Back to stories list
Kufuukula
Decision
Ukusalapo
Ursula Nafula
Vusi Malindi
Ruth Kapamba, Mwitila Ntabo
The audio for this story is currently not available.
Regular PDFs (full-page)
Bilingual PDFs
Booklet PDFs (for printing)
Pa muzhi petu panjinga makatazho avula. Twa ikalanga mu munongo walepa paku tapula meema kufuma ku pompi umo wa mushima.
My village had many problems.
We made a long line to fetch water from one tap.
Mu mushi wandi mwali amafya ayengi. Twalitantame umulongo pakuti twingatapa ameenshi kuli pompi umo.
Twa pembejilenga byakuja kufuma kubantu bangi.
We waited for food donated by others.
Twaleeloleela ifyakulya ifyakupeelwa ukufuma ku bantu bambi.
Twashinkilenga binzhilo byetu bukiji na mambo aba ngivi.
We locked our houses early because of thieves.
Twaleekoma amayanda yesu bwangu pa mulandu wa bapuupu.
Bana bavula balekele ma sukulu.
Many children dropped out of school.
Abaana abengi balilekele isukulu.
Bana babakazhi batwelele makito mumizhi ikyabo
Young girls worked as maids in other villages.
Utukashana twaleebomba incito ya kuwamya mu mayanda mu mishi imbi.
Bana babalume bapitang’enengatu mumizhi kabiji ne bakwabo baingijilenga muma jimi abantu bangi.
Young boys roamed around the village while others worked on people’s farms.
Utulumenda twaleyangala mu mushi ninshi bambi baleebombela mu mabala.
Ingekuji kimwela kyaiya, ndochi yayilenga kubichi neku bivimba.
When the wind blew, waste paper hung on trees and fences.
Umwela nga wapuupa, ifipepala bapoosa fyalesama ku miti na ku malinga.
Bantu bekozhezhenga kuma botolo ya lajikile yoba tailenga kitaye taye.
People were cut by broken glass that was thrown carelessly.
Abantu baleicena ku mabotolo ayatobeka ayaleeposwa iciposweposwe.
Juba jimo, pompi wa ku mushima waumine ne mema muma botolo apwile.
Then one day, the tap dried up and our containers were empty.
Ubushiku bumo, ameenshi yapwa kupompi ne fipe fyesu tafyakwete ameenshi.
Batata bapitang’ene mumazubo nakubula bantu amba beye na kubung’ana pamo.
My father walked from house to house asking people to attend a village meeting.
Bataata baile cila ŋanda mukuwita abantu ukwisasangwa ku cilye ca mushi.
Bantu basambakene pamo munshi yakichi kikatampe na kunvwina.
People gathered under a big tree and listened.
Abantu baishileikala mwisamba lya muti no kukutika.
Batata baimene nakwamba,” Twafwaina kunvwang’ana pakwamba tupwishe makatazyo yonse yotuji nawo muno mu muizhi.”
My father stood up and said, “We need to work together to solve our problems.”
Bataata epakwima abati, “Tufwile ukubombela pamo pakuti tupwishe amafya yesu.”
Juma mwana wa myaka itanu neisatu, waikajile pa musampi wakichi wabijikile,” Nakonsha kwimukwasha kuwamya.”
Eight-year-old Juma, sitting on a tree trunk shouted, “I can help with cleaning up.”
Umwana wamyaka cine-konse-konse uweshina lya Juma, uwaikele pa mulando abilikisha ati, “Kuti nabombako umulimo wa kuwamya.”
Mwanamukazhi umo waambile amba,” ateba babakazhi tusakabyala byakuja”.
One woman said, “The women can join me to grow food.”
Namaayo umo ati, “Banamaayo kuti twabombela pamo ukulima ifyakulya.”
Wamulume waimene nekwamba amba ,”Babalume basakupoya mushima.”
Another man stood up and said, “The men will dig a well.”
Shitaata umbi aiminina ati, “Bashitaata bakemba icishima.”
Bonse babijikile najiwi jimo,”Twalinga kukingya ngikajilo yetu.” Kufumato ajojuba bonse baing’ijile pamo nakupwisha makatazho amumuzhi.
We all shouted with one voice, “We must change our lives.”
From that day we worked together to solve our problems.
Bonse twapundila pamo atuti, “Tufwile ukwalula imikalile yesu.” Ukufuma bulya bushiku twabombele pamo mukupwisha amafya yesu.
Written by: Ursula Nafula
Illustrated by: Vusi Malindi
Translated by: Ruth Kapamba, Mwitila Ntabo
