Surrogacy; African Or Nah?
CULTURE
Surrogacy
It's done to continue a family name. If the wife does not have male children, she can also marry a wife with the hope of having male children to carry on her husband's family name. She can also do that if her family has no male child and the children from the marriage will carry her family's name
In my community, barren women are given the opportunity to pick another woman to bear children for her. Her husband pays the brideprice of the younger woman she brings, and all the children from that union will be hers. Meanwhile, In Nandi Culture also in Kenya, a woman is allowed to pay another woman to come and bear her children. This woman who is usually an older woman, can decide to have a child and let the mother leave or pay her brideprice and keep her in her home to keep bearing children. No sexual activity is allowed but the woman demanding for the kids, will carter for all their needs and the children will bear her name and call her mother.
My mother that gave birth to me is from Mgbidi in Imo state, she got pregnant before her Ikwa ezi (traditional ceremony of initiation to womanhood) and was sent out of the community as it is seen as a sacrilage. A good woman took her in and she had my oldest brother for her. she even had my other brothers and myself for the woman and her family. We grew to know this woman we call mama, as our mother and we answer her surname too, it is normal in this part oh
With stories like this, you might want to visit the meaning of surrogacy again.
Hahahahahaha
Having in mind that these women did not have any emotional attachment to the mothers of their children, you will be right to say, that these were all on agreement basis to bear children.
Speaking to Thando, my unfailing energetic sister from Zimbabwe, she reacted differently from the story in Nigeria and Kenya, but you can bet it got more interesting. In Thando's culture, the Ndebele culture of SouthWestern Zimbabwe there is a payment made for childbirth and the mother is free to go back to her life after the childbirth.
In Zimbabwe, especially in my culture, which is the Ndebele culture, whenever a woman could not bear children, they will get her young sister to come and help. When the younger sister gives birth, she will leave the child for the couple and return home to continue her life. There is no bride price payment, but after the birth, the couple will go to the woman's place and make cow payments in appreciation for the child birth. It also happens, if the man is unable to impregnant his wife, he brings his brother to help, after which he is meant to return to his life too.
If this isn't Surrogacy, then what is?
While getting to digest this, there is a huge need to quit the impose of our individual beliefs on a continent. Many things we have stood firm to argue and said not to be an African Culture might really be existing in many parts of Africa.
Insisting on ridiculing and marginalizing certain groups while turning a blind eye to the paramount needs of our people might be the imported culture
I would always say,
Every and any practice that does not threaten the rights and well being of humans in general, without religious or personal bias, should be respected. Cultures are decided by people not people by Culture.
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