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Proverbs
Proverbs are an important part of African culture. It is the means by which wisdom is remembered and passed on through the generations. Sure enough I hear them on a fairly regular basis. They are translated into french for me, and then I will translate them into English, and you always have to understand the African background to the quote, so something may get lost in the translation, but I'll try to make them as clear as possible.

"Un homme ne marche pas sur une seul pied"

"A man doesn't walk on only one leg."

Background
If a man arrives at your house and you offer him a drink (alcoholic), then when he finishes it you must also offer him a SECOND drink.

Application
After the second drink, a man NEEDS two legs just to walk. Thus "a man doesn't walk on only one leg", otherwise he wouldn't be able to take two drinks.

"Celui qui ne va pas au marigot ne casse pas le Canaris"

"Those who don't go to the marigot don't break the Canaris"
-or-
"Those who don't go to the river don't break any jars"

Background
A "Canaris" is a large jar made of clay that are used to carry water. A woman will go down to the marigot (river), fill it up with water and carry it back on her head. Since they are made of clay, they are very fragile. If they ever drop, they will crack and break and become useless.

Application
If you make a mistake, it's because you were working and mistakes happen. A person who never does any work (i.e. never goes down to the river) will never make any mistakes (because they never carry any jars). So don't fret when you make a mistake because it just means you were working hard, and don't get angry at people who do makes mistakes when you don't bother to do that work yourself!

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