TEMPU NEFERTARI

7/10/18

INAUGURAL GLOBAL MABALOZI CONFERENCE

THEME: SELF-REPARATIONS: THE SELF-ESTEEM, IDENTITY &
EDUCATION OF THE AFRICAN DESCENDED CHILD
Bridgetown, Barbados
10th July, 2018
[Extended version of presentation]
Presented by Tempu Nefertari - Creator of the Nefertari Re-Ma’at Approach for
Building Self-Esteem in African Ascended Children

Greetings ooo!
First I pay homage to our ancestors who are gathered around us today. We thank them for
hearing and guiding us.
All protocols observed. I am grateful for the opportunity to present to you on this topic. As I
am speaking to the solution my presentation really looks at “repairing, building and
safeguarding the self-esteem, identity and education of the African ascended child.”
I extend special greetings to the Mabalozi; I recognize and salute your dedication to this task
of repairing and building the self-esteem of our children in the classroom. I know by now your
work is not limited to the classroom but wherever you come in contact with children.
I truly appreciate the contributions made here which can serve to add to the tool kit of the
Mabalozi. Thank you all. In addressing the ethnically mixed classroom I advocate teaching
with love and care for all. In the classroom setting it is about learning and you would be surprise
to find that other children are keen to learn what is being taught; they are keen to hear the
stories of the ancestors of their peers.
I accept the working definitions shared on self-reparations, self-esteem, identity and education.
SELF-REPARATIONS
We can only now begin to speak of self-repair as many more African people are aware of what
contributed towards the destruction of our African personhood and the dysfunction that has
been affecting our ability to live more wholesome lives. Once upon a time we our mention and
calls for reparations – in general – were mocked and dismissed. Look at us today, we are not
embracing our responsibility to self-repair and the Self-Reparations Baton is in the domain of
the Mabalozi. I admire that you, we, have taken ownership of the task – not sole ownership but
ownership.
We must continue to help our people understand our history and why it matters to actively
engage everyone in the self-healing work.
WHY SELF-ESTEEM MATTERS

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We have established through our identification and analysis of the problem that there is acute
haemorrhaging at the heart of the society – this is where I see loss of life and loss of the potential
of persons through crime, the abuse of children and domestic violence – in particular. There is
a correlation between self-esteem and behaviour: between self-esteem and crime, self-esteem
and all forms of abuse and I want to particularly mention (although I said all forms of abuse)
self-esteem and domestic violence.
Strategically addressing the issues of self-esteem and identity is devoting attention to the
bedrock of Barbados’ national development. What our people think about themselves, about
who they are, about their intrinsic value, what they are capable of and worthy of - directly
influences our crime statistics, our child abuse cases, domestic violence statistics as well as
entrepreneurial activity and our work ethic - to name a few areas. For us to have development
that allows us to grow, thrive and evolve our people must know they are valuable and worthy;
they must be confident, self-motivated and understand that we are to serve each other. This
comes through repairing and building self-esteem. These real life situations highlight this:
Laura as a young adult would not remain in a relationship with Michael who is abusive.
Laura knows – she doesn’t just believe – she knows that she deserves to be treated with
care, love and respect. She also knows for sure that she does not want violence in her
life because she knows who she is. The teachers she has had constantly put her in
situations where she had to discover her voice and use it; they reminded her she
deserved the best and she remembered her parents always giving her the best of
everything. Her parents loved her and never treated her the way Michael is treating her
so why should she accept something else now.
Looking around at her two young children Laura recognizes that they are valuable little
beings who could be scarred by the violence they are hearing and witnessing. They are
worthy of more than that so she makes the decision to leave.
Laura’s choice to end that abusive relationship took certainty of knowing – knowing
who she is, what she deserves and that she is capable of starting over without Michael.
How a person perceives who he is has a lot to do with the decisions he makes. That perception
is also shaped by what people around him tell him about himself and how he comes to know
the truth of himself through the self-discovery process.
Frank has been courting and cozing up with Sharon and she has finally agreed that she
is ready to move to a more intimate stage of their relationship. What determines if they
both get tested for HIV first? What determines if they use protection when having
sexual intercourse? They give thought to the value of their lives against the risk of
contracting the HIV virus. Mutual respect exists between the two of them. They have a
practical understanding of respect and that is the foundation of their healthy self-esteem.
The teachers in school showed them respect; that is the behaviour that was modelled.
This is the work of the Mabalozi.
Carol Ann grew up at her mother’s feet at the pedal of the Singer Machine where her
mother earned a living sewing. Very early in life Carol Ann picked up a needle and
scraps of cloth and made dolly clothes and even clothes for the cat and eventually for

