By the ideal African standards, a child is not only the ones you gave birth to; but all who came into the orbit of your parenting. The primary need is the togetherness of the father and mother as resources for the family.

Who is a Father?          He is not necessarily the sperm donor. There are sperm donors and there are fathers. A father is the one who protects the spiritual and material potentialities of members of the family. He identifies the capabilities of each family member and creates an environment for the free expression of these capabilities without injury to anyone. He makes his mind a resource for the family members to use as a library or as extension of their mind.

Who is a Mother?        She is not just the donor of ovum. A mother is the one who identifies the potentialities of the members of the family and nurtures them into fruition. She chooses positive feelings and shows the family how to do the same. A shark must not bleed when hurt, otherwise, other sharks will devour it. Similarly, a hurt person must know how to carry his or her feelings so that it does not attract the animosity or estrangement of those in his or her environment.

It is when fathers and mothers discover their mental and emotional roles respectively that an ideal family is raised.

An important requirement for a successful business is that it must have a vision and mission statement. Similarly, the primary drive of a successful family is that it must have an identified family character that is honoured by all members of the family. The family character must embody the collective vision of its members.