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كَانَ لِقَرْيَتِي اَلعَدِيدُ مِنَ اَلمَشَاكِلَ.
فَنَحْنٌ نَقِفُ صَفًّا طَوِيلاً لِنَجْلِبَ اَلماءَ من صَنْبُورٍ وَاحِدٍ.
Kijiji changu kilikuwa na matatizo mengi. Tulipanga foleni ndefu tukisubiri kuchota maji kutoka mfereji mmoja.
My village had many problems.
We made a long line to fetch water from one tap.
وَنَنْتَظِرُ المَعُونَاتِ مِنَ الآخَرِينَ.
Tulisubiri kupokea msaada wa chakula.
We waited for food donated by others.
وَنُقْفِلُ أَبْوَابَ مَنَازِلِنَا بَاكِراً خَوْفاً مِنَ اللُّصُوصِ.
Tulifunga nyumba zetu mapema kwasababu ya wizi.
We locked our houses early because of thieves.
تَرَكَ اَلعَدِيدُ مِنَ اَلأطْفَالِ اَلْمَدْرَسَةِ.
Watoto wengi waliacha shule.
Many children dropped out of school.
وَاَلْفَتيَاتُ اَلصَّغِيرَاتُ يَعْمَلْنَ خَادِماتٍ في اَلْقُرَى الأُخْرَى.
Wasichana wadogo walifanya kazi za nyumbani kwenye vijiji vingine.
Young girls worked as maids in other villages.
يَتَسَكَّعُ اَلصِبْيَةُ اَلصِّغارُ في جَميعِ أَنْحاءِ اَلقَرْيَةِ، بَينَما يَعمَلُ الآخَرُونَ في مَزَارِعِ اَلنَاسِ.
Wavulana wadogo waliranda randa kijijini na wengine walifanya kazi kwenye mashamba ya watu.
Young boys roamed around the village while others worked on people’s farms.
عِنْدَمَا تَهُبُّ اَلرِّيَاحُ، تَعْلَقُ مُخلَّفاتُ آلأَوْرَاقِ عَلَى اَلأَشْجارِ وَالأَسْوَارِ.
Upepo ulipovuma, ulipeperusha karatasi chafu na kuzifikisha mitini na uani.
When the wind blew, waste paper hung on trees and fences.
يُجْرَحُ اَلنَّاسُ بِاَلزُجاجِ اَلمَكْسُورِ اَلمُهْمَلِ.
Watu walikatwa na vipande vya chupa vilivyotupwa ovyo ovyo.
People were cut by broken glass that was thrown carelessly.
وَفي أَحَدِ اَلأيَّامِ جَفَّ الصَّنْبُورُ، وَأَصْبَحَتْ أَوْعِيَتُنَا فَارِغَةً.
Halafu siku moja, mfereji wa maji ulikauka na mitungi yetu ikawa mitupu.
Then one day, the tap dried up and our containers were empty.
دَارَ أَبِي مِنْ مَنْزِلٍ إلى مَنْزِلٍ، لِيَدْعُوَهُمْ لاِجْتِمَاعِ اَلقَرْيَةِ.
Baba yangu alitembea nyumba hadi nyumba akiwaomba watu kuhudhuria mkutano wa kijiji.
My father walked from house to house asking people to attend a village meeting.
اِجْتَمَعَ اَلنَّاسُ تَحْتَ اَلشَّجَرَةِ اَلكَبيرَةِ واَستَمَعُوا.
Watu walikusanyika chini ya mti mkubwa na kusikiliza.
People gathered under a big tree and listened.
وَقَفَ أَبِي وقَالَ: “نَحْنُ بِحَاجَةٍ لِأَنْ نَعْمَلَ مَعًا لِحَلِّ المُشْكِلَةِ”.
Baba yangu alisimama na kusema, “Tunahitaji kusaidiana kutatua matatizo yetu.”
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”.
Juma, mtoto wa miaka minane aliyekuwa amekaa kwenye tawi la mti, alisema kwa sauti, “Naweza kusaidia na usafi.”
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”.
Mwanamke mmoja alisema, “Sisi wanawake tunaweza kuungana na kulima.”
One woman said, “The women can join me to grow food.”
وَقَفَ رَجُلٌ آخَرَ وَقَالَ: “اَلرِّجالُ سَيَحْفِرونَ بِئراً”.
Mwanamume mwingine alisimama na kusema, “Wanaume watachimba kisima cha maji.”
Another man stood up and said, “The men will dig a well.”
صَرَخْنَا جَميعاً: “يَجِبُ عَلَيْنَا تَغْيِيرُ حَيَاتِنَا”.
مِنَ اليَوْمِ سَنَعْمَلُ مَعًا لِحَلِّ مَشَاكِلِنَا.
Sote tulisema kwa sauti moja, “Lazima tubadilishe maisha yetu.” Tangu siku hiyo, tulifanya kazi pamoja kutatua shida zetu.
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