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herself. These clothes were amazing! Her mother thought she was good but never told
her. Her mother was a quiet woman because her husband quarrelled a lot - especially
when he drank - so to avoid confrontation she chose to say nothing. He never
commented on Carol Ann’s amazing work either. Her friends at school told her how
good she was but she didn’t believe them. Carol Ann’s talent was spotted by a local
designer who offered her an internship. She gave her a business card and told her to call
to set up a meeting to discuss when she could start. What determines if Carol Ann
decides to call the designer? What determines how she perceives her ability? Is she
really that good? Can she produce if she becomes an intern?
In such a case, pure natural talent never truly blooms. Carol Ann’s sense of knowing she is
worthy and capable does not exist. She does not know herself to know what she is capable of.
The main persons in her life never recognized the value in her work so hearing it from friends
and the designer wasn’t enough to assure her and there were no Mabalozi at her schools.
THE SOLUTION PHASE
We have entered into the solution phase and an aspect of the solution to this problem we’ve
tagged is the Mabalozi programme.
At the core of the Mabalozi’s work is the Nefertari Re-Ma’at (NRM) Approach for building
self-esteem in African ascended children. I developed this approach out of over 20 years of
field work and research in Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados. The authority of knowledge in
this approach resides in the origin, place, history and ancestry of Afrikan people. I have been
used as the messenger to retrieve and coalesce these aspects of knowledge to repair our people;
I work within an Africentric paradigm which is what is required for self-reparations.
The Nefertari Re-Ma’at Approach is designed to restore the principles of Ma’at (hence Re-
Ma’at…restoring Ma’at….bringing Ma’at again) among our people starting with our pre-
school age children. Ma’at is an ancient Egyptian/Khemetic state of existing (I prefer to
describe it that way), the 7 cardinal principles are Balance, Truth, Order, Justice, Harmony,
Compassion and Reciprocity. Professor Maulana Karenga has expressed Ma’at also as the
principle that calls us to constantly repair, renew and transform the world making it more
beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
INSIGHT INTO THE NEFERTARI RE-MA’AT APPROACH
This Approach, in the tool kit of the Mabalozi, is put into effect in the classroom which we
have labelled as a ‘crucible of care’ – in essence a caring space of transformation. This may
resemble pastoral care but it goes deeper than that.
We advocate for the use of this Approach based on these premises:
1. Self-esteem is acquired through learnt behaviours;
2. Self-esteem is changeable;
3. Teachers and parents have significant amount of control in the school and home
environment to create conditions where positive change can occur.
The four elements (that must work together) of the NRM approach are:

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1. Changing the attitude towards children and children’s attitude towards themselves and
each other;
2. The Balozi as the exemplar;
3. Engaging the 5 building blocks of self-esteem and
4. Making Africa the point of reference by using historical facts to enlighten, to draw out
inherent values and to ground our children.
The approach can be utilised whilst teaching Mathematics, Art, Geography, Music Woodwork,
Chemistry, French etc that is to say: any subject.
The Balozi is therefore the exemplar in the ‘crucible of care’ armed with the appropriate
attitude, the understanding of the 5 building blocks of self-esteem and African history, heritage
and sagacity.
TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT TWO ELEMENTS OF THE APPROACH
This hints at the length and breadth of the work that must go into repairing and building self-
esteem. The two elements are:
Changing the attitude towards children and the Balozi as the exemplar.
The first reality we have to face is that our Mabalozi were raised on the same attitude that now
needs adjusting. Hence the reason I have to recognize and commend the Mabalozi because
whilst working to change children’s attitudes they are working on their own
transformation…and bravely so because they have to step into an Africentric paradigm to do
so….they do it because they understand what has taken place historically and the dysfunction
that exist.
When I speak of attitude – attitude is formed when there is a learned association in the memory
between an object and a positive or a negative evaluation of that object – so somehow an
attitude was formed because of an association of the black child and a negative evaluation – I
can say this because of the evidence of historically how the black child has been treated. I
choose to use black here because that is part of the association in the memory and an association
that has been inherited through generations.
Therefore this task of changing attitude is one that requires will, determination, consciousness
and resolve to unlearn a generational association that we inherited as a memory where children
are concerned.
The manifestations of the attitude come in these forms:
i. We don’t give the same quality of listening attention and engagement to children as
we give adults;
ii. We don’t respect children; the respect accorded to an adult in conversation is not
thought to be necessary for a child;
iii. The nature of the words spoken to children, the condescension, cynicism, sarcasm,
the insults – many times the words adults throw at children they dare not throw at
their adult peers – yelling at children, calling them names; “yuh big head idiot” and
telling children “you just like yuh father” as an insult are Bajan staples;
iv. Beating a child mercilessly (as we say in Barbados).

