It takes a village

It takes a village to raise a child is an African proverb which means that it takes an entire community of different people interacting with children in order for a child to experience and grow in a safe environment. The villages would look out for the children. This does not mean an entire village is responsible for raising your children and/or the children of a crowd.

Attributions

The proverb has been attributed to African cultures. In 2016, NPR decided to research the origins of the proverb and concluded it was unable to pinpoint its origins, though academics said the proverb nevertheless holds the true spirits of some African cultures.[1]

Examples of African societies with proverbs which translate to 'It takes a village …' include the following:[2]

  • In Lunyoro (Bunyoro) there is a proverb that says “Omwana takulila nju emoi,” whose literal translation is “A child does not grow up only in a single home.”
  • In Kihaya (Bahaya) there is a saying, “Omwana taba womoi,” which translates as “A child belongs not to one parent or home.”
  • In Kijita (Wajita) there is a proverb which says “Omwana ni wa bhone,” meaning regardless of a child's biological parent(s) its upbringing belongs to the community.
  • In Swahili, the proverb “Asiye funzwa na mamae hufunzwa na ulimwengu” approximates to the same (whomsoever is not taught by the mother will be taught with the world).

Books titled It takes a village

References

  1. ↑ "It Takes A Village To Determine The Origins Of An African Proverb". NPR.
  2. ↑ "Proverb: It takes a Whole Village to Raise a Child". www.h-net.org. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
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