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Tshwetso
Decision
Ursula Nafula
Vusi Malindi
Domitilla Naledi Madi
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Motse wa me o na le mathata a le mantsi. Re dira lotheto lo lo leele go tsaya metsi go tswa mo kraneng e le nngwe.
My village had many problems.
We made a long line to fetch water from one tap.
Re leta dijo tse di abiwang ke ba bangwe.
We waited for food donated by others.
Re tswala matlo a rona go sa le gale ka ntlha ya magodu.
We locked our houses early because of thieves.
Bontsi jwa baithuti ba tlogela sekolo.
Many children dropped out of school.
Baroba ba dira jaaka malata mo metseng e mengwe.
Young girls worked as maids in other villages.
Makau a tsamaya mo mebileng ya motse mme ba bangwe ba dira mo dipolasing tsa batho.
Young boys roamed around the village while others worked on people’s farms.
Fa phefo e foka, matlakala a dipampiri a mo mekaleng le mo diterateng tsa dijarata.
When the wind blew, waste paper hung on trees and fences.
Batho ba sigilwe ke mabotlole a a thubilweng a a latlhilweng go sa rekegelwe.
People were cut by broken glass that was thrown carelessly.
Ka letsatsi lengwe, ke fa karane e kgala mme ditshelo tsa rona di ne di sena sepe.
Then one day, the tap dried up and our containers were empty.
Rre o ne a tsamaya ntlo le ntlo a kopa batho go tsenela phuthego ya motse.
My father walked from house to house asking people to attend a village meeting.
Batho ba ne ba phutega ka fa tlase ga mokala o motonna ba reetsa.
People gathered under a big tree and listened.
Rre o ne a ema a re,”Re tshwanetse ra dira mmogo go rarabolola mathata a rona.”
My father stood up and said, “We need to work together to solve our problems.”
Juma yo o neng a le dingwaga tse robedi,a dutse mo godimo ga setlhare
a goa,” Ke kgona go thusa ka go phepafatsa.”
Eight-year-old Juma, sitting on a tree trunk shouted, “I can help with cleaning up.”
Mme mongwe a re,”Bomme ba kgona go kopana le nna gore re tlhome dijo.”
One woman said, “The women can join me to grow food.”
Rre yo mongwe a ema a re,”Borre ba tla epa sediba.
Another man stood up and said, “The men will dig a well.”
Ra goa rotlhe ka lentswe le le lengwe,” Re tshwanetse go fetola matshelo a rona.”Gotswa ka letsatsi leo ra dira mmogo go rarabolola mathata a rona.
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: Domitilla Naledi Madi
