NO PRESSURE

MOJA PELE O TSHWANA LE MOJA MORAGO

• Moja pele- the one who ate firtst
• o tshwana le- is the same as
• moja morago- the one who ate last

Direct translation- The one who ate first is the same as the one who ate last

Meaning – success is success, whether you succeed first or last
 

This proverbs vividly reminds me of the good old days when the art of securing one’s food and managing to speedily devour them first before your counterparts had access to them was highly valued. Slothful eaters as they used to be mockingly referred to, had a hard time getting by; when parents were not watching of course, for not only would they get a dose of mocking remarks, but would ultimately have to give up a portion of their food to the eating masters. Many today may not understand the hilarity invoked by such a graphic recollection, considering the dynamic change in our feeding habits, but I sure do hope you see where I’m getting at. As much as that was fun then, with obvious valuable lessons being learnt from such experiences, yet, like many great lessons, some cautionary measures need to be exercised in their application. Why do I say this? The drive to succeed at the first attempt, the first serving, has led many to undermine the value of the successes gained at the subsequent attempts. No matter how many times you have been beaten at the game, as long as you continue to rise, to grind and persevere, your victory will still be worth noting, worth celebrating. The invaluable lessons gained from drinking the bitter cup of failure and disappointment whilst firmly persisting in your aim will make the experience of the eventual success all the more sweeter. There is no need to be envious of those who ate first, or how they ate, if you carefully consider the matter, your meal is still in the house, you need only take it and judiciously eat, your stomach will be filled all the same. There is no need to be envious of the filled stomach of others, your time will come.. arise and shine mothowetsho, you got this.

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

MANONG A JA KA DITSHIKA

Manong- vultures

A ja- eat

Ka ditshika- with their blood relations

Direct translation – vultures eat with their blood relations

Translation- Birds of a feather flock together

Meaning - People of similar character, background, or taste tend to congregate or associate with one another

                     

 

Like many of the great birds of the air or the majestic beasts that roam the earth, humans too are social beings, with varying degrees of this trait observed from person to person. Like the glorious peacock, we are all adorned by various colors and shade of characters, in our innermost selves, which may or may not be displayed in our interactions. It is often said, “show me your friends, and I will tell you what kind of person you are”. Perhaps this stems from the fact that we usually seek to have people around us who we “click” with, though that may not be the case always when it comes to family and other societal relations. Yet, there is always a “common” foundational goal or reason for why we are together or choose to be in each other’s spheres instead of just, in essence, flying away. Many social animals of the wild do not take kindly to intruding species when enjoying prey they tirelessly sought for, as if the entry requirements to the “feast” would be, “you have to be one of us”. Intruders more often than not, get a stern reproach whilst the “team” bound by mutual understanding enjoy their fill and make in on their way, together, a perspective I’ve derived from the documentaries I have seen. One that is interestingly depicted even in our human relations, be it family or any other. Perhaps our union makes our flight easier and more bearable, like the majestic migration birds ,or we desire to bask in the radiance of the “colors” of others which reflect our very own to a certain degree, that we seem to find ourselves flying with those we fly with. It would be quite interesting to find an ostrich “hanging around” with vultures, a misnomer even, one that would warrant the immediate attention the beholders of such a scene. Perhaps this trickles down to our own relation, no matter how we seek to deny it, are we misnomers to our own circles? Who are flying with, who are we fighting and gathering with, are they propelling us forward, are the goals we strive for together needful for our survival in the harsh wild? Or are we just needlessly decorating the sky together, squandering energy that could be invested elsewhere… nevertheless fly little bird, and choose your course wisely.

PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE

 ERE O TLHALEFELA NGAKA, LE BOLWETSE O BO TLHALEFELE

Ere o tlhalefa ngaka- when you become wise of the healer

Le bolwetse o bo tlhalefe- also become wise of the sickness

Direct translation- when you become wise of the healer, also become wise of the sickness

Actual meaning- it is better to prevent sickness from occurring in the first place

