Finding Our Roots
‘I can see those are doing better than the last ones. Must be the weather helping them.’
‘Yeah, must be.’ My aunt Bridget smiled back at me as she tended to her Onugbu plant (botanical colorata)
eaten as leaf vegetables in my cousin’s tiny makeshift garden.
Many Africans in the USA began planting their own food in their backyards in recent years. Mainly due to the need for fresh produces of African crops as opposed to the dry ones imported straight from Africa.
‘Those things are not healthy,’ my aunt continued as she plucked the Onugbu leaves from their stalk. Even if we’re far away from home, we still need to eat our dishes in their freshest form, and this is one way to ensure that. People are eating rubbish these days. Especially you young ones.’
The conversation with my aunt reminded of one I had with my mom in my compound in Esther Park on the East Rand of Johannesburg years ago. ‘Your yard is huge, huge enough to have partitions of food garden. I wonder why you don’t use it.’ She had said, while looking around my expansive compound. ‘You can plant okra and ugu or spinach leaves, egusi seeds, and this and that and eat wholesome meals. Instead of going to the shops in town to buy those dry food items that have lost their nutrients from overexposure to the elements during transition.’ She had said. My mother like her younger sister in the States shared the same opinion on excessive consumption of processed foods. And I clearly see their point and more. Their point was based more on the nutritional benefits of growing your own food, while in addition to their concerns I’m aware of how artificially produced foods affects the environment.
Popping our meals into the microwave may save us preparation time, but we can’t be ignorant of its high energy consumption and its resultant effects. Not to mention that a slow cooked alternative more than often helps seal in all the meal’s nutrients, making for a healthier meal.
In understanding where my mom and aunt are coming from, it’s pertinent to note that as years progressed, we’ve come to accept substituting wholesome organically produced meals with artificial forms of food production. Plus people have since stopped growing their own food in place of buying food off of the shelves in local supermarkets. It does beg the question though — If you don’t know what’s in the food you’re consuming, how would you be certain you’re consuming the required amount of nutrients your body needs to function at its peak? Perhaps, this is why sicknesses abound? But that’s a topic for another day.
This fast fast generation is one in which our health and environment are paying dearly for our choices.
It’s no dispute that advanced technology has eased and improved living conditions, however, its negative impact on the environment cannot be over emphasized. It’s pretty evident what carbon emissions from many of the artificial methods we’ve employed to improve our general daily living have done to the environment. But many are still ignorant of this fact. In many cities around the world, it’s not uncommon to find places completely devoid of any greenery. I currently reside in one of those cities. Urbanization goals that involves replacing nature with artificial resources is a death trap for its environment and inhabitants.
More awareness is needed. Our ancestors lived to preserve the earth. We need to respect their efforts by collectively as global citizens protect our environment by all means, for us and for future generations ahead. My mom and aunt and perhaps hundreds of thousands of others around the world who have understood the assignment are sure proof of its pragmatism and sustainability.
