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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.
وَنَنْتَظِرُ المَعُونَاتِ مِنَ الآخَرِينَ.
We waited for food donated by others.
وَنُقْفِلُ أَبْوَابَ مَنَازِلِنَا بَاكِراً خَوْفاً مِنَ اللُّصُوصِ.
We locked our houses early because of thieves.
تَرَكَ اَلعَدِيدُ مِنَ اَلأطْفَالِ اَلْمَدْرَسَةِ.
Many children dropped out of school.
وَاَلْفَتيَاتُ اَلصَّغِيرَاتُ يَعْمَلْنَ خَادِماتٍ في اَلْقُرَى الأُخْرَى.
Young girls worked as maids in other villages.
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.
عِنْدَمَا تَهُبُّ اَلرِّيَاحُ، تَعْلَقُ مُخلَّفاتُ آلأَوْرَاقِ عَلَى اَلأَشْجارِ وَالأَسْوَارِ.
When the wind blew, waste paper hung on trees and fences.
يُجْرَحُ اَلنَّاسُ بِاَلزُجاجِ اَلمَكْسُورِ اَلمُهْمَلِ.
People were cut by broken glass that was thrown carelessly.
وَفي أَحَدِ اَلأيَّامِ جَفَّ الصَّنْبُورُ، وَأَصْبَحَتْ أَوْعِيَتُنَا فَارِغَةً.
Then one day, the tap dried up and our containers were empty.
دَارَ أَبِي مِنْ مَنْزِلٍ إلى مَنْزِلٍ، لِيَدْعُوَهُمْ لاِجْتِمَاعِ اَلقَرْيَةِ.
My father walked from house to house asking people to attend a village meeting.
اِجْتَمَعَ اَلنَّاسُ تَحْتَ اَلشَّجَرَةِ اَلكَبيرَةِ واَستَمَعُوا.
People gathered under a big tree and listened.
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.”
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.”
قالَتْ اِمْرَأةٌ: “النِّسَاءُ يَسْتَطِعْنَ الانْضِمَامَ إليَّ لِزِراعَةِ المَحَاصِيلِ اَلغِذائيَّةَ”.
One woman said, “The women can join me to grow food.”
وَقَفَ رَجُلٌ آخَرَ وَقَالَ: “اَلرِّجالُ سَيَحْفِرونَ بِئراً”.
Another man stood up and said, “The men will dig a well.”
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.
Written by: Ursula Nafula
Illustrated by: Vusi Malindi
Translated by: Heba Tesheh, Maaouia Haj Mabrouk
Read by: Mashael Muhanna
