Merita Proverb of the Month Tepia (February)  410 (2011)

Ntondo ikatondolaga. (Sukuma)
Kesho hufanya ijulikane mambo yake. (Swahili)
Demain se fait connaître demain. (French)
Tomorrow makes known to us what tomorrow will bring. (English)

Background, Explanation and Everyday Use

This Sukuma proverb in Tanzania has a play on words. Ntondo means “tomorrow.” Kutondola means “to reveal” and also “to shell peanuts.” The Sukuma people use this proverb in relation to shelling peanuts. When you break the shell you do not know what is inside – a ripe peanut or a rotten peanut. So to shell peanuts is to reveal something that is unknown or hidden. The meaning is that we can’t know today what will happen tomorrow. What is hidden today will be revealed tomorrow.

Biblical Parallels

Matthew 6:25-34: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

1 John 4:18: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.”

Contemporary Use and Religious Application

Our attitude in life should be to trust in God’s love. Don’t worry. This is the sacrament of the present moment. Worrying about tomorrow takes you away from living in the present moment of God’s love. Those who hope in the Lord renew their strength. Wings come to them like eagles. They run without weariness. They walk without fatigue. In the book Story of a Soul St. Therese of Lisieux says: “I find that we who run along the way of love must not think of anything painful that can happen to us in the future for this is lacking in trust and is like meddling in creation.”

In African cultures we are often paralyzed by fear (witchcraft, superstition, etc.) that enslaves us and prevents us from loving God perfectly.

Merita (African) Proverb of The Month
Kairika (410) 2011

This Month is still a part of Kairika in the Kmtic Tradition September 11th is the new year where as January 1st is the new year for some others. For many though January 1st is their New Year according to the American Calender which is based on the Greek Gregorian Calendar who got their calendar from the I-Kami (Egyptians) who got the calendar from the people of Nubia/Ithiopia the parent people and culture of the I-Kami. This Calendar goes back to over tens of thousands of years BC see here for more info. For those that do celebrate the New Year on January 1st. I pray this proverb helps us to innerstand that we are all special in our own unique way and that each of us alive today have a mission to accomplish on Earth which is why we exist in the first place. I hope we can all use this year to get at least one step closer to whatever our own life’s purpose is.

Barka! (Blessings) Ras~

Endimi elima emparangwa etaha. (Haya)
Kila mtu ana kipawa chake. (Swahili)
Chacun a son propre talent. (French)
Individuals have different talents. (English)

It is well known that everybody is unique; even identical twins are not exactly alike. There is a saying: intelligence is like hairs — everybody has her or his own. This Haya Proverb in Tanzania teaches that talents can be compared with a garden. Its beauty depends on the varieties of the flowers planted and also the care taken, e.g. irrigation, weeding, killing harmful pests, etc. God is the gardener and giver of talents. Everybody is in charge of her or his own and of others. We work together to make the world a beautiful place to live in. We decorate the world with our differences. Everybody has to know which part to play in life according to the talents one had been given and the continuance of them. The work done will be measured by God who knows what each one is supposed to fulfill in life. Everybody has a mission.

This kind of teamwork belonged to, and was deeply rooted in, African societies starting with ethnic groups: the way of paying respect to their ancestors; in e families who was supposed to doing what, when and where. The communal life helped to strengthen one another’s talents and well organized communities (kingdoms).

As time went on, priorities were given to money, power and competitions that led many African countries to corruption that they call development or modernization, but in reality is losing their direction and identity. Many African people have been educated in different fields. How is this education applied to help the better educated to use their talents? Instead there is money, witchcraft and bribery that destroy education. The worst thing is that people are looking for positions for which they have no skill. The country that is not aware of these things works with artificial doctors, nurses, lawyers, teachers, etc. and we call this “modernization.”

Biblical Parallels

In God we find the good order of doing things. The Trinity: Each person has a job in the ONE GOD who is the first family, the Holy One (the beginning of small Christian communities). There is no competition in the three Persons of the One God. This is our example because God said, “Let us make man in our image” (Genesis 1:26). If our work is not to bring unity, charity and justice whatever we do is useless. We are the image of God; let us work together for unity. God’s Spirit enables us to call God our Father who gives talents for the good of all (sharing).

