Bridging the Gap between the Rich and the Poor through Social Welfare

Learning from Esan-Nigeria Indigenous Models

Abstract

This article examines contemporary social welfare schemes in relation to the age-old communal living of the indigenous people of Esan in Edo State of Nigeria. It establishes through specific examples that right from time immemorial the people had established models of helping one another in every facet of their lives. The study used ethnographic method which includes the interview, observational technique and group discussion in eliciting data. It was found that modern living occasioned by Christianity and other forces of acculturation has impinged on their traditional lives which is fast eroding their collective lifestyles. While cultural dynamism cannot be ruled out or is it possible to halt cultural borrowing and adaptation of cultures, the speed at which Esan belief systems are fading is disturbing. Consequently, the core values of the people should be reenacted and preserved the government, its agencies and traditional rulers as custodians of the people’s culture.