Amenshi yakutali tayashinya mulilo.
“Water that is far away cannot put out the fire that is here.”
Help or knowledge that is too far removed from a crisis is of no use in the moment it is actually needed.
— Traditional Zambia Wisdom, Zambia
Source: Traditional Zambia proverb, public-domain oral tradition
More Proverbs from Zambia
Mother, carry me, and I too will carry you.
The young have a duty to care for their elders just as they were once cared for in infancy.
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He who falls does not rise on his own.
A person in difficulty needs the help of others; community support is essential in hardship.
Traditional Zambia Wisdom
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One arm follows the other arm.
Kindness shown to others tends to be returned in kind, in due course.
Traditional Zambia Wisdom
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Where there is a finger, there is a cultivated field.
Success and abundance are the result of dedicated effort, not chance.
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Those who eat water monitor lizards are found sitting close together.
People who share the same tastes and interests naturally gather and stay close to one another.
Traditional Zambia Wisdom
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A dog belonging to a harsh master does not grow wise.
Excessive harshness in discipline is counterproductive and fails to build real understanding.
Traditional Zambia Wisdom
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