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Ha’u nia suku iha problema barak. Ami fórma liña naruk atu kuru bee husi torneira ida.
My village had many problems.
We made a long line to fetch water from one tap.
Ami hein hahán doasaun husi ema seluk.
We waited for food donated by others.
Ami xave ami nia uma sira sedu tamba iha na’ok-teen.
We locked our houses early because of thieves.
Labarik sira barak mak sai husi eskola.
Many children dropped out of school.
Labarik feto kloosan sira servisu nu’udar ajudante iha suku seluk.
Young girls worked as maids in other villages.
Labarik joven mane sira la’o bá-mai bainhira sira seluk servisu iha ema seluk nia to’os.
Young boys roamed around the village while others worked on people’s farms.
Bainhira anin huu, surat-tahan sira belit iha ai-hun no lutu sira.
When the wind blew, waste paper hung on trees and fences.
Ema sira nia isin kanek tanba hetan ko’a husi vidru sira ne’ebé soe arbiru de’it.
People were cut by broken glass that was thrown carelessly.
Depois iha loron ida, torneira maran no ami nia bee fatin sira sai mamuk.
Then one day, the tap dried up and our containers were empty.
Ha’u nia papa la’o husi uma ida ba uma seluk husu ema sira atu tuir enkontru iha suku.
My father walked from house to house asking people to attend a village meeting.
Ema sira halibur hamutuk iha ai-hun bo’ot ida nia okos no rona.
People gathered under a big tree and listened.
Ha’u nia papa hamriik no dehan, “Ami presija atu servisu hamutuk hodi rezolve ami nia problema.”
My father stood up and said, “We need to work together to solve our problems.”
Juma ho idade ualu, tu’ur hela iha ai-tronku ida nia leten hakilar, “Ha’u bele ajuda hamoos.”
Eight-year-old Juma, sitting on a tree trunk shouted, “I can help with cleaning up.”
Feto ida dehan, “Feto sira bele akompaña ha’u atu kuda ai-han.”
One woman said, “The women can join me to grow food.”
Mane seluk hamriik no dehan, “Mane sira sei ke’e posu ida.”
Another man stood up and said, “The men will dig a well.”
Ami hotu hakilar ho lian ida, “Ita tenke muda ita nia moris.” Husi loron ne’e kedas ami servisu hamutuk atu rezolve problema sira.
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: Aurelio da Costa
Read by: Aurelio da Costa, Vitalina dos Santos, Criscencia R. Da Costa Viana
