Page 166 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 8

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healthy community connections. Over-emphasis on one part of the sy-
stem creates imbalance and once one part of the whole system is ailing,
the whole feels the pain and there is imbalance. Africans believe that the
human being is like a spider’s web – when one thread is caused to vibrate,
the whole network trembles! Indeed, various Africa proverbs remind us
that to maintain a balanced system is wisdom. Lack of balance can lead
to overinvestment in one or two systems that often leads to breakup of
the whole, for: To overfill the pot is to break it (Tswana Proverb).

(A version of this article was first published in Afritorial.com)

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