Chaitemura chava kuseva
The one who used to eat sadza dry is now eating it with relish.
Tsanagudzo
Kusanduka kwezvinhu kubva mumatambudziko zvichienda mukusununguka. Kupinduka kwemunhu aive murombo achiita mupfumi.
What the Words Say
The one who used to eat sadza dry is now eating it with relish.
What It Means
One’s fortune has changed for the better. A similar english saying is “from rags to riches”.
Cultural Context
Sadza (nshima, pap, ugali) is the most common dish in southern and eastern Africa and is the staple diet of not only the Karanga people but most bantu peoples. It is usually taken with relish because on its own its very dry. In times of extreme hardships one may not only fail to have sadza with a relish of their choice but with no relish at all. It is this state of hardship that is said to have changed now to a state where one is having their sadza with relish. This observation led our ancestors to use this as a way of communicating that circumstances have changed for the better.
How It's Used
The proverb is used to express a change of circumstance to a much more positive state. It is applied in a situation involving a long period of suffering or hardships which have improved considerably. This proverb is particularly useful to refer to a poor person who has struck a fortune and now can afford to feed their family and meet other needs.