Getting ahead

It's hard work to get ahead in Tanzania.  On one hand, the communal caring-for and sharing that goes on within families is really beautiful, but on the other, it makes it nearly impossible for anyone to break out of poverty.  It's a system set up so that nobody with friends and family ends up hungry and homeless, which is great, except that it also prevents anyone from being really well-fed in a very nice house.

To give you an idea of how this works, I'll give you a little case study example from a young man with whom I was talking yesterday.  He's the second child out of nine kids, and the oldest boy.  His parents chose him to be one of the few in the family who would receive a good education, since they couldn't afford to send all their kids through school.  They, along with the extended family and the brothers and sisters who weren't chosen, sacrificed a lot to put him all the way through secondary school.  After graduation, he managed to get a pretty good job with a regular salary.

Now, however, he has a huge responsibility to take care of everyone in his family.  Just this past weekend, his sister had a baby, and he was asked to pay for her transport to and from the hospital and the hospital bill.  Also, his cousin's child got sick, and he had to foot that bill, too.  While his cousin might not have directly contributed to his education, she's still family, and she needed help.  Every week or two, there is a relative who needs something or other, and he's expected to pay.

He has been trying to save up some money for a little nest egg, in hopes of getting married and having his own family someday, but how can he refuse?  They put him through school, and without their help, he'd be in the same situation they are.  As the oldest and wealthiest male among his siblings, he's the one they are all going to go to for the rest of his life.  When his father dies, he'll be responsible for taking care of his mother and any surviving grandparents.  If any of his brothers die, he's the one in charge of providing for their widows and children.

This system ensures that there is always someone who can help you in your time of need, and it keeps the family relationships close.  There are a lot of good things about everyone caring for one another and being responsible for each other, and I don't think this young man would argue otherwise.  However, he's already feeling the frustration and pressure, and he's still in his twenties.  A lot of people are depending on him, and he's wondering if he really got the good end of the deal or not.  It's not always so lucky to be the "lucky" one!