About the Baobab: Proverbs of Africa App

When you think of Africa, do you think of dense forests and colorful costumes? A continent as culturally vibrant as Africa would also abound in age-old wisdom, don’t you think? Many African countries rely on nature for livelihood; they have developed a unique insight into nature’s laws. Read African proverbs to understand the profundities of nature. These African proverbs have been translated from various African languages: Akan, Ewe, Swahili, Zulu, and Yoruba.
About Proverbs

Proverbs are an integral part of African culture. Passed on from generation to generation for centuries, they are still in wide use today and are very much part of everyday speech.

Proverbs are used to illustrate ideas, reinforce arguments and deliver messages of inspiration, consolation, celebration and advice.

The great Nigerian author Chinua Achebe once wrote: “Proverbs are the palm oil with which words are eaten.”

African proverbs are thought of much more than artistic sayings. They symbolize real life situations in just a few words that consummate great meaning. In cultures without literature, proverbs provide an array of values and knowledge. Proverbs often, also provide entertainment because they may consist of rhyme or clever allusions. African leaders have turned to proverbs for their wisdom, and to acquire support and respect from their people. Proverbs are unforgettable not only because they abrupt, but because they take a complicated life situation and sum it up into a few comprehensive words. African proverbs convey an amorphous truth or experience, usually about frailty and the way that people intermingle with one another.

When you think of one woman trying to lift a car; that is just absurd, but when others pitch in and help then it works better. That is an example of an African Proverb. It symbolizes how one person can’t accomplish an abstruse task without the help of others:

”If one finger tries to pick up something from the ground, it

cannot.”

Ashanti (Ghana)

In life we are faced with many disputes and sometimes may need help. As the proverb says you can’t pick something up without the help of others. This instills manners, togetherness, and the fact that you are willing to take or get help from others. For some people this is a big step. This distinction examines the impact of family. People tend to take others or things for granted. What are you to do if one day you get into an accident and you legs get amputated? Without the help the doctor, there is no medical way that you will make it through that obstacle in your life.

Finally, the day comes when you are about to graduate from high school, about to go into the working world and continue to further your

education; you need not to forget where