Lave men, seye atè

This Haitian proverb could be literally translated into English like this: "Wash hands, and dry them on the ground."

One of the first things kids are taught, here in Haiti, is washing hands. This is not only a sign of hygiene but also a symbol of cleanliness.. During their lives, Haitians keep this habit, though some tend not to do it as often as they should because of their activities that do not really give them space to do so.

People sometimes plan on doing something. They take time to accomplish and fulfill every single step. But it happens that they forget or have neglected something little but vital for the success of the initiative, and it fails. Haitians then say this proverb to tell that it is a big waste.

They also say this proverb to express frustrations or sympathize with someone/a group/an organization that have made a lot of effort, used a lot of resources on something, but failed to succeed in a project.

We should be careful and process every single detail/step of any project or initiative because any little negligence/miss could be fatal for its success.

Be diligent and meticulous to avoid "lave men, seye atè."