📘 LESSON TWO: TRADITIONAL AFRICAN ATTITUDE TO WORK
A short, student-friendly tutorial describing how work shaped life and community in traditional African societies.
🎯 Learning outcomes
- Explain the importance of work in traditional African societies.
- Describe how work was organized (age, gender, status).
- Give examples of traditional occupations and explain their social meaning.
🌾 Importance of work
Work was essential for the well‑being of the individual and the survival of the community. It provided basic needs (food, shelter, clothing) and kept social life going.
👪 Division of labour
Work was divided according to age, gender and status (chiefs, elders). Everyone contributed:
- Boys: herding, fishing, assisting elders.
- Girls: helping in cooking, fetching firewood, childcare.
- Women: cooking, child care, building in some groups (e.g., Maasai kraal work), weaving.
- Elders & chiefs: decision-making, ritual tasks, conflict resolution.
🛠️ Common types of work
Traditional economies featured a wide range of occupations, often tied to the environment:
Pastoralism, farming, livestock keeping, fishing, bee‑keeping, pottery, blacksmithing and handicrafts.
🤝 Work as community
Work was often communal — people helped one another (harvest sharing, house building, communal herding). This encouraged unity, shared responsibility and reinforced social bonds.
🍲 Rewards (not wages)
Work did not aim for monetary wages. Rewards included food, mutual support, social status, moral values and strengthened relationships.
💪 Attitude to work
Hard work was valued and laziness condemned. Diligence was taught as a moral duty and a contribution to the common good.
🔧 Specialization
Certain roles required special skills and respect — herbalists, diviners, rainmakers, potters and blacksmiths. These specialists taught apprentices and passed knowledge across generations.
🙏 Religious & social dimensions
Work often had a religious side — prayers, offerings and sacrifices were part of agricultural cycles and important ceremonies. Work united social and spiritual life.
🏆 Benefits of traditional work
- Fulfilled basic needs for individuals and communities.
- Provided a way to discover and use talents and skills.
- Strengthened community relations and shared values.
📊 Quick infographic
Age & gender → defined tasks
Communal work → social unity
Specialists → preserved knowledge
Religion → guided cycles
📝 Key takeaway
Traditional African work systems combined practicality, culture and spirituality — they met needs while shaping identity and community.
❓ Review Questions
- Find out how different communities in Kenya lived in the past and how they live today.
- How did the lifestyle of the communities influence daily activities?
By Elimu Assistant Team
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