The Spirit gives one person a message full of wisdom (Solomon in 1 Kings 3:16ff) while to another person the same Spirit gives a message full of knowledge (David in 2 Samuel 1:1-4, 12). One and the same Spirit gives faith (Abraham in Genesis 22) to one person while to another person God gives the power to heal. The Spirit gives one person the power to work miracles (Moses in Exodus 4:4), to another the gift of speaking God’s message (St. Paul) and to yet another, the ability to tell the difference between gifts that come from the Spirit and those that do not (the prophets). To one person God gives the ability to speak in strange tongues and to another God gives the ability to explain what is said. But it is one and the same Spirit who does all this as God wishes. The Spirit gives a different gift to each person for the good of all to build the Body of Christ, the Church and the family of God. The whole Chapter 12 of the First Letter to the Corinthians speaks and directs us how we must live. There should be kings and servants, doctors and attendants. Why then do we “buy” jobs?

We read also in 1 Peter 4:10-11: Each one of you has received special grace (talent) so, like good stewards responsible for all these different graces of God, put yourselves at the service of others. If you are a speaker, speak in words which seem to come from God (Julius K. Nyerere). If you are a helper, help as though every action was done at God’s orders (Blessed Mother Theresa of Calcutta). Live and act so that in everything God may receive the glory through Jesus Christ who is in you.

Contemporary Use and Religious Application

This Haya proverb Endimi elima emparangwa etaha teaches that individuals have different talents and societies should adhere to the saying that We are what we are through others. Nobody is independent. Everyone has a position in life to fulfill. It is important to recognize one’s ability when applying to any given position and to thank God for what you can accomplish in life.

Also one has to be aware of the prophecy of Micah in Chapter 7:2-5, 7: “There is not an honest person left in the land, no one loyal to God. Everyone is waiting for a chance to commit murder. Everyone hunts down their own people. They are all experts at doing evil. Officials and judges ask for bribes. The influential people tell them what the want, and so they scheme together. Even the best and most honest of them are as worthless as weeds.” The day has come when God will punish the people as he warned them through their watchers, the prophets: “But I will watch for the Lord. I will wait confidently for God who will save me. My God will hear me.”

This Haya Proverb presents many challenges to African people and to African society.

Kîrîma kî mîtî nî guoko kwa Ngai (kîara kîa Ngai).  (Gikuyu)
Kilima kilio na miti ni mkono au kidole cha Mungu. (Swahili)
Une montagne avec des arbres  c’est la main ou le doigt de Dieu. (French)
A hill with trees is the hand or finger of God. (English)

Background, Explanation and Everyday Use

Versions of this African saying are found in different Kenyan languages. This Gikuyu (or Kikuyu) version is known and used by the Kikuyu elders in Njoro, 11 kilometers from Nakuru, Kenya. In Kikuyu culture the work of the hand or arm implies life forever. A hill with trees is the work (creation) of the life power of God.

This Kenyan saying relates deeply to the creation story. The Kikuyu people believe that God (Ngai or Mwene Nyaga) lived on Mount Kenya when he came down from the sky and that he gave a guarantee that the Kikuyu people would take care of the earth for the generations to come after their death. The Kikuyu knew very well that the earth was given to them by God for their children. The earth is more important to the Kikuyu than many other things.

Another Gikuyu proverb is: Guoko kwa Ngai gutieraga (God’s arm never wavers).

Biblical Parallels

Genesis 1:9-13:  “And God said, ‘Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.’ And it was so.  God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, ‘Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.’ And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.”

It is interesting that God created the trees before human beings.

Contemporary Use and Religious Application

The 2011 African Proverbs has the overall theme of “Climate Change, Ecology and the Environment.” This Kenyan saying is used for the month of December, 2011 under the specific theme of “God’s Care of Creation.”

One version of this saying - Hills with trees are  footsteps of God – is found as the saying or proverb for 24 December in a generic calendar called African Wisdom on Trees – A Calendar compiled by Annetta Miller and printed by a Development Agency in Kambaland, Kenya. It is interesting that one dictionary in Kenya has both the words “footstep” and “footprint” for “wayo/nyayo” in Swahili.