Indigenous knowledge, and the integration of nature in the process of alleviating sickness has been an integral part of the African culture, with age old knowledge being passed on from one generation to the other. The integration of modern medicine has usurped the significance of this approach to health in the minds of many, yet there are many who still, as it may, enjoy its benefits in the modern world. The approach to most of the models of intervention in modern medicine, seeks to be more on the curative side, instead of focusing of the preventative aspect of matters. This has in most parts, seen the rise of many disease conditions, from new bugs that cause pandemics, to drug resistant ones which refuse to respond to treatment, to the scourge of non-communicable disease conditions that are attributed to, in most parts, our lifestyles. We have become wiser than the healers, with their traditional knowledge on how we ought to secure health, to discarding the very directives of those involved in modern medicine on how we ought to assimilate modern interventions in “curing” diseases. One may wonder, in light of all this, have we become wiser than the sicknesses themselves? The world at this moment is faced with a pandemic, propagated by one of the novel viruses that has hit the surface of the earth. As a cure has not yet been discovered despite its long-standing existence in our midst, the matter of discussion in being all the more solidified in our minds how prevention is indeed better than cure. History need not repeat itself. May we not, yet again, become wiser than our healers, neglecting some of the needful regulation that seek to protect us from the problem at hand. Preventative measures will go a long way in ensuring our well-being, and those of future generations. Keep optimal hygiene, observe social distancing, boil those needful concoctions to keep your immune system at par and stay safe, you owe yourself that much at least.

DID YOU SEE IT?

PROVERB OF THE WEEK: KE UTLWILE GA A TSHWANE LE KE BONE KA MATHO

• Ke utlwile- I heard

• Ga a tshwane- is no the same

• Le ke bonye ka matho- as I saw

Direct translation- I heard is not the same as I heard
True meaning- one who is trusted is the one who saw than the one who also heard from someone
 
Have you ever been in a frustrating situation where someone is narrating a somewhat intriguing story about some past event, only to uncover many discrepancies on further questioning, the sole reason being that what they were narrating was 10^th hand distorted information. Well I have, and perhaps, have been guilty of adding “salt” to some narrations only to make them more interesting that they really were. With so much desire to be the one who is up to date with all the current “juicy” news, it’s always hard to draw the line in realizing who is actually telling the truth, who was an actual witness to all that is being said. Perhaps that is why we see the rise of the video taking phenomenon, even in times of crisis, where we would prefer to have the first copy and post of tragic events instead of assisting the victims of such incidents. All in all, in many institutions and interactions, the first-hand account is always better preferred, not only does it save time, but it’s always all the more refreshing to know what “really” happened. So there goes the expression simply, if you’ve not seen it yourself, better be wary of spreading it around. Like most grannies always say, if you have nothing truthful to say (that can be truly verified), better keep quiet.

WHITE TEETH?

 MENO MASWEU A BOLAYA A TSHEGA

Meno: Teeth

Masweu: White

A bolaya: Hurts

A tshega: When laughing

Teeth white hurts when laughing… (Huh?). Doesn’t make much sense right? Well that’s the direct translation of this famous Setswana proverb. This maxim has the same meaning in English as, “not all that glitters is gold”. It means that just because something (or someone) appears to be good or valuable does not mean that it (or one) truly is. In other words, something may not be as beneficial or as valuable as it appears or that anything that seems to be good on the surface, might not be when you look at it more closely. People often use the adage when they reflect back on toxic relations or when warning against fake people. These are the phony folks that always wear a big bright smile on their faces, (OK, I have nothing against beautiful smiles!) while in actual fact they really aren’t smiling, but pretending (I’d like to say plastic surgery smiles. you know, those smiles that don’t reflect in the eyes?). In essence, white teeth may just look pretty and precious, but they might be hurting or painful from cavities. I have never really understood why people pretend! Perhaps they want to make a good impression about themselves to you, or maybe just looking to get something from you? But what could that something possibly be? You Only Hear From Them When They Need or Want Something,

“Oh, hey… I haven’t talked to you in forever, how are you doing? Do you have airtime on your phone? See, I have a situation and I urgently need to call my boss, can you please recharge my bill?

Charming, right? And more common than you might realize. You might not have heard from this person for six months or more, but funny how you came to mind as soon as they are in need. Question is; is it really worth it to get something like friendship, help or money from someone you really don’t like? Well, if you’ve proven that you’ll come to this person’s rescue whenever needed, that’s the role they’ve labelled you with: the helper, the fixer, the one they can depend on. Perhaps they’re after your happiness and want to be part of the plan to see your down fall? so Be careful who you trust. some people aren't satisfied until they sabotage someone else's happiness. Or could it be that they want to be in your life just to take the front row seat to watch you go through pain in life? This kind will always come for updates on the latest gossip or current events in your life, they’ll pretend to be happy for you when things are going well with you, funny how they always disappear when you need them the most or going through a rough patch (Yeah, that’s not a real friend at all). Fake is the purest of evil I’m telling you. Rather unmask and show your pure intentions and clearly show that you are an enemy than to disguise. The most poisonous people come disguised as friends or even family with a Colgate smile. Yeash! (Scary right?). One thing to note in life is that, not everyone who laughs with you, loves you. Meno masweu a bolaya a tshega, do not be deceived by looks because a person may look innocent when they are not. I believe we have been given that sixth sense that will always give you a feeling of uneasiness around those people, no matter how nice they pretend to be, or how beautiful and wide their smile may be around you ( lol! at least I know I do). U can fake a smile, but never feelings. Don’t be Meno masweu, the fake folk. Or rather, don’t be deceived. They will kill you with a smile... BEWARE! MENO MASWEU A BOLAYA A TSHEGA.

