Leadership and Democracy
Senior 2 · English
Leadership and Democracy
Lesson 4 of 4
20 min
Elders in Rwanda often end a discussion with a proverb, and everybody nods, because the proverb says in one sentence what would otherwise take a whole speech. English has proverbs too, and it also has idioms, groups of words whose meaning you cannot guess from the separate words. Leaders, journalists and writers use both all the time. In this lesson you will learn to recognise them, work out their meaning from context, and use them in your own writing.
An original story written by Ganzaa. As you read, notice the phrases in bold.
When campaign week began, nobody in S2 B wanted to stand for election. "Somebody has to take the lead," said Mr Habimana, their class teacher. For a long moment the room was silent. Then Gatete stood up and threw his hat into the ring. "I'll stand," he said.
Mutesi, who had been class monitor the year before, decided to take a back seat this time and help Gatete with his campaign instead. "Posters, speeches, a manifesto: it's a lot of work," she said. "But many hands make light work." Soon five friends were painting posters in the dining hall.
Gatete's rival, Keza, promised a school trip to Nyungwe Forest for every class. Gatete promised only two things: a cleaner classroom and a suggestion box. "Talk is cheap," he told the class. "Actions speak louder than words. I'll start sweeping the classroom tomorrow, whether you vote for me or not." And he did.
On the day before the vote, the two candidates held a debate. "If something goes wrong in our class," Gatete said, "I won't blame anyone else. The buck stops with the monitor." The class clapped.
When the votes were counted, Gatete had won by four votes. Keza shook his hand and offered to help him. Mr Habimana smiled and wrote a Kinyarwanda proverb on the board: Abishyize hamwe nta kibananira, "Nothing defeats those who unite."
"Now," said Gatete, "I have to keep my word."
A proverb is a short, well-known sentence that gives advice or states a general truth. It is usually a complete sentence and it is traditional: nobody knows who first said it.
| Proverb | Meaning | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Many hands make light work. | A job is easy when many people share it. | umuganda, group projects |
| Actions speak louder than words. | What you do shows more than what you say. | judging leaders by results |
| Two heads are better than one. | Two people thinking together find better solutions. | asking for advice |
| United we stand, divided we fall. | A group is strong together and weak when split. | national unity; teamwork |
| A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. | A team is only as good as its weakest member. | supporting every member |
| Abishyize hamwe nta kibananira. | Nothing defeats those who unite. | the Kinyarwanda partner of "United we stand" |
An idiom is a fixed group of words with a meaning that is different from the meanings of its separate words. Gatete did not really throw a hat anywhere!
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| take the lead | be the first to act; guide others |
| lead by example | behave the way you want others to behave |
| throw your hat into the ring | announce that you will compete, especially in an election |
| stand for election (British) / run for office | be a candidate |
| take a back seat | let other people lead |
| the buck stops here / with me | the leader accepts final responsibility and does not blame others |
| call the shots | be the person who makes the decisions |
| step down | leave an important position; resign |
| keep your word | do what you promised |
Sentence: Mutesi decided to take a back seat this time and help Gatete with his campaign instead.
Step 1 the literal meaning (sitting at the back of a car) does not fit a school election. Step 2: look for clues. "This time" tells us she led before; "help Gatete … instead" tells us someone else is leading now. Step 3: meaning: she chose to let another person lead and to support him.
Tip
Proverb or idiom? If it is a whole sentence of advice that you could say to someone on its own ("Many hands make light work"), it is a proverb. If it is a phrase that must fit inside your own sentence ("She took a back seat"), it is an idiom. In compositions, one well-chosen proverb makes a strong conclusion; five make a weak one.
Which proverb from the story does Gatete prove by sweeping the classroom before the vote?
Solution: "Actions speak louder than words." He shows his promise through action, not talk.
Replace the words in italics with an idiom: After ten years, the chairperson resigned.
Solution: After ten years, the chairperson stepped down.
What does "The buck stops with the monitor" tell us about Gatete as a leader?
Solution: that he will accept responsibility for problems instead of blaming others. He is accountable.
Give the English proverb closest in meaning to Abishyize hamwe nta kibananira.
Solution: "United we stand, divided we fall."
Write a paragraph of 80–100 words on the topic "A good leader leads by example". Use at least two idioms from the table and end with a proverb.
Model answer: A good leader does not simply call the shots from an office; she leads by example. When our village cleaned the market during umuganda, our cell leader was the first to pick up a hoe. Nobody had to be told to follow. She also keeps her word: when she promised a new water tap, it was working within a month. Leaders like her make people trust the whole community, and trust makes hard work possible. As the proverb says, actions speak louder than words.
Remember
Sources and credits