Asi deka melea todzo o. (Ewe)
Mkono moja huwezi kushika nyati. (Swahili)
Une seule main ne peut pas attraper un buffle. (French)
One hand does not catch a buffalo. (English)

Background, Explanation and Everyday Use

This proverb in the Ewe language is spoken in Southeast Ghana, Southern Togo, Benin and Southwest Nigeria. Its literal meaning is that there is no strength in isolated efforts. But collective efforts yield great things. Among the Ewe people, and indeed among most human societies and communities, there are some activities that are expected to be carried out by many people to achieve good results such as the building of schools, churches, roads and tree planting, etc. So anybody who is trying to carry out a community type of project by himself or herself is usually reminded about the community nature of the work by hearing this proverb. Other Ewe proverbs are Ati deka me woa ave o (One tree does not make a forest) and Ati deka metua xo o (One tree or pole does not make a building).

It is common in many other languages in variant forms of imagery. For example, among the Kikuyu in Kenya they say One finger does not kill a louse. It’s absolutely necessary to use at least two thumbs to kill lice. In this regard any attempt to act alone in situations that demand collective efforts is seen as a selfish effort in futility.

The symbolic interpretation of the proverb suggests the opposite of isolation to mean there is strength in unity. Among many people and particularly those who hunt, the buffalo is one of the most feared animals in the bush. It is feared more than the lion and the elephant. It is very strong, very fast and usually moves in large herds. If a wounded or even a frightened buffalo is determined to kill you there is very little you can do to frighten it away from you. If for any reason that you need to confront a buffalo, you cannot do it casually by using one hand. You must use all your strength. This is why it is used as the imagery to show the dynamism of the magnitude of community projects that should not be done by individuals.

Biblical Parallels

Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12:  “Two are better than one.”

Ephesians 4: 3: “Make every effort to keep the unity.”

Contemporary Use and Religious Application

This proverb emphasizes the importance of unity, solidarity and community values. For example, the collective effort of environmental protection and rejuvenation of depleted areas such as the Mao Forest in Kenya. Asi deka melea todzo o is therefore an appeal to all concerned about the environment to pull together to tackle the enormous job symbolically expressed in facing the strength of the buffalo.

This Ewe proverb can be used in promoting Small Christian Communities (SCCs) as a new way of being church.

(from the Ashanti tribe, Ghana).

Ate alé mwiono hisumbelo lya manyonyi. (Bembe)
Mti ulio juu ya mlima (mbugani) ni pahali pa mkutano wa ndege. (Swahili)
Un arbre sur la colline dans une savane est une place de rencontre pour les oiseaux. (French)
A tree on a hill in the savannah is a meeting place for birds. (English)

Background, Explanation and Everyday Use

A savannah or savanna (grasslands with some plants and trees) is considered as a place where most animals would like to be. Carnivorous animals such as lion, leopard and cheetah will frequently visit the savannah because this is where they can easily catch their prey. Herbivorous animals such as antelope, buffalo, wildebeest and zebra take it as a gift from the Creator as their only source of fresh grass. Snakes, frogs and flies also dearly recognize the benefit of this place. Besides being their food reserve, most of these animals enjoy the savannah because they can easily see both their enemies and prey from a distance due to the shortness of its vegetation that is comprised mostly with grass. This gives them time to take action quickly.

Birds feel unsafe to rush into these grasslands as they are also targeted by some of the animals mentioned above. They would like a higher place such as a tree on a hill where they can first rest on its branches in order to watch before getting down. When a danger occurs, birds will first rush to a nearby tree to see what exactly is happening. Besides that, both birds and trees are seen as foreigners in the savannah due to their migration habits and their size respectively. According to the Bembe culture a tree belongs to a forest. Birds have developed a strong relationship with trees since they use trees branches to built their nest and lay their eggs. So they must know each other well.

Biblical Parallels

Psalm 1: 3: “They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper.”

Matthew 25:34-35: “Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.’”

