African Proverbs for Youth

Young men and women of today pay little or no attention to words of wisdom from their ancestors. However, as they grapple with overwhelming challenges in their communities, they yearn for anchors in their lives. African Proverbs for Youth is designed to fill that void. It is intended to inform and meaningfully engage today’s youth in the study of the spoken words used by their ancestors to communicate wisdom.

Young men and women of today pay little or no attention to words of wisdom from their ancestors. However, as they grapple with overwhelming challenges in their communities, they yearn for anchors in their lives. African Proverbs for Youth is designed to fill that void. It is intended to inform and meaningfully engage today’s youth in the study of the spoken words used by their ancestors to communicate wisdom. African Proverbs for Youth is the second in a series. A special edition focusing on selected proverbs, their meanings, and moral messages, it is hoped that it will motivate, encourage, and inspire. It serves as a link that binds us to our ancestral legacy. They should draw strength and hope from each moral message. It contains a brief introduction of popular phrases aimed at giving young people a taste of the African language and culture. The reader’s feedback is encouraged. Life is tough. Many of today’s youth are overwhelmed by their circumstances. At times like these they need support; otherwise, they grab onto what they can find – sometimes the good, sometimes the not-so good, and sometimes outright ugly. That is why this book is so important: it contains rich words of wisdom to guide today’s youth. It will challenge them to think critically about spoken words and help them to connect with their ancestors.

DR VERONICA UDEOGALANYA is the CEO/Founder of Afrikan Kulture Koncepts, LLC, and the producer and publisher of My Mother’s Words. As a University professor, Dr. Udeogalanya has presented several research papers at international conferences in many countries including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Romania, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Spain and the United States. Dr. Udeogalanya’s research topics include Cross-Cultural Interdisciplinary Comparative Studies, Youth Engagement, Women and Work, International Business/Study Abroad Programs and Multicultural Community Economic Development. She has also published an economics textbook, Economics Fundamentals (2010; Kendall-Hunt Publishers). Dr. Udeogalanya presented a paper titled Economics of Black Women Wealth Creation at the 2014 International Black Women’s Congress in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Udeogalanya was educated in the United Kingdom, Nigeria and the United States. She earned a bachelor’s degree (1982), a master’s degree (1985), and a Doctorate in Economics (2007). She began her teaching career in 1983 at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Anambra State, Nigeria. She was invited to the City University of New York as a visiting Assistant Professor of Social Sciences in 1988. To date, she has thirty-four years of experience in university teaching and administration. She served as the Deputy to the Provost of Medgar Evers College (2001-2006) and the founding chairperson of the Department of Economics and Finance (2006-2007). She wrote several multi-million dollar grants for youth empowerment initiatives including a three-year Flatbush Beacon Project funded by the New York City Department of Youth Services and the Empowering Youths to Excel and Succeed (EYES) Research Initiative, a three-year, youth empowerment program funded by the Office of Minority Health (OMH) in the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).