African American History

Berida’s story exemplifies the issues facing women in Africa in general and Kenya in particular, especially with respect to gender and class in many ways. Berida explains in her story the hardships that women have in providing for themselves as well as their families. Some of the hardships that Berida talks about are in the article “The African and Kenyan Contexts.” The article states that, “across the continent, people of many African nations have been troubled by low levels of economic productivity, environmental degradation, inadequate physical and social infrastructure, the exigencies of structural adjustment, and the battering of declining commodity prices.” The hardships that are discussed are in the areas of education, economics, and ecological.

One of the most important issues discussed is economics. Everyone in the world today needs money to survive. Berida explains how she had to work hard day and night to provide for her for her family. She was the breadwinner in the family because her husband was an alcoholic and would spend all the money. She tried to make money any way she could. Berida and other women would go from city to city buying and selling goods for more than what they had paid for them to make a profit. Berida also worked for others, farming when she could not afford to buy and sell. When the trade business it depends on what the state of the economy is in to make good profits. African cities tend to be very poor and do not receive help from the government or other countries. All of the money that Berida made went to food, clothing, and education for her children.

Compared to European Nations there are few educated people in Africa. Education in Africa is very expensive and many families cannot afford to send their children to school until they graduate. Although Berida had very little education; she did what she could to keep her children in school. Depending on how much Berida made when her trading business was good, some of her children received more education than others. Berida feels that poor families should not have too many children because a decent education costs too much. Females in most families had to stop going to school to help take care of the younger children and out their parents while the younger children go to school. The less education that one has the less chance there is of getting a decent job.