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Disizhan Decision @disizhan

Written by Ursula Nafula

Illustrated by Vusi Malindi

Translated by Georgette McGlashen

Language Jamaican Creole

Level Level 2

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Fi mi vilij di av uoliip a prablem. Wi did afi mek wahn lang lain fi kech waata fram wan paip.

My village had many problems. We made a long line to fetch water from one tap.

fi mi @vilij di @av huɔliːp a pɹablem wi @did @afi mek wã laŋ @lain fi ketʃ waːta @fram wan paɪp


Wi did afi wiet pan frii fuud we ada piipl gi wi.

We waited for food donated by others.

wi @did @afi wɪɛt @pan @frii fuːd @we ada piːpl̩ @gi wi


Wi yuus tu lak op wi ous orli kaaz a tiif.

We locked our houses early because of thieves.

wi juːs tu @lak op wi ɔus @orli kaːz a tiːf


Uoliip a pikni jrap out a skuul.

Many children dropped out of school.

huɔliːp a pikni dʒɹap @out a skuːl


Yong gyal pikni yuus tu du elpa wok ina di ada vilij dem.

Young girls worked as maids in other villages.

joŋ ɟal pikni juːs tu @du @elpa wok ina di ada @vilij dem


Yong bwaai pikni aigl roun di vilij wail som a dem du wok pan ada piipl faam.

Young boys roamed around the village while others worked on people’s farms.

joŋ @bwaai pikni aɪgl̩ @roun di @vilij waɪl som a dem @du wok @pan ada piːpl̩ faːm


Wen di briiz bluo, gyaabij eng aaf a di chrii dem an fens dem.

When the wind blew, waste paper hung on trees and fences.

@wen di @briiz @bluo @gyaabij @eng aːf a di tʃɹiː dem an fens dem


Piipl wuda get kot fram brok glaas we dash we kielis.

People were cut by broken glass that was thrown carelessly.

piːpl̩ @wuda @get kot @fram bɹok @glaas @we daʃ @we @kielis


Den wan die, di paip jrai op an wi kantiena dem did emti.

Then one day, the tap dried up and our containers were empty.

@den wan dɪɛ di paɪp dʒɹaɪ op an wi @kantiena dem @did @empti


Mi faada go fram yaad tu yaad an aks piipl fi kom a wahn vilij miitn.

My father walked from house to house asking people to attend a village meeting.

mi faːda @go @fram jaːd tu jaːd an @aks piːpl̩ fi kom a wã @vilij @miitn


Piipl gyada tugeda anda wahn big chrii an lisn.

People gathered under a big tree and listened.

piːpl̩ ɟada @tugeda anda wan @big tʃɹiː an lisn̩


Mi faada git op an se, “wi afi wok tugeda fi fiks wi prablem dem.”

My father stood up and said, “We need to work together to solve our problems.”

mi faːda @git op an se wi @afi wok @tugeda fi @fiks wi pɹablem dem


Iet-iez-uol Juuma, siddong pan wahn stomp an baal out se, “Mi kyan elp fi kliin op.”

Eight-year-old Juma, sitting on a tree trunk shouted, “I can help with cleaning up.”

@iet-iez-uol @juuma @siddong @pan wã @stomp an baːl @out se mi @kyan elp fi kliːn op


Wan uman se, “Di uman dem kyan kom tugeda wid mi fi plaant fuud.”

One woman said, “The women can join me to grow food.”

wan uman se di uman dem @kyan kom @tugeda wid mi fi plaːnt fuːd


Wan neks man git op an se, “Di man dem wi dig wahn wel.”

Another man stood up and said, “The men will dig a well.”

wan @neks man @git op an se di man dem wi @dig wan @wel


Aal a wi baal out tugeda, “Wi afi chienj ou wi liv.” Fram dat die, wi wok tugeda fi fiks wi prablem dem.

We all shouted with one voice, “We must change our lives.” From that day we worked together to solve our problems.

aːl a wi baːl @out @tugeda wi @afi tʃɪɛndʒ ɔu wi @liv @fram dat dɪɛ wi wok @tugeda fi @fiks wi pɹablem dem


Written by: Ursula Nafula
Illustrated by: Vusi Malindi
Translated by: Georgette McGlashen
Language: Jamaican Creole
Level 2
Source: Decision from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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