1. The happy, successful family

This chapter shows how a normal family lives in a village. "Before the father had the habit of drinking alcohol, the whole family lived happily and had no major problems" . To make it easier for the educator to prepare the lesson, we have provided text and wordings that may be used with little or no change. These comments are in italics. Happiness in a Village (pictures 1 to 10)

Picture 1

As an introduction, the educator will say: "Only one drink is necessary for all beings: water. However, we all tend to drink other drinks, either for pleasure, or for other reasons. Some people are used to coffee, others to tea, to sodas, etc Besides these harmless drinks, there is a wide range of drinks containing alcohol, the abuse of which could have serious consequences. We knew many of these drinks: various beers, palm wine, whisky, etc.

The drinking habit can cause much misfortune in a family. First of all, these purchases cost a lot of money. Second, alcoholism is associated with many diseases. Finally, it can eventually disturb the family's harmony. We are going to follow the story of a man who starts to drink and all the consequences this has for him and his family"

Picture 2

Picture 3: "A happy atmosphere reigns in the family. Each person is busy and the parents devote themselves to developing the talents of their children"

Picture 4: Palm nuts are a source of income for the family. A palm tree which is looked after well can yield several harvests of nuts per year. "An energetic, healthy father harvests the nuts as soon as they ripen

Picture 5: Palm nuts have several uses. Some of them are sold, bringing the father regular income. Many villages have craft industries to extract the oil on the spot. Part of this locally made oil is then sold in the market, after an amount corresponding to the family's needs has been set aside. The palm nuts are then crushed and the almonds are sold in the local market.

Picture 6: "Thanks to the family's savings the mother has bought a sewing machine which is an invaluable help in making and mending the clothes of the whole family"

Picture 7: The mother and father work in the field with regularity. They have a satisfactory income. They are thus able to feed and care for their children. "At the age of four months, the mother's milk a/one is not sufficient to feed the baby. The mother then starts to give him additional mea/s. The children in this family have no prob/em getting protein-rich food they need for growth"

Picture 8

Picture 9

Picture 10

"A happy, prosperous family, good health, a relatively affluent standard of living: these are the important advantages which allow the children to succeed at school and devevelop their bodies through sports"

Picture 11: "Now let us see how the family's happiness can be destroyed by a false friend, alcohol which sometimes becomes part of the family without anyone noticing it" .... see next item on the know tree ...