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Africans are well known from the solid
bonds connecting their families. Brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, cousins, nephews, and nieces are all considered brothers
and sisters in a typical African family. The issue of family is supposed to be
a precious pearl to all, but it is unfortunate that some families know a great deal about their roots while others know very
little. This site is an attempt to record what I’ve learned about family history. In these modern times, families tend
to be scattered all over the country, if not the world.
If there is one beauty I know and admire
a lot about Africans, it is the solidarity between family members. My nieces are my sisters, and my cousins are my brothers.
We Africans don’t know what other people call “Extended family” because for us, a “family” is
a family, a united body with no segregation or barrier.
African families are very huge. Because
we consider uncles, cousins, etc. as brothers and sisters, Africans end up not knowing all their families members. In some
tribes, marriages within the same tribe are not permitted. In other tribes, intermarriages within one family are not permitted.
Believe it or not, some tribes don’t care at all, and even prefer marriages within one family to marriages between two
different families. No problem, we respect peoples’ morals and values.
Coming from a tribe (Bafou-Dschang located
in Western Cameroon) where marriages within the same family are not encouraged, it is very important for every family member
to know all members of the family in order to avoid mistakes and shame. Also, knowing all family members should be one’s
pride in case of marriages, emergencies, funerals, births, etc.
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