#TheeAuroraSays

BATHO BAME

In September 2020, Botswana will commemorate 54 years of independence. Part of our vision is that by 2036, we should be a high-income country, with an export led economy underpinned by diversity, inclusive of sustainable growth driven by high levels of productivity. The government has proven no efforts to direct the nation towards that. As of today Botswana still stands at and continues to breed high unemployment rates. People are losing their jobs with each passing day yet the government presents no concrete remedial plans. Our country continues to experience an impending economic meltdown catapulted by the covid19 pandemic and of course by other economic shocks. The future looks blurred, bleak and perilous, a situation too horrific to envision.

All the things happening in this once hopeful beautiful country of Botswana have brought me to think of two wise aphorisms created by our forefathers.

1.   Ngwana yo o sa lelelng o swela tharing: the child that does not cry, dies inside the baby carry bag.

What it simply teaches is that, “silence kills”

2 .Moseka phofu ya gaabo ga a swe lentswe: the eland’s owner’s voice does not die out.

This means that one must fight impatiently for what rightly belongs to him or her.

The proverb is used to express the African thought of transparent dialogue in regards to addressing issues of corruption in the sociopolitical landscape.

I feel the need to express that these proverbs do apply to Botswana’s current position, concerning the socio-political struggles the government is undergoing. Recently, a few opinion leaders have took it upon themselves to voice out their frustrations, concerns and pleas to the government in regards to the current state of the country.

The khiring-khiring khorong hit-track local musician, ATI, was recently arrested for protesting against a government that does not provide or cater for the marginalized and poor citizens of the country. ATI persistently made pleas to meet the President of Botswana to discuss with him what he feels is social injustice to the people of the land without much avail. The ruling party took him lightly and his concerns for the socio-economic status of the nation bounced on deaf ears.

Two days ago, the famous Yarona FM radio presenter, Leungo Pitse, was dismissed from his job, for publicly voicing out his frustrations with a corrupt and opaque government. His issues of concern related to the unfair issuing of tenders, increased electricity bills, expensive food, and high tax and continually unaccounted for missing funds.

Penene Ponono the comedian cried out for the creative arts industry in Botswana. On a Facebook post, he pleaded with the national TV director to use and revive local content and programmes instead of importing content from international producers. He gave an example of one soapy, famously broadcasted on Botswana Television, “the bold and the beautiful”. He stated that there are no validated reasons as to why the local productions are rejected while such graphic, non-educative international programmes are aired.

All these happenings bring us back to our 2 proverbs. These national freedom fighters need to be applauded for their courage to speak out and become children with a voice as opposed to Ngwana yo o sa leleng. We still look on with hope that their fervent, zealous attitude to fight for the silent masses, may see us an inclusive and sustainable growth in Botswana, and hence bring forth positive results.

The saying goes “moseka phofu ya gaabo ga a swe lentswe”… may their voices be written down in the books of history; may their protests never die.

PROVERBS????

👀Hi! in order to help you acquire more knowledge on proverbs, i made this little video just for you!hope you learn something from it😎

PICK  A LIL BIT OF AURORA'S BRAIN!👇

Ever wondered where proverbs originated?

well, i think that people who made up proverbs were very wise opinion leaders from the past, who were very articulate and observant . Everyone ends up using the phrases  they make because they are well constructed and reflective of the society and general life. when people are able to identify with the wise sayings, they use them and accept them as wisdom and 

an observation which contains a general truth or lesson.

for example:

Motho naka lwa tholo, matswakabele a a matswapetswape, ga a itsiwe e se naga.

The person who came up with that proverb, must have observed the twists and curves on the Kudu horn and thought to themselves, 

"wow!it ain't a straight way finding a way about this horn! typical of human character."

 I believe people saw the similarity between the kudu horn and the complexity of human character. Therefore, they could well attest to it's truth and used it, hence it became a proverb! 

voila!

TIE THE KID

Pelo potsane e a golegwa

Pelo= the heart

Potsane= a kid (baby goat)

E a golegwa= is tied

Direct: the heart, a kid, is tied. 