Contemporary Use and Religious Application

In this Bembe proverb a tree can symbolize any person who has settled in a foreign land for a while and birds symbolize visitors from where he or she originated. This proverb is use to advise people like me (a Democratic Republic of the Congo [DRC] citizen living in Kenya) who live in a foreign land not to be selfish and rude to visitors from home, but to be kind enough by helping them with guidance and hospitality, even if it’s something you cannot afford. So do what you can. For example, most visitors from my area in DRC who come to Nairobi, Kenya for business, transit or for medication would feel safe to consult me first in order to get a nice taxi driver, an affordable hotel and or hospital because I am the only one close to them who is familiar with this place. They trust me.

This proverb also reminds us of the priority of promoting ecology, the environment and stewardship of the land. It is used as the June, 2011 proverb on the theme of “Planting Trees” in the 2011 African Proverbs Calendar that has the overall theme of “Climate Change, Ecology and the Environment.”

African Proverb of the Month:

September, 2010

Rigita thi wega; ndwaheiruio ni aciari; ni ngombo uhetwo ni ciana ciaku. (Kikuyu)
Itunze arthi vyema; hukupewa ni wazazi; bali umekopeshwa ni wazao wako. (Swahili)
Il faut bien traiter la terre. Ce n’est pas vos parents qui vous l’ont donnée. Mais, elle vous est prêtée par vos enfants. (French)
You must treat the earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It is loaned to you by your children. (English)

Kikuyu (Kenya) Saying

African Proverb of The Month
July 2010

Picture of Egyptian Date Palm I took myself when in Kemet.

Kakuthu kaneeyumba kayaa muti utemwa. (Kamba)
Kicheka ambacho kimekua hakikosi mti wa kukatwa. (Swahili)
­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Un bouisson ne menque jamais un arbre utile à a couper. (French)
A well developed bush cannot lack or miss a useful tree to be felled. (English)

Background, Explanation and Everyday Use

This is a Kamba proverb that is said by people when they start to take notice of small things that start to show signs of growth or development. The Akamba people belong to the Bantu linguistics grouping that is the largest language grouping in Kenya. They speak the Kamba language and are found in the lower Eastern Province of Kenya that is a relatively semi-arid region where rain is unreliable making water scarce. They are mixed farmers, that is, they keep cattle and grow food crops like maize (corn), beans, cowpeas and cassava among other indigenous crops. Since land is plentiful in most areas, the preferred method of cattle keeping is herding though some people practice tethering. The Akamba people still build houses the traditional way, that is, huts that are grass thatched. Since the Akamba people use trees for most of their constructions, this Kamba proverb connects to all age groups because when one wants to build, the person has to go into the bush and look for suitable trees to fell so as to get poles for building. This exercise is not easy since their land is not covered with vegetation even though the people occupy vast land.

Biblical Parallels

Mark 6:2-4:  “On the sabbath Jesus began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, ‘Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?’ And they took offense at him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.’

These bible verses relates to the Kamba proverb. Jesus was being rejected by people in his home town. He told them that a prophet has no honor among his own people. Jesus  told them that something good can come from HIM who is Salvation to all who believe.

Contemporary Use and Religious Application

In our contemporary world, this proverb can relate to, or can be used to, make people alert to, or to take notice of, new upcoming projects or developments especially when people are marketing new products. Since many companies or groups of people do not want to be referred to as underdogs, they would like to make an effort in order to show that they can contribute something positive to the society. This Kamba proverb is presently used in advertisements on one of the vernacular radio stations in Kenya.

Dancer

Mamina maushibana indi wamashika.  (Lega)

Lega (Democratic Republic Congo) Proverb

Background, Explanation and Everyday Use

In Bulegaland (where the Lega-speaking people live) in the South-Kivu part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) there exists a variety of dances. Among them we can mention “Kalalila,” ”Kabindubindu,” “Kambaya” and “Mindaba.” While the Kalalila is performed by the class of Bami (“Elders”) and their wives, the Kabindubindu is for adults. They dance by shaking intensively their buttocks while holding their waists. The Kambaya dance is performed by couples while the Mindaba and the modern Malinga are for both youth and adults and requires a lot of body movements and exercises. Due the variety of skills needed in each dance, it is not easy to master all of them, and that is why a good “Mindabalist” cannot be a good “Kabindubindulist.” Those who try to master both dances fail badly. For that reason counsel is given to dancers to choose which dance they are able to perform perfectly and at the same time avoid mixing dances.

