“The hand of a child cannot reach the high shelf, but the hand of an elder always can.”
Experience and age bring capability that youth alone cannot achieve.
— Traditional Guinea Wisdom, Guinea
Source: Traditional Guinea proverb, public-domain oral tradition
More Proverbs from Guinea
One tree does not make a forest.
Unity and community strength accomplish what a single individual cannot.
It is the calm, silent water that drowns a man.
Quiet, unassuming appearances can hide the greatest danger.
However long the night, the day is sure to come.
No matter how hard times become, better days will eventually arrive.
A single bracelet does not jingle.
A person acting alone cannot achieve what a united group can.
The kola nut does not lie.
A gift or gesture offered in sincerity, like the ceremonial kola nut, reveals true intention.
A river that forgets its source will soon run dry.
A person who forgets their origins and family loses their strength.