Agụọ nwere nchekwube/olịleanya a dighi egbu egbu.
Nigeria proverb, Igbo
The hunger that has hope (for its satisfaction) does not kill.
English
Background,
Explanation, and Everyday Use
The Igbo inhabit southeastern
Nigeria. “Igbo” refers to both the people and their
language. Occupying a rainforest
region, the Igbo were traditionally mainly farmers and their lifestyle was patterned on the farming cycle. Usually, between the end of the farming
season (when most of the crops from the previous harvest had been consumed and the
seedlings planted) and the next harvest, there is a food scarcity spell, called
ụgalị.
This proverb was mostly used at this time, a period of
about five to seven months, to counsel hope for and endurance until the next
harvest, a future of abundance. The
elders used this proverb to teach the young ones that no matter how trying and
challenging a situation might be, one usually survives it if one looks beyond
the particular moment with hope for a brighter future and, therefore, endures
with dignity.
However, one neither hopes nor endures in inertia. Both hope and endurance imply hard work. So, this proverb ties to another Igbo
proverb, aka aja aja na eweta ọnụ mmanụ
mmanụ (“‘soily’ hands bring about oily mouth”). With these two proverbs, people are encouraged to be active
and diligent while they hope for a better future.
