethnic group
holds together the authentic social fabric of traditional
practices and rites, art, music, and oral literature through
which identities are built. As such, diversity of cultures,
religions, languages, and traditions should not be addressed
as a barrier to development, rather the continent should take
advantage and build on this rich diversity in its quest for
prosperity and change of the attitudes of its people towards
issues related to economic growth, social development, and
relation with the environment.
Music and fashion are good examples of the global
impact African culture tend to have. Many modern icons
in the music industry have incorporated African
instrumentation, ideas, and ideals into their music. There
are various forms of music most of which have either
originated from Africa or at least have been affected by
African music on some level. Many modern instruments
have evolved from ancient African forms, and many other
types of music have adopted similar techniques in terms
of rhythms, patterns, harmony, or simply the evolution of
melody.

Body Decorations of African
Cultures
Africans have ancient traditions
for decorating and
accessorizing the body in rich
and varied ways. Traditionally,
many African peoples wore
little to cover their bodies,
leaving their skin exposed
and available for decoration
Body painting is a colorful art used
by various African cultures to
celebrate, protect, and mourn.
Traditionally, body paint was mixed
from natural ingredients and
smoothed on the skin with fingers,
sticks, or grasses. Oil, clay, and
chalk were the most common paint
ingredients, but the Dinka of
southern Sudan have in the past
used ash, cattle dung, and urine to
make their face paint. Specific colors
are used to indicate certain periods
in a person's life, such as puberty,
courting, and marriage, among other
things
 HEALTH CARE STATUS
● There is an excellent level of care to be found at the private hospitals
in the major cities and around the game parks in South Africa, so
much so, that it’s not uncommon for patients to be flown in for
treatment from other countries. This is against a backdrop of a poor
standard of public health care and one of the shortest average life
expectancies on the planet — it’s fair to say that South Africa has
more than its fair share of challenges.

● As public facilities can be poorly equipped, overcrowded, and

waiting times long, comprehensive private medical insurance is
worth thinking about for anyone looking to relocate to South Africa.
there is a shortage of doctors, you may find they are mainly located
in the major hospitals, with satellite clinics being staffed by nurses or
medically trained community personnel.
 Health Care Beliefs
• Folk Medicine (roots)
• Prayer and spirituality
• Fatalistics
• Family Consultations

Barriers to health care

• Limited preventive health
• Limited financial resources
• Traditional diet high in fat
Consulting the spirit world (divination): 
They consult the 'spirit world' to identify the cause of the disease or
to discover whether there was a violation of an established
order from the side of the sick person. This is established
through the use of cowry shells, throwing of bones on strips of
leather or flat pieces of wood. The divining bones are not
strictly all bones but comprise shells, money, seeds, dice,
domino-like objects or even dominos themselves, and other
objects that have been appointed by the sangoma and the
spirit to represent certain polarities. Animal bones from lions,
hyenas, ant-eaters, baboons, crocodiles, wild pigs, goats,
antelopes and others form the large majority of the objects.
There are bones for all psycho-socio-spiritual polarities.

Spiritual protection: If the diviner or the traditional healer

perceives the cause of the disease to be an attack from evil
spirits, the person would be protected by the use of a talisman,
charm, moto [spiritually prepared black powder] for body
marks, amulets, and a spiritual bath to drive the evil spirits
away. These are rites aimed at driving off evil and dangerous
powers, spirits or elements. Their function is to eliminate the
evils or dangers that may have already taken root in a family
or community
Sacrifices: Among the Ewes and some of the northern tribes in
Ghana, sacrifices are sometimes offered at the request of the
spirits, gods, and ancestors. Sometimes animals are
slaughtered or buried alive. When it comes to the issue of
death among the Ewes and some tribes in the northern region
of Ghana, dogs or cats are sometimes buried alive at midnight
to save the soul of the one at the point of death

Prescription of herbs: Depending on the kind of disease the

person has brought to the diviner or the traditional healer, he
would prescribe herbs to the sick person. These prescriptions
come with some specific instructions on how to prepare the
herb, the dose and timeframe

Clay and herbs application: In some of the healing processes,

the traditional healer would prepare white clay with some herbs
for the sick person to apply on his or her body for a number of
days. This is mostly what is done for those with skin diseases
Advantages and disadvantages of African
traditional medicine for healing process
• Whatever choice you make in life comes with its own
merits and demerits. The same applies to health care.
Whether one is using Western or traditional medicine
to cure his or her disease, it comes with its own
challenges. Currently, there are many Western drugs
on the market which have several side effects, in spite
of their scientific claims. This informs us that African
traditional medicine or healing processes also has its
own challenges. Discussions with some clients and
practitioners of African traditional health care in
Kumasi, Ghana, led to the following conclusion:
Advantages
• It is 'holistic'. It addresses issues of the soul, spirit
and body.
• It is easily accessible.
• It is mostly cheap.

Disadvantages
• It does not rely on accurate diagnosis.
• Sometimes neglects the importance of dosage.
• Often prepared in unhygienic conditions.
• The knowledge of the medicine is not easily
disseminated but kept by those who have it.
• Some of the practitioners depend on divination
which makes it difficult for Christians to access their
services