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.