P
enning of this article started with a Facebook post I made
early this year. In the post, I stated that the reason I work
so hard in life is that I want to end a certain cycle, that my
son (or daughter) should not have to build me a house when he/
she should be starting his life.
The post received over 75 comments, with some being in support
of my view, while others felt that I was complaining because I did
not feel comfortable helping my family, specifically my parents,
while they did everything in their power to educate me and give
me the chance to earn the money I am earning. I tried to defend
myself by explaining to people that I actually take up these
responsibilities and I never hesitate to help a family member or
even a friend in need, as long as I am able to.
The comments I received, others coming to my inbox and asking
me why I was complaining of the burden of helping my family,
just showed how Africa Way of Life is set to be for at least this
and the next generation.
In Kenya (and Africa by extension) young people find themselves
in a situation where they have worked for years without any
savings. This is because they have to split their meagre salaries
between themselves and their extended families, or put differently,
they have to pay black tax.
According to Urban Dictionary, Black Tax is a term used to
mean the extra money that black professionals are expected
to give every month to support their less fortunate family and
extended families. The same dictionary continues to explain that
the burden of black tax causes financial distress to middle class
(black) professionals as they usually have no savings left after
having to share their salaries with the entire family.
In my view, Black Tax is a curse that has contributed to a pathetic
lifestyle in Africa and has led to a continent full of people who
cannot achieve their potential.
In preparing to write this article, I had a discussion with one of
my closest friends on the subject and realized we share similar
perspective. My friend, Joram Kioko, says that “… due to Black
Tax, Africans can be said to be born into debt!” He explains that
our parents’ problems become ours as soon as we start showing
signs of earning income, not even when we start the real earning!
In most cases, our salaries
never meet, meaning your
next month’s salary cannot
find a penny of last month’s
salary in the account. Some
men even delay getting mar-
ried because of black tax,
since their income cannot be
split between their own fami-
ly and their parents' families.
38 MAL30/19 ISSUE
He lamented that the troubles and financial distress for our
extended families become ours, and a big burden is placed on our
shoulders, derailing us from ever making it in life. “Some family
members will even send their children from rural homes to come
and stay at your place without telling you. You are in the office
trying to complete a report when you get a call from your uncle
saying his daughter is on her way to Nairobi and does not have
a place to stay so you need to provide accommodation, and of
course food” says Joram.
This entitlement by your extended family leaves a young person
with so much to deal with that they can barely save a penny. If
one has to do anything meaningful in their life, they will have to
get a loan, even from mobile phone applications, to finance the
projects. You would be surprised to learn that a person earning a
net salary of 80,000 Kenya Shillings will need such facilities to
buy a Television worth 30,000 shillings! They cannot even save
for 2-4 months to buy that TV set, because the salary they get
is tossed left right and centre by their family members, leaving
them in a debt!
In most cases, our salaries never meet, meaning your next month’s
salary cannot find a penny of last month’s salary in the account.
Some men even delay getting married because of black tax, since
their income cannot be split between their own family and their
parents' families.
How then, do you ever save, if what you earn is never enough
to meet your needs and those of your extended family? Do you
have to “throw your hands” and forsake your family so as to live
a good life and be able to save for the education of your children
and secure a future for them as well as for yourself when you
will be unable to work due to old age? Or, will you support your
family and struggle to give your children sub-standard education
and hope that they will start earning soon to help you with your
own needs which you are unable to meet? When will the cycle
end? Who will be the weak link in the cycle? What is the cost of
being that weak link?
Strong Social Ties
Africa is famous for its enviable strong social ties. We care for
each other, we toil for each other, we are always there for each
other. This can be seen in the famous Kenyan National Motto of
Harambee, where a country was built on calling on each other to
stand for each other and support each other to go up.
Even if this is such a beautiful thing, a time has to come when
our loyalty to these ties has to be rethought especially when they
are endangering our futures. Yes, our parents have sacrificed a
lot to educate and provide for us, but this shouldn’t be used as
a tool for manipulation. In fact, we should not “invest” in our
children hoping to reap benefits by passing on our burdens to