African Proverbs

You overcame the rain, but what about the dew? (English)

Sumbwa (Tanzania) Proverb

Meaning: This proverb could be first of all a gentle reminder for people who may feel tempted to think that they have already achieved so much in this life that no effort is needed from them any more. Achievements are only but openings towards greater challenges. Technical achievements for instance do help greater mobility for good for people all over the world, but they raise the perilous task to protect our entire planet. As for leaders who may think they have already reached a status so high that they need no longer make any more effort -- they are forgetting that they are generating cracks from within themselves that will most certainly cause bitter disappointments.
Source: www.afriprov.org

Work done in the right way rewards both the employer and the employee. (English)

Borana (Kenya) Proverb

Women are part of the origin of life’s big mystery on earth; they know the secret of a good life.

- Kuba Proverb

The Kuba is an old empire in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) known for it traditional art and design. The life and work of the Kuba woman centered on the home and duties to her family. She is a mother of many children and the wise and industrious manager of the household, providing for the welfare of her husband and children. A Kuba woman knows the path of success in life. She plays a critical role. Her skills,resourcefulness, industry, wisdom, and hospitality, rather than her fertility or beauty, make her keep her home, husband, and the entire family together. A Kuba woman is considered as a life giver. She is mother to the society. This is the ideal portrait of the adult female in the Kuba Empire.

"Peace is costly but it is worth the expense"

- African proverb

"When you follow in the path of your father, you learn to walk like him."

- Ghanian Proverb

Experience the wealth and depth of African culture. African proverbs have been used for centuries to pass wisdom and heritage from one generation to the next.

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