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Mi juasi kxae tih sa ǂhai. Eǃa du nǀaea gǂa’in ka ǁ’a e te za gǃu ko gǃutzi nǀe’e.
My village had many problems.
We made a long line to fetch water from one tap.
Eǃa ǃhai ‘msi ǁama ju gesin he ǀ’an ka ǀ’aesi.
We waited for food donated by others.
Eǃa ǁ’anga eǃa tjutzisi ko nǁaqema khama dcaakxaosi nǀa ge.
We locked our houses early because of thieves.
Da’abisi sa ǂhai gǃa’ia skore.
Many children dropped out of school.
Dshaumh sa o ǁ’a tjuǀhoa ǃ’uin da’abi.
Young girls worked as maids in other villages.
Nǁaqemh sa o ǁ’akoa koara tca hi du te sin ǂhao cu ǁ’aea siǃa gesin du tcisi.
Young boys roamed around the village while others worked on people’s farms.
Ka maq maq okaa ǂxanumh gǁaoa ǃahin ǃ’osi kota tarasi.
When the wind blew, waste paper hung on trees and fences.
Ju ǃxaia nǁoq’obesa nǂamǃhara ha ǀ’aesi ye koara ǃ’uian.
People were cut by broken glass that was thrown carelessly.
ǁAma ǀamnǀui, okaa gǃu tzi ǃkau te danisi ǃkaua.
Then one day, the tap dried up and our containers were empty.
Mba nǂhaoa tjuǀhosi te nǂai ǃ’han ju ko tca ǂ’hanu te ǂ’aun ge nǀang si gǀaea.
My father walked from house to house asking people to attend a village meeting.
Ju ǁkaeǁkae ǃahindin te ǂaeǂae.
People gathered under a big tree and listened.
Mba tsau te ko, “Mǃa ǂ’aun ǁkoaǁkae ka totoo mǃa tihsi.”
My father stood up and said, “We need to work together to solve our problems.”
Juma ha kuri sa o ax, he nǀanga ǃahin gǃomǃo ǃ’au te ko, “Mi hui ka ǁxai.”
Eight-year-old Juma, sitting on a tree trunk shouted, “I can help with cleaning up.”
Dshau nǀui ko, “dshausi hui mi ka ǁxara ‘msi.”
One woman said, “The women can join me to grow food.”
ǃ’Hoan nǀui tsau te ko, “Nǁaqe hui mi ka e guu ǃ’han.”
Another man stood up and said, “The men will dig a well.”
Eǃa waqnsi ǃ’au ǁkae te ko. “Mǃa mani mǃa ǀxoasi.” ǁAma ǀamma to’a e o ǁkoaǁkae ka totoo tihsi.
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: Cwi Debe
