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Desizion
Decision
Ursula Nafula
Vusi Malindi
Shameem Oozeerally & MIE French Students
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Mo vilaz ti ena boukou problem. Nou ti pe met lake pou al rod dilo dan enn sel robine.
My village had many problems.
We made a long line to fetch water from one tap.
Nou ti pe atann manze ki lezot ti pe done.
We waited for food donated by others.
Nou ti pe met lake dan laport boner akoz voler.
We locked our houses early because of thieves.
Boukou zanfan ti’nn aret lekol.
Many children dropped out of school.
Bann zenn-fi ti pe travay kouma servant dan bann lezot vilaz.
Young girls worked as maids in other villages.
Bann zenn-zan ti p promne otour vilaz pandan ki lezot ti pe travay lor bann laferm dimounn.
Young boys roamed around the village while others worked on people’s farms.
Kan divan ti pe soufle, bann bout papie ti pe tas dan pie ek fennsing.
When the wind blew, waste paper hung on trees and fences.
Dimounn ti pe gagn koupe ar vit kase ki lezot ti pe avoye san reflesi.
People were cut by broken glass that was thrown carelessly.
Ala enn zour, robine finn aret koule ek tou touk, tank ek seo ti’nn vid.
Then one day, the tap dried up and our containers were empty.
Mo papa finn al dan bann lakaz ek finn dimann bann dimounn partisip dan enn renion ki vilaz ti pe fer.
My father walked from house to house asking people to attend a village meeting.
Dimounn ti’nn rasanble anba enn gran pie ek ti pe ekoute.
People gathered under a big tree and listened.
Mo papa nek leve ek dir, « Nou bizin travay ansam pou rezoud nou problem. »
My father stood up and said, “We need to work together to solve our problems.”
Juma, ki ti ena wit-an e ki ti pe asize lor enn tron, nek kriye, « Mo kapav ede pou netwaye. »
Eight-year-old Juma, sitting on a tree trunk shouted, “I can help with cleaning up.”
Enn madam nek dir, « Bann madam kapav zwenn mwa pou kiltiv nouritir. »
One woman said, “The women can join me to grow food.”
Enn lot misie nek leve ek dir, « Bann misie pou fouy enn pwi. »
Another man stood up and said, “The men will dig a well.”
Nou tou finn kriye ensam, « Nou bizin sanz nou lavi. » Depi sa zour-la nou tou finn travay ansam pou rezoud nou problem.
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: Shameem Oozeerally & MIE French Students
Mauritian Creole
Level 2
