Otu Ọrụ is a traditional Igbo age-grade system that fosters communal farming and strengthens community ties. In this system, individuals work on each other’s farms without the need for monetary payment. İnstead, friends and neighbours voluntarily gather to help one another, not only working together but also contributing food for the occasion.

This cultural practice dates back to our ancestors, and I had the privilege of participating in it myself.

How does it work?

As a teenager, I joined a youth group organized to assist parents with cultivating their farms. Our group consisted of seven members, and each person brought two cups of rice for the meal, while the person whose farm we were working on provided four cups, along with beans and other condiments. The person’s mother or sister would prepare the meal for us.

Together, we would make up to 50 mounds per farm visit. With seven people, that equated to 350 mounds—a significant contribution that could sustain a family throughout the farming season. This tradition took place every Saturday, with each family taking turns until everyone’s farm was tended to. Then, the cycle would begin again.

Through this cooperative effort, families were able to produce enough food for the entire year without hiring laborers.

I experienced this firsthand, and it remains a vital part of Igbo culture today, still practiced in many communities.

Igwe bụ ike—Strength in unity! Love leads!