Her favourite time of day was just after sunset. When it got too dark to see the plants, Wangari knew it was time to go home.
She would follow the narrow paths through the fields, crossing rivers as she went.
Inshita aatemwishishe ya cungulo lilya akasuba kaawa. Wangari aaleinukafye nga cakuti kwafiita saana icakuti umuntu tekuti amone ifimenwa. Pakuya aaleepita mu kashila katondo mu mabala no kuciluka imimana.
Wangari was a clever child and couldn’t wait to go to school. But her mother and father wanted her to stay and help them at home.
When she was seven years old, her big brother persuaded her parents to let her go to school.
Wangari aali mwana uwacenjela kabili aaleefwaisha ukuya ku sukulu. Nomba bawishi na banyina baaleefwaya ukuti aleikalafye pa ŋanda no kubaafwa imilimo. Ilyo aafikile pa myaka yakufyalwa cine-lubali, ndume yakwe umukalamba aalandile na bafyashi basuka basuminisha Wangari ukuya ku sukulu.
She liked to learn! Wangari learnt more and more with every book she read. She did so well at school that she was invited to study in the United States of America.
Wangari was excited! She wanted to know more about the world.
Aalitemenwe ukusambilila! Muli lyonse ibuuku aleebelenga aleesambililamo ifipya. Aalibombele bwino saana mu masambililo icakuti baalimwitile ukuya mu kusambilila ku caalo ca United States of America. Wangari aatemenwe icibi! Aaleefwaya ukwishibilapo ifingi pesonde.
Ku America, wakaiya zyintu zyinji zyipya. Wakali kwiiya lwiiyo lwakubambilila zyisyango. Wakayeeya mbwaakali kusyanga zyisyango naakali mucisi cokwabo ca Kenya.
At the American university Wangari learnt many new things. She studied plants and how they grow. And she remembered how she grew: playing games with her brothers in the shade of the trees in the beautiful Kenyan forests.
Wangari aalisambiliile ifintu ifingi ifipya pa sukulu lyapa muulu mu America. Aasambilile palwa fimenwa nefyo fikula. Aaleibukisha nefyo aaleekula: ukwangala ifyangalo na bandume yakwe mu cintelelwe ca miti ya mpanga iisuma mu Kenya.
Mwaakali kuya kumbele kwiiya, cakali kumukubulusya mbwaakali kubayandisya bantu baku Kenya. Wakali kuyanda kuti kabakkomene alimwi kabaangulukide. Mazuba mbwaakali kuya bweenda ambwaakali kwiiya ku America, cakali kumuyeeyezya kuŋanda ku Afulika.
The more she learnt, the more she realised that she loved the people of Kenya. She wanted them to be happy and free.
The more she learnt, the more she remembered her African home.
Ilyo aaleeya aleesambilila, aatampile ukwiluka pafyo aatemenwe abantu bamu caalo ca Kenya. Aaleefwaya ukuti babe ne nsansa no buntungwa. Cilya aleeya alesambilila, ukufuluka ku mwabo ku Africa nako kwalekulilako.
Naakamana lwiiyo lwakwe, wakapiluka ku Kenya. Wakajana kuti zyintu zyakacinca. Myuunda yakakomenzyegwa. Bamakaintu bakanyina kwakutebbela nkuni kuti bajike. Bantu bakalipengede alimwi bana bakali aanzala.
When she had finished her studies, she returned to Kenya. But her country had changed. Huge farms stretched across the land. Women had no wood to make cooking fires. The people were poor and the children were hungry.
Panuma yakupwisha amasambililo, aabwelele ku Kenya. Nomba aasangile icaalo cakwe calicinja. Kwali amabala ayakulu nganshi panga yonse. Banamaayo tabaakwete inkuni sha kukosesha umulilo. Abantu baali abapiina abaana nabo baali ne nsala.
Wangari knew what to do. She taught the women how to plant trees from seeds. The women sold the trees and used the money to look after their families. The women were very happy. Wangari had helped them to feel powerful and strong.
Wangari aalishibe ifyakucita. Aafundile banamaayo ifyakubyala imiti ukubomfya imbuto. Banamaayo baalishitishe imiti no kubomfya ulupiya mu kusunga indupwa shabo. Banamaayo balitemenwe nganshi. Wangari alyafwile abantu ukumfwa ukuti nabo baali na maka kabili abakosa.
As time passed, the new trees grew into forests, and the rivers started flowing again. Wangari’s message spread across Africa. Today, millions of trees have grown from Wangari’s seeds.
Mu kuya kwa nshiku, imiti iipya yalikulile no kusanguka impanga, na meenshi mu mimana yatampile ukupita. Imbila yakwa Wangari yalisalangene mu Africa yonse. Pali Ieelo, imiti imintapendwa yaalikula ukufuma ku mbuto shakwa Wangari.
Wangari had worked hard. People all over the world took notice, and gave her a famous prize. It is called the Nobel Peace Prize, and she was the first African woman ever to receive it.
Wangari alibombeshe saana. Abantu isonde lyonse balyumfwile pa milimo yakwe no kumupeela icilambu icaishibikwa saana. Baaciita ukuti Nobel Peace Prize mu Cingeleshi, emukuti Icilambu ca Cibote, kabili ewali namaayo uwantanshi mu Africa ukupoka ici cilambu.
Wangari wakafwa mu 2011, pesi inga tulamuyeeya twabona bubotu bwazyisamu.
Wangari died in 2011, but we can think of her every time we see a beautiful tree.
Wangari afwile mu mwaka wa 2011, lelo kuti twamwibukisha ilyo lyonse twamona umuti uwayemba.
