Owu yikiye khalai. ali namyaka yitanu nayivali. lijina lyenyi lyalumbunuka ‘wamwaza’ muchitundu chenyi, lubukusu.
This is Khalai. She is seven years old. Her name means ‘the good one’ in her language, Lubukusu.
Khalai echi kuhinduka nakuhanjika kumitondo yama malalanja. “ove mutondo wama lalanja, kola mangana wutuhane malalanja akwiha amavulu.
Khalai wakes up and talks to the orange tree. “Please orange tree, grow big and give us lots of ripe oranges.”
Khalai echi kuya kushikola. mujila echi kuhanjika ku mwila. “ove mwila, soka namafo amatamba kanda mumako.”
Khalai walks to school. On the way she talks to the grass. “Please grass, grow greener and don’t dry up.”
Khalai nahichi hamitondo yamwaza yakuvyekuma mafulawa. “enu mafulawa, twalilenuho kusoloka kanawa mangana ngumihake mumutwe wami.”
Khalai passes wild flowers. “Please flowers, keep blooming so I can put you in my hair.”
Ha shikola, khalai echi kuhanjika namitondo hakachi ka senge. “yenu mitondo, sokesenu mitango yayinene mangana tu tangilenga mumuvule wove.”
At school, Khalai talks to the tree in the middle of the compound. “Please tree, put out big branches so we can read under your shade.”
Khalai echi kuhanjika na senge ya mitondo yashikola. “sokenu nakutohwa mangana muhonese vatu vavapi kwingila mukachi.”
Khalai talks to the hedge around her school. “Please grow strong and stop bad people from coming in.”
Nge khalai nahiluka kwimbo kufuma kushikola, echi kutambukila mutondo wamalalanji. “malalanja ove anahi lyehi tahi?” khalai nahulisa
When Khalai returns home from school, she visits the orange tree. “Are your oranges ripe yet?” asks Khalai.
“Malalanja achili amavisu,” khalai nashishimwina. “nankukumona hamene mutondo wama lalanji,” khalai nahanjika. “ngwatachikiza ngwami chayize lola mupwa na lilalanja lyakuhya lyami!”
“The oranges are still green,” sighs Khalai. “I will see you tomorrow orange tree,” says Khalai. “Perhaps then you will have a ripe orange for me!”
