àr nàng ndaa à kàri bbo àr mei nda à kàri el
“If you give to the land, it will give back to you; if you give to your stomach, it gives you nothing back.”
Investing effort in productive work such as farming brings a lasting return, while feeding only immediate appetite leaves nothing behind for the future.
— Traditional Chad Wisdom, Chad
Source: Traditional Ngambay proverb (Chad), public-domain oral tradition; recorded with native Ngambay text by Djibé (Bébidjia, southern Chad) in "Proverbes Ngambay" (djilambad.over-blog.com, 2013)
More Proverbs from Chad
A child's maternal uncle is, in truth, a second mother.
A mother's brother owes his sister's children the same care and closeness a mother would, reflecting how deeply family duty runs through the maternal line.
If you respect your friend, together you will build the village.
Mutual respect between companions is the foundation on which a strong, lasting community is built.
Listen to what is said of your friend, and listen for yourself as well.
Criticism spoken about someone else is often a lesson worth applying to oneself, since the same faults rarely belong to only one person.
First the child sets out on the road, and only then does he come to know the stranger.
Real understanding of other people and customs comes only through the experience of traveling and meeting them, not by staying home.
Death is like the game of méndé: if your friend plays, play beside him.
In hardship and mourning, as in a shared game, true friends stand together and take their turn at each other's side.
The rain can stop falling, but hunger never stops.
Basic needs such as hunger allow for no pause, so the work needed to meet them must continue whatever the weather brings.