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كَانَ لِقَرْيَتِي اَلعَدِيدُ مِنَ اَلمَشَاكِلَ.
فَنَحْنٌ نَقِفُ صَفًّا طَوِيلاً لِنَجْلِبَ اَلماءَ من صَنْبُورٍ وَاحِدٍ.
My village had many problems.
We made a long line to fetch water from one tap.
Kijiji changu kilikuwa na matatizo mengi. Tulipanga foleni ndefu tukisubiri kuchota maji kutoka mfereji mmoja.
وَنَنْتَظِرُ المَعُونَاتِ مِنَ الآخَرِينَ.
We waited for food donated by others.
Tulisubiri kupokea msaada wa chakula.
وَنُقْفِلُ أَبْوَابَ مَنَازِلِنَا بَاكِراً خَوْفاً مِنَ اللُّصُوصِ.
We locked our houses early because of thieves.
Tulifunga nyumba zetu mapema kwasababu ya wizi.
تَرَكَ اَلعَدِيدُ مِنَ اَلأطْفَالِ اَلْمَدْرَسَةِ.
Many children dropped out of school.
Watoto wengi waliacha shule.
وَاَلْفَتيَاتُ اَلصَّغِيرَاتُ يَعْمَلْنَ خَادِماتٍ في اَلْقُرَى الأُخْرَى.
Young girls worked as maids in other villages.
Wasichana wadogo walifanya kazi za nyumbani kwenye vijiji vingine.
يَتَسَكَّعُ اَلصِبْيَةُ اَلصِّغارُ في جَميعِ أَنْحاءِ اَلقَرْيَةِ، بَينَما يَعمَلُ الآخَرُونَ في مَزَارِعِ اَلنَاسِ.
Young boys roamed around the village while others worked on people’s farms.
Wavulana wadogo waliranda randa kijijini na wengine walifanya kazi kwenye mashamba ya watu.
عِنْدَمَا تَهُبُّ اَلرِّيَاحُ، تَعْلَقُ مُخلَّفاتُ آلأَوْرَاقِ عَلَى اَلأَشْجارِ وَالأَسْوَارِ.
When the wind blew, waste paper hung on trees and fences.
Upepo ulipovuma, ulipeperusha karatasi chafu na kuzifikisha mitini na uani.
يُجْرَحُ اَلنَّاسُ بِاَلزُجاجِ اَلمَكْسُورِ اَلمُهْمَلِ.
People were cut by broken glass that was thrown carelessly.
Watu walikatwa na vipande vya chupa vilivyotupwa ovyo ovyo.
وَفي أَحَدِ اَلأيَّامِ جَفَّ الصَّنْبُورُ، وَأَصْبَحَتْ أَوْعِيَتُنَا فَارِغَةً.
Then one day, the tap dried up and our containers were empty.
Halafu siku moja, mfereji wa maji ulikauka na mitungi yetu ikawa mitupu.
دَارَ أَبِي مِنْ مَنْزِلٍ إلى مَنْزِلٍ، لِيَدْعُوَهُمْ لاِجْتِمَاعِ اَلقَرْيَةِ.
My father walked from house to house asking people to attend a village meeting.
Baba yangu alitembea nyumba hadi nyumba akiwaomba watu kuhudhuria mkutano wa kijiji.
اِجْتَمَعَ اَلنَّاسُ تَحْتَ اَلشَّجَرَةِ اَلكَبيرَةِ واَستَمَعُوا.
People gathered under a big tree and listened.
Watu walikusanyika chini ya mti mkubwa na kusikiliza.
وَقَفَ أَبِي وقَالَ: “نَحْنُ بِحَاجَةٍ لِأَنْ نَعْمَلَ مَعًا لِحَلِّ المُشْكِلَةِ”.
My father stood up and said, “We need to work together to solve our problems.”
Baba yangu alisimama na kusema, “Tunahitaji kusaidiana kutatua matatizo yetu.”
صَرَخَ جُومَا اَلطِّفْلُ ذُو الثَّمَانِ سَنَواتٍ: “أَنَا أَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ أُسَاعِدَ بِاَلتَّنْظِيفِ”.
Eight-year-old Juma, sitting on a tree trunk shouted, “I can help with cleaning up.”
Juma, mtoto wa miaka minane aliyekuwa amekaa kwenye tawi la mti, alisema kwa sauti, “Naweza kusaidia na usafi.”
قالَتْ اِمْرَأةٌ: “النِّسَاءُ يَسْتَطِعْنَ الانْضِمَامَ إليَّ لِزِراعَةِ المَحَاصِيلِ اَلغِذائيَّةَ”.
One woman said, “The women can join me to grow food.”
Mwanamke mmoja alisema, “Sisi wanawake tunaweza kuungana na kulima.”
وَقَفَ رَجُلٌ آخَرَ وَقَالَ: “اَلرِّجالُ سَيَحْفِرونَ بِئراً”.
Another man stood up and said, “The men will dig a well.”
Mwanamume mwingine alisimama na kusema, “Wanaume watachimba kisima cha maji.”
صَرَخْنَا جَميعاً: “يَجِبُ عَلَيْنَا تَغْيِيرُ حَيَاتِنَا”.
مِنَ اليَوْمِ سَنَعْمَلُ مَعًا لِحَلِّ مَشَاكِلِنَا.
We all shouted with one voice, “We must change our lives.”
From that day we worked together to solve our problems.
Sote tulisema kwa sauti moja, “Lazima tubadilishe maisha yetu.” Tangu siku hiyo, tulifanya kazi pamoja kutatua shida zetu.
Written by: Ursula Nafula
Illustrated by: Vusi Malindi
Translated by: Heba Tesheh, Maaouia Haj Mabrouk
Read by: Mashael Muhanna