Simply laid, this proverb means that, just as a young goat is domesticated or tamed, so can the heart. A baby goat is tied away from its mother to hold it back from leaving safety to danger. This is done to restrain it, keep it calm or control it. The same can go for our hearts! To successfully accomplish this, the disposition of the mind which binds passions is necessary.

Growing up in a rural village called Mmadinare, I’d often hear the elderly remark, “pelo potsane e a golegwa” time and again. As a child, I just took it that adult talk was too weird and complicated, I thought they were mentally incapacitated too, (oops). How could they refer the heart as to a baby goat (really?). So I wondered, Ignorant that there was something called a metaphor. I honestly could not find the relationship between the heart and the tying of a baby goat.

Speaking of baby goat tying, when I was a kid, my dad would take us to the cattle post during school vacations. There, we reared different kinds of livestock,  including a flock of goats. Each time the flock left for grazing, the baby goats or kids had to remain behind. Keeping them calm as they watched their does (a word for mother goats) leave wasn’t easy. Goats are naturally stubborn, and young ones being highly energetic, are a whole lot of trouble and hard to control. Determined to leave with the older goats, the kids would run about the kraal looking for gaps on the structure to escape. Under my father’s instruction, we had to get a hold of them and tie them to the sides of the wooden poles of the kraal. The baby goats would struggle, jump and kick to try to break off the rope. Although this might have seemed to be a little cruel, it is the African way of taming goats. Little does the young goat realize that setting it free, would only lead it to the great danger of landing between the long, sharp canines of predators, the talons of great eagles or the coils of a python. The baby goat will never understand the reason behind separating it from its mother, but the experienced keeper knows the danger lying ahead if he were to let it loose.

Similarly, the heart is full of many desires, some just too wild (lol). Imagine if your heart would go unrestrained! By all means, it would try to satisfy all of its natural desires, regardless of their nature, good or bad. Consequently, one is required to exercise the will power, logic, experience, common sense and some level of maturity in order to keep themselves from falling prey to dire penalties of going after those desires. In other words, we should not be impulsive, but decisive in action. With that being said, I urge you to tie up your baby goat in the best ways possible! Pelo potsane, e a golelgwa.

Exercise restraint after good judgement!

#THEEAURORASAYS

DOUBLE ACTION

 “SETSHWARWA KE NTSA-PEDI GA SE THATA”.

SE TSWHWARWA= what is held/grabbed/done

KE NTSA-PEDI= by two dogs

GA SE THATA= is not hard

Direct: what is held by two dogs is not hard

Meaning: the work that is done by two, is easily accomplished.

If there ever was an important number, I’d like to believe it to be “2”. The number two is so imperative that even our very being is designed around it. That is why I am able to type this post using my two hands, with two eyes on my face, a nose with two nostrils and two ears attached to my head. Humans even have two feet to give them balance when they stand or walk. And so, that is why two is such a significant powerful number. There are also two genders in this world, and also nature made it so that the best working relationships are between only two.

Have you ever tried chopping vegetables using one hand? Well, it’s not impossible, but I must say it’s not very easy. It also takes time. That is why the ancient Setswana proverb “setshwarwa ke ntsa-pedi ga se thata” makes sense even today, for the reason that when two share a task, the easier it gets. That is why back in the day before cutting boards, two girls would sit by the fire to cut meat into the pot. One holding the other end of the steak and one holding the other end, cutting.

As I ponder upon this proverb “setshwarwa ke ntsa-pedi”, I am compelled to think back on my primary school days. It was a time when my sister and I were desperately in need of new school bags, as the school term was beginning on a new year. Mother had said we didn’t need them and so she could not afford to get them for us. And so we knew we had to devise a plan to raise funds to buy the school bags by our own means. In her desperateness, my sister suggested that I sold some of the chickens my grandmother had given me. I didn’t mind, but the problem was, “who is going to buy the chickens?” It was already Sunday noon, we were under the pressure of time because shops would soon close and school was on the next day. Being the kids that we were, we very much dreaded the idea of showing up at school with our old school bags on a new year when other kids had something new. At that moment, our ideas had reached a dead end. That is when I suggested we pray about it. For the first time ever, my sister and I held hands to pray alone together. To our surprise, that very same day, actually, only a few hours after our fervent prayer sessions, a bunch of Indian men driving in expensive cars showed up at our house, looking for chickens to buy. They needed live chickens for a ceremony at the Mosque, and honestly, that was the most miraculous day of our lives.  From then on, I knew that united prayer works. From brainstorming, strategizing to raise funds and finally praying for a miracle together, I shall forever remember the power of two. Perhaps if anyone of us had tried to do it on their own, it wouldn’t have been easier or likely impossible. But because of us TWO, we proudly carried our new bags to school the next day.

