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Wahn Biini Siid: Di Stuori Bout Wangaari Matai A Tiny Seed: The Story of Wangari Maathai wan biːni @siid di @stuori bɔut @wangaari @matai

Written by Nicola Rijsdijk

Illustrated by Maya Marshak

Translated by Georgette McGlashen

Language Jamaican Creole

Level Level 3

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Autoplay story


Inna wahn vilij slaant wie pan Mount Kenya inna Iist Afrika, wa likl gyal pikni did wok inna di fiil wid ar mada. Shi did niem Wangaari.

In a village on the slopes of Mount Kenya in East Africa, a little girl worked in the fields with her mother. Her name was Wangari.

@inna wã @vilij @slaant wɪɛ @pan @mount @kenya @inna @iist afɹika wa likl̩ ɟal pikni @did wok @inna di fiːl wid aɹ mada @shi @did nɪɛm @wangaari


Wangaari lov fi de outaduo. Inna ar fambili fuud gyaadn shi dig op di dort wid di kotlas. Shi plaant biini siid inna di waam dort.

Wangari loved being outside. In her family’s food garden she broke up the soil with her machete. She pressed tiny seeds into the warm earth.

@wangaari @lov fi de @outaduo @inna aɹ @fambili fuːd ɟaːdn̩ @shi @dig op di @dort wid di @kotlas @shi plaːnt biːni @siid @inna di @waan @dort


Ar fievarit taim a die a inna di iivlin afta di son gaan dong. Wen it get tuu daak fi si di flowaz dem, Wangaari nuo se a taim fi go a ar yaad. Shi wuda tek di likl trak dem chuu di fiil dem, an a kraas som riva pan ar wie.

Her favourite time of day was just after sunset. When it got too dark to see the plants, Wangari knew it was time to go home. She would follow the narrow paths through the fields, crossing rivers as she went.

aɹ @fievaret taɪm a dɪɛ a @inna di @iivlin afta di @son @gaan doŋ @wen it @get tuː @daak fi si di @flouwaz dem @wangaari nuɔ se a taɪm fi @go a aɹ jaːd @shi @wuda tek di likl̩ @trak dem tʃuː di fiːl dem an a @kraas som @riva @pan aɹ wɪɛ


Wangaari a did wan smaat pikni an kudn wiet fi go a skuul. Bot ar mada an faada did waahn ar fi stie uom an elp dem a di yaad. Wen shi ton sevn iez-uol, ar big breda kanvins ar pierens dem fi mek shi go skuul.

Wangari was a clever child and couldn’t wait to go to school. But her mother and father wanted her to stay and help them at home. When she was seven years old, her big brother persuaded her parents to let her go to school.

@wangaari a @did wan @smaat pikni an kudn̩ wɪɛt fi @go a skuːl bot aɹ mada an faːda @did @waan aɹ fi stɪɛ uɔm an elp dem a di jaːd @wen @shi ton @sevn @iez-uol aɹ @big @bredda @kanvins aɹ @pierens dem fi mek @shi @go skuːl


Shi did laik lorn! Wangaari lorn muor an mour wid evri buk shi riid. Shi du so gud inna skuul so dat dem aks ar fi kom a skuul kom stodi inna Merika. Wangaari di wel api! Shi did waahn nuo muor bout di wol.

She liked to learn! Wangari learnt more and more with every book she read. She did so well at school that she was invited to study in the United States of America. Wangari was excited! She wanted to know more about the world.

@shi @did laɪk loɹn @wangaari @lorm muɔɹ an @mour wid evɹi buk @shi ɹiːd @shi @du @so gud @inna skuːl @so dat dem @aks aɹ fi kom a skuːl kom stodi @inna @merika @wangaari di @wel api @shi @did @waahn nuɔ muɔɹ bɔut di @worl


A di yuunivorsti inna Merika Wangaari lorn uoliip a nyuu tingz. Shi stodi bout plaant an ou dem gruo. An shi did memba ou shi did gruo op a plie giem wid ar breda dem and di kuul shied inna di Kenyan faris dem.

