Socialism and rural development

The traditional African family lived according to the basic principles of ujamaa. Its members did this unconsciously,and without any conception of what they were doing in political terms.They lived together and worked together because that was how they understood life,and how they reinforced each other against the difficulties they had to contend with-the uncertainties of weather and sickness,the depredations of wild animals(and sometimes human enemies),and the cycle of life and death. The results of their joint effort were divided unequally between them,but according to well-understood customs. And the division was always on the basis of the fact that every member of the family had to have enough to eat,some simple covering,and a place to sleep,before any of them(even the head of the family) had anything extra. The family members thought of themselves as one,and all their language and behavior emphasized their unity. The basic goods of life were "our food","our land","our cattle".And identity was established in terms of relationships; mother and father of so-and-so; daughter of so-and-so;wife of such and such person.They lived together and they worked together; and the result of their joint labour was the property of the family as a whole.