“Drop by drop fill a gourd.”
Small, steady contributions accumulate into something substantial over time.
— Traditional Liberia Wisdom, Liberia
Source: Traditional Liberia proverb, public-domain oral tradition
More Proverbs from Liberia
One single finger cannot pick a louse.
Unity is necessary — no one person can accomplish everything working alone.
Traditional Liberia Wisdom
Read more →
One tree cannot make a forest.
Individual effort alone cannot build what a whole community builds together.
Traditional Liberia Wisdom
Read more →
It is better to fall while sitting than to fall while standing.
A person who starts from humility risks far less than one who falls from a position of pride.
Traditional Liberia Wisdom
Read more →
Whenever you play with oil, some will remain on your fingers.
Involvement with something, good or bad, inevitably leaves its mark on you.
Traditional Liberia Wisdom
Read more →
Teeth and tongue can fight but they will never stop working together to eat.
Even those who quarrel must keep cooperating because they depend on one another.
Traditional Liberia Wisdom
Read more →
No matter how far a hand wanders, it always lands on the stomach.
Whatever a person does, basic needs and self-interest eventually bring them back home.
Traditional Liberia Wisdom
Read more →