“It takes a village to raise one child.” -African Proverb
As a child, I’ve heard this quote spoken out of the mouths of my parents and other grownups in the family. In my child-like estimation, a village was a place far, far, away in the jungles of Africa or distant country. So, with that thought in my mind about a village, I would say to myself, “we don’t live anywhere near a village!! and “how can a village in the middle of nowhere raise me, a child?” I realize now, as an adult, I did not have a proper understanding of what the African proverb meant. Although there are villages in Africa, the reference of “village” in this proverb was speaking metaphorically of the community. The goal of this “village” or community is to have a positive influence and a lasting impact on the lives of children.
According to Webster’s dictionary, the word community means “a group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society”. When we think about the “village” in relation to community, the common interest would be raising children to be productive citizens in our society. The group in the “village” could include the following but not limited to, parents, teachers, friends, aunts, uncles, grandparents, religious leaders, etc. All these individuals have one thing in common: to help in the development of children within the community. They all possess the power to instill knowledge, wisdom and understanding into the lives of children within their reach.
I can attest to the power of the “village” in my own life. As a single mom raising two sons (kings), I relied heavily on my “village” to help me with their care and development. In the early years of their lives, my mom, dad, and sister were a part of my immediate “village”. But after some time as my sons grew older, the “village” expanded to the school and church communities. I learned that the “village people” (as I would call them) had my children’s best interest at heart. Their method of care and development would be to either correct my sons or direct them. I am not sure if my sons would be the young men they are today without the impact and influence of our “village”.
When I consider why the “village” concept is so important in our society, I can think of seven elements that we receive from the “village” when it is working at its maximum level. The seven elements are an acrostic for the word VILLAGE. The benefits of having a “village” are…
● V – VICTORY
○ When the “village” is focused on the welfare and well-being of the children, we all experience victory. Our families win. Our neighborhood wins. Our schools win. The children experience victory as they grow up having knowledge on how to handle life.
● I – INSIGHT
○ Children receive insight on how to deal with the adversities of life. The “village people” teach and train our children on what to expect when they grow up. They offer our children a variety of problem-solving resources that will prove helpful in the long run.
● L – LEVERAGE
○ Our children have leverage or effectiveness when they are called to handle any task they may be asked to do. Because of the knowledge imparted from the “village”, our children can be effective and make an impact themselves.
● L – LOVE
○ The primary reason and underlying motive for the village is love. The teachers, coaches, mentors, family members probably would not do what they do if they did not have a genuine love for the children they influence.
● A – Awareness
○ Children with a “village” raising them have an awareness of the “do’s” and “don’ts” of life. Children are aware of their surroundings and what power they possess to change if needed and necessary.
● G – Goals
○ Children of a strong “village” have goals and know how to accomplish them in an effective way. They have seen the “village people” as examples of how to execute and reach their goals in life.
● E – Eagerness
○ Children are eager to step out into the “real world” so they can experience life and what it has to offer. There is an eagerness to apply the principles taught by individuals in the “village”.
It does take a “village” to raise one child. Actually, it takes a “village” to raise all children. We need to always remember that the power of community makes the “village” so effective in raising our children! I am a witness!
Shawn is a Woman of God, with a Word from God for the People of God. Shawn has a passion for seeing God’s people grow in grace and in the knowledge of Him. Because of this passion, God has opened many doors for her to speak at revivals, seminars, prayer breakfasts, workshops, etc… Shawn also has a desire to see all God’s people worship Him in spirit and in truth. She has led and sang on Praise Worship Teams within the Body of Christ. Her life verse is Palms 34:1, “I will bless the Lord at all times and his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
Currently, Shawn is a faithful member of Seeds of Greatness Bible Church. Shawn is active in various ministries within the church. She serves on the ministerial team, dances on the Word-in-Motion dance team and teaches the children in the Seedlings Youth Ministry. Also, Shawn is the founder and servant-leader of the W.I.S.D.O.M. ministries, a weekly women’s conference call geared to study the women of the Bible and gain the wisdom from their lives.
Shawn, along with her W.I.S.D.O.M. Core team, has published a book entitled, WISDOM SPEAKS: The Beginning of Wisdom. This book is the first of many books to come.
Wow!! What amazing insight you shared in this blog on how having a village or “village people” in our lives helps us to grow into great people!! I love your acronym as well. So much wisdom. Letter “G” showed me that we need to be select about who we invite and call to be village people. The role models and mentors we set before us or our children should be those who have shown consistent execution, achievement and/or victory in their own lives first before they are invited behind the shield of ours. As always, thank you for sharing your brilliant gift of wisdom and writing with us.
Writing this article brought so many memories of my childhood and the power the “village” had on my life. So grateful!!