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These are some of the major manifestations…thankfully we are seeing and hearing less of
these.
This has persisted because a disconnection in the psyche of our people has occurred. There is
a huge gap that needs to be filled and there is content that needs to be filtered and some totally
removed. We do not understand who children are. Our understanding and appreciation for
children stems from some Eurocentric influenced ideology.
So it is something we have to correct; it is an important part of our foundation in our self-repair.
WHO ARE CHILDREN?
Firstly, children are the youngest and most vulnerable of our citizens - this therefore suggests
that certain protections must be in place for them; it should also suggest that guidance must be
provided to them.
Secondly, they are not only young and fresh and malleable in the physical sense but in the
spiritual sense as well. When children arrive on earth….and we are stepping right into the
Afrikan worldview here….they arrive from the spirit realm. We should therefore be watchful
with respect because we do not know who has arrived here and for what purpose they have
come. It is the same reason why we must position ourselves as guides, guardians and caretakers
for our children because they have come with their own missions that we need them to fulfil.
We are to guide them and nurture them bearing this in mind. How many times have we had
cause to standing awe of some utterance of a young child? And made the comment “she like
she was here already”. A comment which speaks to the intelligence and knowing young
children can exhibit.
When we perpetrate the learnt negative behaviours and direct them at our children we do
ourselves an injustice. They will be our adults of tomorrow. As Sis Dr. Sandra said earlier we
are them and they are us! We have so allowed someone else’s opinion of who we are to control
our way of thinking that we are missing the wonder and intelligence of our children. We are
not paying attention because we have been tricked into believing that these spiritual ideas are
off limits but from the Africentric perspective the spiritual dimension is as important as any
other.
Thirdly, it is in the young years that we see and hear the talents and the gifts of children.
We are the guides and caretakers, it is imperative that we show them how they too are to be
guides and caretakers when they become adults and the best way to that is to model the
behaviour. All of this goes into building self-esteem. The care we begin to give them through
our sincerity, our attention, our love, our intentions bring healing! This is the crux of the self-
repair. This is the crux of what has to be done in the classroom everyday as you teach. Just that.
You do not have to do any projects just purposeful interaction based on those principles we’ve
discussed. Our ancestors will continue to show us the way.
Our words and actions towards our children can make a difference in their lives. We need to
get interested in what children have to say, we have to stoop down to their eye level and listen
to them when necessary, compliment them, say thank you to them where and when appropriate,
apologize to them when warranted, remind them of the good progress they are making,
encourage them, look for their uniqueness, help them to be empowered by who they are.

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In the crucible of care – the community space, the Balozi is to exemplify positive values and
behaviour. It is established that values (as the foundation for good character) are not taught but
caught – meaning you can tell them but what really works is showing them so that is all they
see and therefore all they model. Picture the young child “thud, thud” with her father’s boots
through the house and the little boy picking the phone and saying, “good morning, can I help
you?” They do what they see and repeat what they hear.
THE DISADVANTAGE OF BEING DISCONNECTED FROM OURSELVES – An
extract from the Nefertari Re-Ma’at Training Materials
Losing our connectedness to those things that make up our African personhood has resulted in
our inability and reluctance to see the giftedness in our children. The void created by that lost
has been filled with a way of thinking that is used to misinterpret, diminish, ridicule and ignore
the signs of giftedness and brilliance in them.
The boy who rocks the chair and thumps on the desk repeatedly throughout class represents a
disruption and he is a nuisance who has no interest in school work. In fact, to the contrary, he
is hearing music in everything around him, learns through movement and he represents the
seed of a musician awaiting the fertile environment of understanding, praise and
encouragement. He is so driven by the rhythm in and around him and the need to move, that it
is expressed right there and then in the Social Studies class. The approach to learning that
underpins our system of education oppresses the child who learns through his own expression
and who is connected to the subliminal memory of his African personhood1. Knowledge and
understanding of the African personhood should encourage the use of visual, auditory and
kinesthetic stimuli to feed and nurture the multifaceted intelligence of our children. This way,
every kind of learner benefits in the classroom and the Balozi discovers the value in the
expression of our children.
It is imperative that Mabalozi track the school life of children like ‘the boy rocking the chair’
by recording their “disruptive” behaviour, how this behaviour was dealt with, the overall
performance and achievements at the time of graduation. The path these children took after
school may also been telling. The analysis of this data should be the basis for shifting the
interpretation of the behaviour of children who learn through movement and who learn
differently. Misbehaviour may very well be behaviour misinterpreted.
We need to change our attitude to protect our children and the gifted of those among us. Many
of whom were misdiagnosed, ignored or ridiculed in the past for strange, annoying,
compulsive, hypersensitive behaviour. Where are our gifted children? How do we treat with
them?
In the ‘crucible of care’ the Balozi is to exemplify positive values and behaviour. It is
established that values (as the foundation for good character) are not taught but caught –
children learn by doing.
Earlier I intimated that the NRM Approach is one aspect of the solution. Another aspect of the
solution is increased support for the family. The family unit ought to be informed of the

1
Ngara Constantine, “African Ways of Knowing and Pedagogy Revisited”, Journal of Contemporary Issues in
Education, 2007, 2(2), pp. 7-20.

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approach now being used to nurture children in the classroom. Teachers have always identified
the challenge of doing transformational work in the classroom being the undoing of that work
by the family unit when children return to their homes. We need parents on board to best
address the issues of low self-esteem. So the next thing we need is to rethink the way families
are supported at the national level and make changes to help parents understand self-esteem
issues and their role in building their children's self-esteem.
We need Mabalozi, teachers and parents to be open to seeing the uniqueness and wonder of
our beautiful children.
Thank you for your attention.

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