Biblical Parallels

In Luke Chapter 15:25-27 the elder brother of the Prodigal Son calls one of the servants to inquire why people are singing and dancing at their family home before he makes a decision to join them or not.

Contemporary Use and Religious Application

Dancers

Practically in all sectors of life it is wise to know one’s limits. One should always know and accept his or her limitations. Do not engage yourself to do what you are unable to accomplish. Don’t force two incompatible things. Specialize in what you are able to do rather than engaging yourself in things you are not able to do. This includes avoiding hypocrisy.



Peanuts

Ntondo ikatondolaga. (Sukuma)
Kesho hufanya ijulikane mambo yake. (Swahili)
Demain se fait connaître demain. (French)
Tomorrow makes known to us what tomorrow will bring. (English)

Background, Explanation and Everyday Use

This Sukuma proverb in Tanzania has a play on words. Ntondo means “tomorrow.” Kutondola means “to reveal” and also “to shell peanuts.” The Sukuma people use this proverb in relation to shelling peanuts. When you break the shell you do not know what is inside – a ripe peanut or a rotten peanut. So to shell peanuts is to reveal something that is unknown or hidden. The meaning is that we can’t know today what will happen tomorrow. What is hidden today will be revealed tomorrow.

Biblical Parallels

Peanuts

Matthew 6:25-34: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

1 John 4:18: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.”

Contemporary Use and Religious Application

Our attitude in life should be to trust in God’s love. Don’t worry. This is the sacrament of the present moment. Worrying about tomorrow takes you away from living in the present moment of God’s love. Those who hope in the Lord renew their strength. Wings come to them like eagles. They run without weariness. They walk without fatigue. In the book Story of a Soul St. Therese of Lisieux says: “I find that we who run along the way of love must not think of anything painful that can happen to us in the future for this is lacking in trust and is like meddling in creation.”

In African cultures we are often paralyzed by fear (witchcraft, superstition, etc.) that enslaves us and prevents us from loving God perfectly.

[[Kaonde]] (Zambia) Proverb

Background, Explanation and Everyday Use

This Zambian proverb can also be translated as God’s cooking does not cause smoke. It shows God’s power. The almighty God, the all powerful God just does it. God does not need fire. He just does it. He says it and it is done. There is no other like Him. God is in a class by Himself. This Kaonde proverb refers to the many gifts of God that we take for granted because we never had to work for them such as wild fruits, mushrooms, herbs, etc. We did not cultivate them, but we eat and enjoy them. So this proverb teaches appreciation of God’s power and providence.

To show the close connection to other African peoples and languages the Sukuma (Tanzania) ethnic group has a similar proverb There is only one bull in the world (that is, God is all powerful) on the theme “The Unsurpassable Power of God.” God’s unsurpassable power and might are portrayed in vivid metaphors and actions. These are marvelous things to behold. God is the chief bull of the world.

Biblical Parallels

Creation Story in Genesis. “In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light…” (Genesis 1:1-3).

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3).

“Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly

Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (Matthew 6:26). “And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you — you of little faith” (Matthew 6:28-30)

.

Contemporary Use and Religious Application

Today many people have lost the sense of God, the sense of God’s power, the sense of the uniqueness of God. We are challenged to rediscover God’s power in the world. We are called to become more “God conscious” – to be more aware of God’s power and providence in our lives and to rely on God more in our daily actions. When life seems a failure and everything seems lost, God can intervene and help us. The Shona people in Zimbabwe call God “The One Who Turns Things Upside Down.”

As we explore how African proverbs are relevant for today, a quotation from John Ganly is appropriate: “In the oral wisdom of the Bantu people are the riches which no other people have seen, nor have they heard, nor has it entered their minds…Let us save it before it is too late!”