At the American university Wangari learnt many new things. She studied plants and how they grow. And she remembered how she grew: playing games with her brothers in the shade of the trees in the beautiful Kenyan forests.

a di @yuunivosrti @inna @merika @wangaari loɹn huɔliːp a ɲuː tiŋz @shi stodi bɔut plaːnt an ɔu dem gɹuɔ an @shi @did memba ɔu @shi @did gɹuɔ op a plɪɛ @giem wid aɹ @bredda dem @and di kuːl @shied @inna di @kenyan @faris dem


Di muor shi lorn, di muor shi riyalaiz se shi lov di Kenya piipl dem. Shi di waahn dem fi bi api an frii. Di muor shi lorn, di muor shi memba ar yaad inna Afrika.

The more she learnt, the more she realised that she loved the people of Kenya. She wanted them to be happy and free. The more she learnt, the more she remembered her African home.

di muɔɹ @shi loɹn di muɔɹ @shi @riyalaiz se @shi @lov di @kenya piːpl̩ dem @shi di @waahn dem fi @bi api an @frii di muɔɹ @shi loɹn @shi muɔɹ si memba aɹ jaːd @inna afɹika


Wen shi don ar stodiz, shi go bak a Kenya. Bot ar konchri did chienj op. Som eleva faam schrech out kraas di lan. Di uman dem no av no ud fi mek faiya fi kuk pan. Di piipl dem did puor an di pikni dem did onggri.

When she had finished her studies, she returned to Kenya. But her country had changed. Huge farms stretched across the land. Women had no wood to make cooking fires. The people were poor and the children were hungry.

@wen @shi @don aɹ @stodiz @shi @go @bak a @kenya bot aɹ kontʃɹi @did tʃɪɛndʒ op som @eleva faːm @schrech @out @kraas di lan di uman dem @no @av @no ud fi mek faɪja fi kuk @pan di piːpl̩ dem di @puor an di pikni dem @did @onggri


Wangaari did nuo we fi du. Shi did tiich di uman dem ou fi plaant chrii fram siid. Di uman dem sel di chrii dem an yuuz di moni fi luk afta dem fambili dem. Di uman dem did api. Wangaari did elp dem fi fiil powaful an schrang.

Wangari knew what to do. She taught the women how to plant trees from seeds. The women sold the trees and used the money to look after their families. The women were very happy. Wangari had helped them to feel powerful and strong.

@wangaari @did nuɔ @we fi @du @shi @did tiːtʃ di uman dem ɔu fi plaːnt tʃɹiː @fram @siid di uman dem @sel di tʃɹiː dem an juː di moni fi luk afta dem @fambili dem di uman dem @did api @wangaari @did elp dem fi fiːl @powaful an @schrang


Az di taim go bai, di nyuu chrii dem ton inna wahn faris, an di riva dem staat ron agen. Nyuuz bout we Wangaari se spred kraas Afrika. Tide, miliyan a chrii gruo fram Wangaari siid dem.

As time passed, the new trees grew into forests, and the rivers started flowing again. Wangari’s message spread across Africa. Today, millions of trees have grown from Wangari’s seeds.

@az di taɪm @go baɪ di ɲuː tʃɹiː dem ton @inna wã @faris an di @riva dem staːt ɹon agen ɲuːz bɔut @we @wangaari se @spred @kraas afɹika tide milijan a tʃɹiː gɹuɔ @fram @wangaari @siid dem


Wangaari did wok aad. Piipl aal uova di wol tek nuotis a ar, an gi ar wahn fiemos praiz. Dem kaal it di Nuobl Piis Praiz, an shi a did di fos uman fram Afrika fi eva get it.

Wangari had worked hard. People all over the world took notice, and gave her a famous prize. It is called the Nobel Peace Prize, and she was the first African woman ever to receive it.

@wangaari @did wok aːd piːpl̩ aːl @uova di @worl tek @nuotis a aɹ an @gi aɹ wã fɪɛmos @praiz dem kaːl it di @nuobl piːs @praiz an @shi a @did di fos uman @fram afɹika fi @eva @get it


Wangaari ded inna 2011, bot wi kyan tingk bout ar evritaim wi si wahn priti chrii.

Wangari died in 2011, but we can think of her every time we see a beautiful tree.

@wangaari ded @inna @2011 bot wi @kyan tiŋk bɔut aɹ @evritaim wi si wan @priti tʃɹiː


Written by: Nicola Rijsdijk
Illustrated by: Maya Marshak
Translated by: Georgette McGlashen
Language: Jamaican Creole
Level 3
Source: A Tiny Seed: The Story of Wangari Maathai from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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