African men and women everywhere drink with unflagging dedication and a quiet passion. Any foreigner visiting the rural villages of Africa for the first time will be struck by the tenacity with which rural Africans

have clung to their old drinking habits, specifically the two local African brews popularly known in Kenya

as "busaa and chan’gaa" or "mbege and gongo" in Tanzania despite considerable pressure from government to abandon or at least cut down on their alcohol consumption.

But how is this receptivity to alcohol-drinking taking shape among African children in the rural

villages? In other words, how is alcohol drinking enculturated among African children?

First of all, African men and women place a premium or a positive value to alcohol. They view alcohol

drinking as an act of virility and cannot socialize without taking it at fairly regular intervals. In

addition; alcohol is thought to have nutritive value and is believed to be necessary for working.

While at work in their farms, African men and women must have alcohol at fairly regular intervals. The

body can best endure prolonged muscular exertion; it is alleged, with the sustained, revitalizing support

of alcohol. Strong African men and women have a propensity for drink. It is nature’s way they claim.

Finally, although alcohol is not purer than other African non alcoholic drinks such as water and milk,

most rural Africans tend to think it is.

In contrast with the positive value or premium placed on alcohol, Africans place a negative value on

Africa’s two major non alcoholic drinks: Water and milk. For instance, Kilimanjaro water which flows from

Africa’s highest mountain, Mt Kilimanjaro situated in Tanzania, even though it is portable and pure, is

little drunk (except in tea and coffee).

The local attitude is that, although a certain amount of water – drinking is inevitable, water takes second

place to almost any other beverage. Some rural Africans jokingly say that "water is for frogs" and

not human beings.

In their campaign against the alcohol lobby, leading church organizations in Africa have recently turned to

building the image of fruit juice, milk and water with advertisements in some of Africa’s leading

newspapers showing popular sportsmen drinking juice, water and milk with apparent gusto. But the alcohol

lobby is still far more successful than any other lobby in Africa at carrying its message to the rural

populace.

As for milk, a precept firmly adhered to by all classes is summed up in a popular book on child care:

"milk should never constitute the mealtime drink". Most Africans say ‘milk’ is for young children and not

adults.

Of course, the fact that milk is un- refrigerated, especially in rural villages, does nothing to increase

its appeal. And though it is pasteurized, it is not homogenized. When poured, it goes clung- clung in

uneven globs. And in warm weather, it has a strong, almost curdled flavor.

In nutshell, African men and women consume more alcohol (local brew) than any other people in the

world. For instance, according to recent statistics, about 30 per cent of African men and women consume

alcohol (local brew) in amounts dangerous to their health, and 15 per cent of African men and women are

said to be alcoholics.

Government campaigns against alcohol drinking have met with little success; however, because children are taught to drink alcohol at an early age, their behavior is reinforced later by a number of cultural

beliefs.

Vincent Obiro Orute is Africa’s director of operations, Volunteer Network Africa, a global

volunteer organization committed to social change,

Email:Vincent@volunteernetworkafrica.org or