So couple up, pair up to get the work at hand done, a twosome just might be the easy way out of a difficult task. Remember, “SETSHWARWA KE NTSA-PEDI GA SE THATA”.

TWISTED ARE THE WAYS OF MAN

MOTHO NAKA LWA THOLO. MATSWAKABELE A MATSWAPETSWAPE, GA A ITSIWE ESE NAGA.

Directly translated. This Setswana proverb is saying that, a person is like a Kudu’s horn which has twists and curves. You can never really understand a human being, as much as you can know your way through the mysterious forest.

Although the forest is strange, scary and mysterious, but once you take time to explore it and move about it, it’s unlikely that you may get lost in it. No matter how strange it may be, the good thing is that it never changes. It remains the same forest, with the same trees and hills that remain unmoved. Now the scariest thing is a human being. With a human being, it’s a different case. No amount of studying, spending time or interaction can guarantee one a mastery of a human being. Even as individuals, we can never really reach a point where we can claim to understand ourselves. Sometimes our reactions to life situations even shock us. We often find ourselves saying, “I never knew I was capable of this”. This is because people are ever changing creatures with complex minds.

 Marty Rubin said, “Another person is a door you can’t enter even by knocking”. Just like the twisted horn on a Kudu's head, no character is straightforward. Never think that you know or understand a person well enough. A piece of advice; save room for surprises. You cannot define individuals by a single character trait otherwise you risk making mistakes about their conduct as they react differently to different situations.

“A couple decided to commit suicide after an experience with a rough life. They decided to jump off a building. When they got to the top, they both counted to three. The man jumped, but the woman stayed. She watched him drop for about 8 seconds and then saw a parachute open.” Now the question is, who cheated who?

As much as we refer to life as complicated, humans are as well. In the scenario above, it is important to highlight the dilemma the two went through, no one can ever really understand the complexity of their thoughts at that moment and that makes it difficult to judge who was wrong or right. The more you think about it, the more the scenario will baffle your mind. If you think a human mind is a simple field, I recommend that you watch Tyler Perry’s Acrimony and share your line of thought…trust me, you will definitely say, “it’s complicated”.

Motho naka lwa tholo, matswakabele a matswapetswape. Ga a itsiwe e se naga. Remember, great expectations may lead to great disappointments. Certainty may give you big surprises. Overconfidence will drown you in the sea of reality. Never think you know a person enough.

A human being is more mysterious than a forest.

#TheeAuroraSays

DON'T CRY OVER SPILT MILK

 

SE ILENG, SE ABO SE ILENG, MOSELATLEDI KE LESILO

meaning and lessons drawn from this setswana proverb:

• What is gone is gone, chasing it is living a ghost like life. A ghost lives in the past. The life of a ghost is helpless and in vain.
• Longing for something that can never return is unhealthy.
• There is no use crying over spilt milk. Or is there?
• Free your heart,mind and soul of pain by letting go.

A LOVING HEART HAS NO BOUNDS

PELO E JA SERATI, SEBATLELWA GA E SE JE.

This is a Setswana proverb of which I will break down, word by word to translate it.

Pelo= heart

E ja= eats

Serati=love

Sebatelwa=offering

Ga e =does not

Se je= eat

Directly translated it says, “The heart eats what it wants, anything else offered it does not bite”. Psht …god knows the heart has no mouth to eat (LOL). But the general meaning of the proverb is that, a heart wants what it wants or that a loving heart knows no bounds. This Setswana proverb reminds me of Botswana’s very own African mourning collared dove. These are devoted loving birds that symbolize romance. When the male mourning collared dove is ready to mate, he performs a wooing ritual of bows and coos in front of the female he’s interested in. if she accepts the advances, the two become one if you know what I mean. The mourning collared doves mate for life. The couple has a bond so strong that can go beyond death for a season. The doves have been known to occasionally visit the place where their mate has died in remembrance of the love they shared. Interesting huh? From these birds, we learn the power of the heart that chooses, “pelo e ja serati.” Since this is the month of love, be sure to share it with that one person your heart feels strongly connected to. I don’t know who that person might be or what got you drawn to make them your choice. Perhaps it’s their charisma, their smile, their kindness, their touch, or the look in their eyes that speaks to your soul. Whatever it might be, be sure it’s what your heart chose, and stick to it. Happy Valentine’s Day, and remember,"sebatlelwa ga e se je."

#TheeAuroraSays