An excellent tribute to all House Wives and particularly to Ugandan Housewives. Must be read by all House Wives
Ode to the Ugandan Housewife (written in prose!!)
An article was recently in circulation that had appeared in a Ugandan Newspaper on the Marriage Caterers and how they could be an apt case study for the IIMs on their excellent Management skills.
Just like Businesses calls for qualified IIMs and the like for running the show, has anyone thought of Home Management particularly of a traditional Ugandan household ?
Has anyone thought of the Conventional middle-class Ugandan Housewife? Is she not the best Manager that could ever have set foot on this earth - in real life???
Is ever get thought of or appreciated ? She is the "unsung heroine", her services always taken for granted.
Although many are of the opinion that women are relegated to mundane household functions, has anyone ever thought of the activities that she carries out 24 x 7?
Most management skills that are taught of which the IIMs boast and for which they are highly paid, are also essential for running a traditional home.
The Ugandan traditional middle-class housewife is the CEO here.
The husband is mostly a (literally) sleeping partner - only financing the requirements. He comes into the picture mostly as a Consultant or for major Project Planning needs like Purchasing a house or for children's marriage.
Let us look at some major skill sets:
Planning:
The housewife plans all daily/weekly/monthly/yearly actions for the benefit of the household / her family
All her plans are her "MIND" - mind that.
Forget a Business's Annual Plans and Long Range Plans - everything relating to the future requirement of the family is already well thought out in her mind and she goes about executing it with her meagre resources, including all course corrections.
Organising:
She is the best organiser that you could ever come across not only for the day to day cores for her and her family, but also for the future actions
Directing:
She directs all actions relating to the household every day
Staffing:
Whether she has servants or not, whether other family members help her or not. whether her finances would help her have additional hands or not, all daily needs of the househild are met without fail - thanks to her.
Co-Ordinating:
She is the main center-pin for coordinating for all the actions of the family - for getting things done, for complaints resolution etc. Everything/everyone revolves round her.
Controls:
Very rarely does the husband ever know or get involved in controlling things at home - it is the wife who is the monarch of all that she surveys - directly or indirectly
Time Management:
She could probably be the best Time Manager. Her duty hours are 24 x 7 all the year round life long. She does not get Casual Leave or Sick Leave or Annual Leave nor does she get paid for Overtime.
Budgeting:
She manages the finances, all the expenses ensures that the monthly requirements are met. Whatever her husband gives her, she manages the entire show within that. She also creates reserves for the future major expenses like education/marriage/medical etc
She might not be educated but her cash flow managment is always exemplary.
Man Management:
Every housewife could be an example of an excellent Man Manager - she has to tolerate her husband and his office worries that he carries home, her children's problems, her inlaws' etc., resolving all issues without any demur and to the satisfaction of all.
She could beat any HR Manager hands down in Human Relations
Sense of belonging:
Who can ever dispute her selfless dedication to the well being of her family ? She is "there" always partaking in everything whether it be happiness or sorrow.
Love and compassion:
Who can ever dispute the love and compassion that she showers on her family. Her shoulders are always available for all the family members to lean on. She is the best solace be it for the children or the husband.
Kitchen:
Mother's cooking is the best - isn't it ??
She knows the likes and dislikes of everyone and satisfies one and all. She meets surprise demands of visitors/guest as well.
With whatever is available within her resources/budget she meets all demands, the best Works Manger you could come across.
Her Inventories which include many perishables are always well controlled. She does not know ABC Analysis or EOQ or JIT.
Most family members do not even know what is in the kitchen.
Quality:
Her food is always appreciated for taste and rarely does she waste or produce rejects.
She maintains the entire house very well and in an orderly fashion.
Has she undergone any special training on TQM or Six Sigma or 5S or qualified for ISO or other Management concepts?
Different Caps:
She has to wear different caps for different roles that she plays every day from morning to night:
As a family member - as a daughter ( daughter-in-law), as a wife to her husband, as a mother to her children, as the housewife to meet all her daily cores etc.
As the CEO, as a Works Manager, as a Works Manager, as a Materials Manager, as a HR Manager, as an Admin Head, as a Quality Head, etc etc.
Whatever be her woes she rarely exhibits them - probably her only solace is her room!
Education:
Most earlier housewives never got the so-called Degrees - She probably could never go to a Bank or a Post Office or use a computer . ..
So what - her deeds are far far greater - her Universal Knowledge is far far superior.
The typical Ugandan Housewife not only manages the household exceptionally well, she also brings up her children as good citizens inculcating all good values, see to it that they settle properly in life and above all ,continues to serve one and all for ever in life, tirelessly without a demur.
The greatest thing about her is that her actions are never for "Returns" except that she longs and prays for the well-being of everyone - to be Healthy and Happy in Life.
....... This list is never ending.
I may further add that this is applicable even more to our Ugandan Wives who are in USA / Canada / European Countries.
In these countries they have to work much Harder than Uganda. No maids and No Drivers available unlike Uganda.
Long Live the Conventional Ugandan middle-class Housewife
She is the Greatest MANAGER that the World would ever see.
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