Beliefs are things that we belive to be true and we apply some of them on our everyday lives because we were taught to do that at a young age. As Africans,there are certain beliefs that make sense to us and not the rest of the world and these beliefs make it easy for Western people to classify us as a certain group of people. These are beliefs that we can't control and some of them are rituals that we have to perform in order to embrace out ethnicity. However, there are some teachings that our elders instill upon us. We grow up with these teaching and seldomly apply them in our grown up lives as we progress forward. Some of them affect the way we behave in society and how we identify our unique delves within a certain society. 

The belief that I think is endogenous to Africans as a whole is that EDUCATION IS THE KEY TO OPEN ANY DOOR. In the past,we were not afforded the right to get an education because of the color of our skin but not,Thanks to Nelson Mandela, we can get an education. Getting an education for Africans is a very important thing because it gives us a sense of belonging and identity in the world. We also get to have a say in education related matters because we are free from colonization and can do whatever we want,whenever we want. Education allows us to use the same space as other people from different ethnicities which was never allowed back then in the days of colonization and apartheid. Where I come from it is believed that when a black person gets an education, they are bound to make money and take care of their families. This is a teaching in our ethnicity that getting an education now means you must help out at home and be a responsible human being. 

Now I belong to the Ndebele ethnic group and I am yet to share with you two beliefs that are associated with the Ndebele ethnic group and how these beliefs have molded and shaped my worldview. 

1. Respect for elders and yourself

Ndebele people are big on respect. This is seen through the way we were taught to greet elders in a respectful manner,never talk to an elder while standing,address every elder as "Ma" ,"Malume" , "Gogo" etc. Treat everyone with respect including yourself. In my home,we were not allowed to wear trousers when the elder men were around so we had to dress as girls and look "respectable" and also carry ourselves with respect and dignity. These teachings seemed like a lit of work back then because I was very young but now I am glad I learnt them because they have shaped my worldview in such a way that I have respect for everyone including my peers. You have to give respect to get respect and I can confidently say i am respected by almost everyone because I give them respect also,something I was taught at a very young age has now become a bug part of my life making it easier and more enjoyable.

2. LEND A HELPING HAND

Whenever there is a ceremony in a nearby house or neighboring villages,Ndebele people will always show up in numbers to help out,even in funerals. Thus creates a sense of unity and love between the people of the Ndebele ethnic group. I was always getting frustrated at why we should go a long distance to help out in a ceremony of people we don't even know, now I'm not getting frustrated instead I get excited because I know that lendin a helping hand is part of who we are as Ndebele people. We help those in need, regardless of who you are, if you're in need of help,we are your people. 

These two teachings have helped shape my worldview in an enormous way and a positive one. I an one with other people because I respect them and I lend a helping hand whenever someone is in need of help. I am very thankful to belong in the Ndebele ethnic group. Without these teachings above,I wouldn't be the person I am today.