“You cannot use a wild banana leaf to shield yourself from the rains and then tear it to pieces later when the rains come to an end.” – Nandi (Kenya), Sukuma (Tanzania).

·       Makiume sasurwet ak kebet. (Nandi)

·       Huwezi kutumia majani ya mgomba wa kichakani kujizuzia mvua na baada ya mvua kuiisha uikatakate. (Swahili)

·       You cannot use a wild banana leaf to shield yourself from the rains and then tear it to pieces later when the rains come to an end. (English)

·       Remember your former (bad) situation and those who helped you when things get better for you (Meaning).

 The above proverb, famous amongst the Nandi Ethnic Group in the Rift Valley in Kenya, teaches us not to forget our past when things get better for us. Symbolically speaking, the rain in the proverb means times of adversity or havoc, and the end of the dangerous condition implies a time of peace and calm after a hazardous time.

Often, human beings forget their past and where the journey began whenever they have reached their destination. Life is a journey, a struggle, without which it might not yield any tangible result. In the battle, we need helping hands and support to succeed. We must remember those support when we have reached our destination.

From the religious point of view, it is not uncommon for one to pray without ceasing when facing adversaries or challenges; however, in most cases, one’s spiritual commitment diminishes or even ends once their adversaries are over. Unfortunately, humans forget that life is synonymous with problems and challenges. The end of a hiccup today hardly means its finality.

Politically, we are in a vicious circle due to the ingrates and ungratefulness of some leaders. In contemporary times when our leaders are aiming at leadership positions, the help and support of the masses become vital and inevitable for the leaders’ success. In most cases, the story becomes different immediately after the leaders have gained power or reached their political pinnacle. How about those who helped the leaders attain their new positions of power? Are their help and support generally appreciated? Hardly not. That explains most countries’ present hardship, poverty, crime, negligence, and joblessness.

Once bitten, twice shy. That is what it should be, but is it so? One may shout, “You cannot use a wild banana leaf to shield yourself from the rains and then tear it to pieces later when the rains end.” However, one can tear the wild banana leaf used to shield oneself from the rains to pieces later when the rains end,” - only when the wild banana leaf agrees to be torn.

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