At the heart of African cultures, children are celebrated as the most sacred gifts from the Divine, embodying the wisdom of their ancestors and the hopes for future generations. They serve as the vital links that weave together the past, brighten the present and shape the future, ensuring the continuous cycle of life and heritage.
The process of conception is celebrated through customs, filled with rituals and valuable knowledge aimed at safely ushering new life into existence.
This video explores fertility, pregnancy, and childbirth through spiritual, cultural and holistic perspectives, drawing on traditional knowledge and ancestral practices. Drawing upon teachings across different cultures from African communities and the diaspora, including the Shona, Kikuyu, Yoruba and Dagara, highlighting philosophies, practices and spiritual understandings surrounding conception.
Themes covered include:
- Cultural philosophies surrounding fertility and infertility
- Fertility dolls, deities, and spiritual interventions
- Physical and spiritual understandings of reproductive challenges
- Dietary guidance during pregnancy and foods linked to fertility and wellbeing
- Herbal knowledge for conception, fetal development, protection, and childbirth
- Spiritual baths, amulets, purification rituals, and herbal remedies
- Pregnancy practices such as womb communication and identifying the unborn child’s spirit
- Postnatal care, including mother–child aftercare, placenta rituals, and naming ceremonies
- Cultural responses to child loss, including ceremonial, cleansing, and healing practices
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