It Takes a Village to Raise a Child: Families in Namibia & South Africa

A lot of people in the States are surprised when I tell them that I have only 5 cousins. In turn, they’ll tell me they have 10 or 12, sometimes quite a few more. I never really thought my family was all that unusual, but hearing about families here in Africa is a whole different ballgame.

First, most everyone I have met have several (think 7 or more) siblings. Their spouses have the same amount. Then those siblings usually all have kids, most often several. You can see how quickly that adds up! In addition, families typically live very close to each other. Therefore, cousins grow up as siblings & aunts and uncles often function as second (and third, and fourth) sets of parents. The family works as a team to instill culture, values, and norms in the children.

Alright. So we have the blood relatives. Then, add some non-blood relatives into the mix. Many places you automatically become relatives after getting to know the family well. For example, during my urban homestay I became family right away. My host sister’s son has been lovingly calling me “Auntie” all week.

It is interesting to observe the dynamics of Namibian families. As I type this in my bedroom, there are several cousins running around outside playing basketball, a couple aunts chatting over “cold drink” (a southern African phrase for what is usually a soda), and uncles chatting in the corner: just a typical Saturday in Windhoek.