Back to stories list
Omazuvasaneno
Decision
Ursula Nafula
Vusi Malindi
Angelika Tjoutuku & Asnath Mundjindjiri
The audio for this story is currently not available.
Regular PDFs (full-page)
Bilingual PDFs
Booklet PDFs (for printing)
Motjirongo tjetu tu na omauzeu omengi. Eṱe tu kurama moruteto orure kutja tu teke omeva komuriu.
My village had many problems.
We made a long line to fetch water from one tap.
Rutenga twe tji undja ovikurya mbya yandjwa i ovandu tjiva.
We waited for food donated by others.
Ozondjuwo zetu tu pata rukuru, tjinga ape na omarunga.
We locked our houses early because of thieves.
Ovanatje ovengi va isa osikore.
Many children dropped out of school.
Ovanatje imba ovakazona ve ungura otjovakarere movirongo vyopopezu.
Young girls worked as maids in other villages.
Ovanatje imba ovazandu ve uhara amave ryanga motjirongo ngunda ovakwao tjiva ave ungura mozofarama zovandu varwe.
Young boys roamed around the village while others worked on people’s farms.
Ombepo tji mai hingi, ozombapira noviyaya vi kakatera komiti nozonḓarata.
When the wind blew, waste paper hung on trees and fences.
Ovandu ve kondwa i omakende nga umbwa ohaisase morupanda.
People were cut by broken glass that was thrown carelessly.
Okutja eyuva rimwe omeva momuriu kaaye ya nu ovitjuma vyetu mwa ri uriri.
Then one day, the tap dried up and our containers were empty.
Tate wa kawondja okuza kondjuwo nga kondjuwo ama ningire ovandu kutja ve yende kombangarero yotjiwaṋa.
My father walked from house to house asking people to attend a village meeting.
Ovandu va woronganena kehi yomuti omunene nave puratene.
People gathered under a big tree and listened.
Tate wa sekama na tja: “Eṱe ma hepa okuungura kumwe kutja tu zengurure omauzeu wetu.”
My father stood up and said, “We need to work together to solve our problems.”
Okazandona kozombura hambondatu, Juma wa ravaere, “Ami me yenene okuvatera okuwonga oviyaya.”
Eight-year-old Juma, sitting on a tree trunk shouted, “I can help with cleaning up.”
Omukazendu umwe wa tja: “Ovakazendu ovakwetu ngave rikwambe ku ami, tu kune ovikurya.”
One woman said, “The women can join me to grow food.”
Omurumendu umwe wa sekama na tja: “Ovarumendu mave hupura ombu.”
Another man stood up and said, “The men will dig a well.”
Atuhe twa ravaere neraka rimwe, “Ngatu tanaure ominyo vyetu.” Okuza keyuva ndo eṱe tu ungura kumwe okuzengurura omauzeu wetu.
We all shouted with one voice, “We must change our lives.”
From that day we worked together to solve our problems.
Written by: Ursula Nafula
Illustrated by: Vusi Malindi
Translated by: Angelika Tjoutuku & Asnath Mundjindjiri
