“If you do not have enough water to take a bath, wash your face.”
Make the best use of whatever limited resources you have rather than doing nothing at all.
— Traditional Burkina Faso Wisdom, Burkina Faso
Source: Traditional Burkina Faso proverb (Proverbicals, 'Burkinabe Proverbs'), public-domain oral tradition
More Proverbs from Burkina Faso
If you haven't been to two marketplaces, you don't know which offers the best value.
Comparing options through direct experience reveals true value.
Traditional Burkina Faso Wisdom
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He who speaks does not know that the listener is smart.
A speaker should never underestimate the intelligence of those who are listening.
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One hand does not pick up the flour.
Some tasks are impossible to accomplish alone and require the cooperation of others.
Traditional Burkina Faso Wisdom
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After beating milk, butter is obtained.
Sustained effort transforms raw material into something valuable.
Traditional Burkina Faso Wisdom
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Everything has an end, except the banana, which has two.
A gently humorous reminder that, unlike most things, a banana has two visible ends.
Traditional Burkina Faso Wisdom
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Every birth is the rebirth of an ancestor.
A newborn child is seen as carrying forward the spirit and legacy of an ancestor who came before.
Traditional Burkina Faso Wisdom
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