Ho yu ndi Khalai. U na minwaha ya sumbe. Dzina lawe li amba wavhudi nga luambo lwawe lwa Lubukusu.
This is Khalai. She is seven years old. Her name means ‘the good one’ in her language, Lubukusu.
Khalai u vuwa a tshi amba na muri wa muswiri. “Ndi khou humbela muri wa muswiri, hula uri fhe maswiri o vhibvaho.”
Khalai wakes up and talks to the orange tree. “Please orange tree, grow big and give us lots of ripe oranges.”
Khalai a tshimbila a tshiya tshikoloni. Ndilani u amba na hatsi. “Ndi khou humbela hatsi vhu hule vhu vhe vhudala vhu songo oma.”
Khalai walks to school. On the way she talks to the grass. “Please grass, grow greener and don’t dry up.”
Khalai a posa maluvha a dakani. “Ndi khou humbela maluvha kha dzule o naka uri ndi a dzehenise kha mavhudzi anga.”
Khalai passes wild flowers. “Please flowers, keep blooming so I can put you in my hair.”
Tshikoloni, Khalai u amba na muri vhukati ha fhethu. “Ndi khou humbela muri u bvise matavhi mahulu u ri ri kone u vhala fhasi ha murunzi wao.”
At school, Khalai talks to the tree in the middle of the compound. “Please tree, put out big branches so we can read under your shade.”
Khalai u amba na fhethu u mona na tshikolo. “Ri khou humbela uri u hule nga maanda u thivhe vhathu vhavhi u dzena nga ngomu.”
Khalai talks to the hedge around her school. “Please grow strong and stop bad people from coming in.”
Musi Khalai a tshi vhuya u bva tshikoloni, u dalela muri wa muswiri. “Miswiri yo no vhibva naa?” hu vhudzisa Khalai.
When Khalai returns home from school, she visits the orange tree. “Are your oranges ripe yet?” asks Khalai.
“Miswiri I kha di vha midala,” Khalai a neta. “Ndi do u vhona matshelo muswiri,” hu amba Khalai. “Khamusi u do vha na miswiri yo vhibvaho yanga!”
“The oranges are still green,” sighs Khalai. “I will see you tomorrow orange tree,” says Khalai. “Perhaps then you will have a ripe orange for me!”
