Ndalatando - Citizens in the city of Ndalatando (Kwanza-Norte) defended on Thursday the recovery of the habits and customs of the local population for the creation of stable families and lasting marriages.
Speaking to ANGOP regarding International Family Day (15 May), residents stated that in local culture there are rules for establishing a family and that if they are observed, they will provide answers to various issues such as domestic violence, escape from fatherhood, abandonment of children and lack of food provision.
For historian David Bumba, parents or the family, especially aunts, played an important role in the marriages of their children and nephews.
He reported that marriage was generally made between members of two families who knew and respected each other based on their behavior and moral values.
According to him, the traditional wedding or “alambamento” symbolized the union of the couple and the two families.
He stated that these customs allowed the creation of stable families and marriage rarely ended in divorce, because problems in the home were resolved within the family and often with the intervention of the community's traditional authority.
António de Jesus Afonso, coordinator of the Parish Family Commission of the São João Baptista Parish, also defended the recovery of moral and cultural values for the creation of healthy and organized families.
Another aspect to take into account, according to António Afonso, is the process of education and formation of families, preserving traditional values.
“It is not said that children do not have the autonomy to choose their partner, but it is essential that there is a process of getting to know the couples for greater stability in the marriage”, he maintained.
For the religious leader, when these assumptions are not observed, the tendency is for marriages to be formed between people who do not know each other and difficulties arise in the relationship that can end in divorce or other unpleasant situations.
He also defended more dialogue in families so that children know the experience of their elders and the Angolan identity in relation to the formation of families.
Eliseu Ângelo, coordinator of the Family Department of the Provincial Office for the Family and Promotion of Women, indicated that the institution is implementing the “Jango de valores” project, an intergenerational meeting to restore moral and civic values and local cultural identity.
He said that the project analyzes the social reality of families, such as evasion of fatherhood, lack of food provision and destruction of public goods.
This project aims to create families with solid foundations and reinforce family skills. IMA/PA/CF/DOJ
