This Malagasy proverb compares human actions to a salaka, a piece of cloth wrapped around the waist. Just as the salaka wraps around the body, our actions, whether good or bad, surround and follow us throughout our lives. This implies that we should be aware of the consequences of our actions, as they will eventually catch up with us for better or worse. An equivalent English proverb would be: ‘You reap what you sow.’