Just Cultural Differences or Right vs. Wrong?

Yesterday, the most horrible thing happened. Although it has happened before, yesterday was the worst. Djenebou, my favorite young girl in my host-family, lost her shoes and had to come home without them. Her mother got upset, so, as usual, Djenbou was slapped and hit. But yesterday was different. Djenebou’s mother went crazy – beating her mercilessly in our concession, in the open, under our mango tree. I stepped in and yelled that it was not right to hit a child and finally Djenebou’s mother stopped. After it was over, a couple of my family members and I spoke in broken french and malinke about child abuse. They don’t see it as child abuse. I said that in America, it is not right to hit your children, and Adama replied by saying that Guinean children don’t listen, even when you yell. So, you have to hit them. I tried to explain the punishment approach. If Djenebou looses her shoes, she won’t be allowed to go outside the concession for three days or she won’t be allowed to do this or that. I don’t know how much my family actually liked the idea, but maybe after time, it will catch on, taking the place of physical abuse. I don’t know. But all I can say is that I am trying. I know it’s just a cultural difference that I should learn to accept, but I just can’t. Now, the communication lines are open, and we can maybe talk about it some more.